The story of Stephen and Maud is the story of a treacherous civil war that would span 12 years. Two cousins feuding over a Kingship and their fight to determine an heir.
             
            Matilda, who would be remembered by the name Maud, was born in 1101, the daughter of King Henry I.  At the tender age of 8 years old she was betrothed to Emperor Heinrich V of Germany, twenty years her senior, and by age 12 she was his child bride.  She took from this marriage the title of Empress and little else, as Heinrich died in 1125 without an heir. In 1120, William, Maud’s only brother and the heir to the throne of England, died unexpectedly in an accident at sea.  This tragic event left Maud as Henry’s sole heir. Thus, Maud returned to her father upon the death of her husband in order to be molded into an heiress.  Henry’s last years were spent vigorously campaigning for his only daughter.

            There was at this time, however, another strong candidate for the throne. Stephen of Blois, cousin to Maud.  Henry, who had taken part in raising Stephen after the death of his father, was quite fond of him, bestowing him with lands which eventually enabled him to become the richest man in England and Normandy. He arranged a marriage for Stephen to Matilda of Boulonge; perhaps the thought even crossed his mind that Stephen could be his successor.

            In 1125, the nobles of King Henry’s court swore an oath of fealty to Maud. Stephen himself took the oath, vowing to accept her succession.  Maud had become marriageable in the meantime, due to the fact that she must be able to produce heirs.  Reluctantly, Maud traveled to Anjou to marry the Count’s son, Geoffrey.  This time she would be the elder in her marriage as Geoffrey was 10 years her junior.  In 4 years she produced 3 sons.  Two of them were to be born before her father’s death. Maud’s eldest son, known as Henry fitzEmpress, was the future Henry II.   Maud resented her new title as Countess of Anjou and it was never to be a happy marriage between the two.  After being born a princess of England and becoming Empress of Germany upon her marriage, the role as Countess seemed to be substandard. Possibly due to pregnancy, Maud remained in Anjou while her father was on his deathbed.  Stephen seized this opportunity to absolve the noble’s oaths of fealty and have himself crowned King. (Stephen either had a poor memory or a lack of honor, as he neglected his own oath of fealty to Maud as well.)  Thus began a long and tiring feud for the crown, which would be forever remembered.

            Stephen was thought to be a good man.  He was well respected and closely tied to the church.  He had a limited scope of kingship, however. He neglected the citizens of Normandy, visiting there only once in the entire time of his reign.  It would cost him the support of Normandy.

            Where Maud possessed arrogance and a royal upbringing, Stephen was unable to possess enough backbone to keep his errant barons in line.  The barons lost respect for him and kept only to their basic duties to their King, running wild and illegally seizing land. England fell into turbulent times.  Many citizens and subjects who had once been loyal moved to foreign lands to escape extreme hunger and famine, and the ruthlessness of the barons and soldiers. The barons who had thrived on pillaging and plundering resorted to even more cruel measures, creating false accusations and blatantly robbing the inhabitants of England to quench their thirst for power. Food became so scarce that the people were forced to consume the meat of dogs and horses in order to survive.  Citizens who were not forced into banishment died in large masses.  Many of the largest cities fell to ruin as many starved to death due to lack of food and lack of men to work the few fields that remained. Stephen’s lack of leadership and judgment would eventually lead to his alienation from the church as well, when the Earl of Hereford imposed a tax on the church.  The bishops refused to pay the tax, citing that money and alms given to the church was solely to be used for the work of God.  The Earl and his soldiers were threatened with excommunication from the church.

            Stephen’s inability to set aside his gentlemanly notions would cost him dearly.  Maud held Arundel castle against Stephen’s army.  Stephen, not want to be seen besieging a woman, let Maud flee to her half-brother and ally, Robert of Gloucester.  Maud, being anything but a gentle female, turned the tables on Stephen, capturing him in 1141 at the Battle of Lincoln.  Although Queen Matilda pleaded with Maud, she had him sent to Bristol Castle in chains.  In 1141, Maud moved to London to prepare for her coronation as Queen. Her arrogance, however, set her apart from the citizens, eventually causing her to flee in exile from London. The greedy barons began to take advantage of this time of Anarchy by playing each side for land and favors. Maud was not to be pushed around and held firm against the barons; this did not throw things in her favor.  Where Maud was harsh, arrogant and cold, Stephen was a pushover and entirely too soft.

            Queen Matilda, at this time, took over the royal duties for her imprisoned husband. She was a formidable opponent. Maud found herself blockaded at Winchester and narrowly escaped, dressing as a corpse and slipping quietly out the front gate.  Her brother Robert of Gloucester was captured while in attempt to cover up her escape, and this would prove to be her undoing. A bargain was struck and a trade was made: Stephen for Robert.  The battle between the two cousins continued. While Robert was away tending to official matters for Geoffrey of Anjou, Maud was captured yet again, this time in Oxford. She managed to escape, despite near starvation.  During an impressive snowstorm, Maud dressed in white, along with her supporters, and was lowered down the castle wall by rope.  She stealthily crept out into the snow and out of the gate. They made there way on foot for six miles in the bitter cold, crossing a frozen river in bare feet, before acquiring horses for the remainder of the journey to Wallingford.

            The battle between Maud and Stephen was far from won.  Stephen maintained that his son Eustace should be his rightful heir to the throne, and Maud insisted that by birth that right belonged to her son, Henry fitzEmpress. This feud, however, would be resolved in a simple manner.  Eustace’s death in 1153 eventually led to the Treaty of Wallingford. The treaty stated that Stephen would rule unopposed until his death, at which time Henry II would take over as King of England.  Although Maud herself was never crowned Queen of England, neither did Stephen continue the succession through his own son.  The long battle resulted in a win and a loss for both sides. Stephen was King, as he knew he should be, and Maud regained the throne for her son upon Stephen’s death. Stephen was finally left to rule in peace for the first time since his coronation. He was not able to enjoy it long, however, as Stephen died on October 25, 1154. You win some, you lose some, and sometimes the line between is just a bit hazy.

Stephen's Genealogy        Maud's Genealogy

Biography and musings by Lisa Munoz

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