William the Conqueror Would Have Turned In His Tomb

Empress Matilda (1102 – 10 September 1167), also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Aetheling, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood. However, her brother's death in the White Ship disaster in 1120 resulted in Matilda being her father's sole heir.

As a child, Matilda was betrothed to and later married Heinrich V, Holy Roman Emperor, acquiring the title Empress. It is this move to Germany that forms the basis of the plot of my latest release, Carried Away. She was twelve when she married the Holy Roman Emperor, so in my book we only see her as a (somewhat spoiled) little girl.

However, Matilda would later play a significant role in the history of England.

She and Henry V had no known children and after eleven years of marriage Henry died, leaving Matilda widowed. However, she was then married to Geoffrey, Count of Anjou in a union which her father hoped would produce a male heir and continue the dynasty. She had three sons by Geoffrey of Anjou, the eldest of whom eventually became King Henry II of England.

Matilda’s grandfather, William the Conqueror was probably turning in his tomb at the idea of his granddaughter marrying an Angevin! Normans and Angevins were traditional enemies, neighbours who fought bitterly over control of land.

Stephen of Blois

Upon the death of her father, Henry I, in 1135, Matilda was usurped to the throne by her rival and cousin Stephen of Blois, who moved quickly and became crowned King of England whilst Matilda was in Normandy, pregnant with her third child. Interestingly enough, Stephen was supposed to sail aboard the doomed White Ship, but left the vessel at the last moment.

Henry II, first Plantagenet King of England

Their rivalry for the throne led to years of unrest and civil war in England that have been called The Anarchy. Matilda was the first female ruler of the Kingdom of England, though the length of her effective rule was brief - a few months in 1141. She was never crowned and failed to consolidate her rule (legally and politically). For this reason, she is normally excluded from lists of English monarchs, and her rival (and cousin) Stephen of Blois is listed as monarch for the period 1135–1154. She campaigned unstintingly for her oldest son's inheritance, living to see him ascend the throne of England in 1154.


Readers of the Montbryce Legacy books will recall Blythe Lacey FitzRam as a newborn in A Man of Value. Carried Away is her story, and is the first book in a new series, the FitzRam Family. Incidentally, the White Ship disaster features prominently in my soon to be released novel, Sweet Taste of Love, the second book in the series.

Interview with Ram de Montbryce, hero of Conquering Passion

Note: Montreal born French Canadian model, Gabriel Aubry, probably most resembles how I see my hero, Ram, though his eyes are the wrong colour and his hair should be darker! Ram has blue eyes.

Conquering Passion will be available for 99 cents from June 8 to June 22 as part of the Booklovers Buffet Vacation Getaway. 160 titles from 120 authors, all 99 cents. 

Date: October 1066

Place: St. Valery, Normandy

Milord, can you tell us something of your family background?

Oui, I am the eldest son of Bernard, the Count of Montbryce. Ours is a noble Norman family descended from the Northmen who came to our shores generations ago. I have two brothers, Antoine and Hugh. Our family owns to a strong military tradition of cavalrymen. I myself joined my first battle against the Angevins at my father’s side when I was thirteen.

In the feudal society that exists in Normandie, who is your overlord?

William, Duke of Normandie (the Conqueror)

We are vassals of William, Duke of Normandie. He is a great man who has brought power and stability to Normandie. We are proud to serve him. He has honoured our family by entrusting me with preparations of the fleet which will soon invade England.

Why does William want to invade England?

He has no choice. The throne of England was promised to him by his cousin, Edward the Confessor, but Harold Godwinson, Edward’s brother-by-marriage, has stolen the crown and proclaimed himself King of England.

Preparing the fleet is a big responsibility.

Oui, sometimes it has been difficult to maintain discipline among the more than 7000 men we have gathered, especially now we have waited weeks for the wind to change. They are anxious for glory and there are many factions among them. As well we have hundreds of horses ready to embark.

You are taking horses on the longboats?

Normans are expert horsemen and our horses are an important part of our battle capabilities. Both my brothers are in the Norman cavalry. Without my stallion, Fortis, I would not be as effective a warrior.

Detail from the Bayeux Tapestry

Does your wife worry about this imminent invasion?

I am not yet married, though I am betrothed. It will be an arranged marriage. My father chose Mabelle de Valtesse as my bride.

You don’t sound very excited about it.

Mabelle is...well, let’s say she had an unusual upbringing. One day I will inherit my father’s title, and Mabelle is not... When she and I first met...well, there was a misunderstanding.

There seems to be some commotion going on? I hear shouts. Something about the wind?

I must find my Duke. Finally, the wind has changed and will fill our square sails. We must embark for England to regain the throne. William wants me to sail with him in his flagship, the Mora. I’m not a good sailor! I hope I don’t retch in his presence!

You sound eager to get the invasion underway? Aren’t you afraid?

A warrior does not let fear control him. Bravery is born of fear. If I serve the Duke well, I will be rewarded. When he becomes Conqueror of England, I hope to gain lands there.

Will you miss Mabelle, your betrothed?

Oui, but...

Gabriel Aubry

(Wo)man Overboard!

Here’s a story from the 14th century chronicler Thomas Walsingham’s Historia Anglicana, as recounted in Ian Mortimer’s book, The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England.
In the autumn of 1379 Sir John Arundel—younger brother of the Earl of Arundel—rides up to a convent with a detachment of soldiers, planning to sail to Brittany. He asks for lodging for himself and his troops while he waits for the wind to change. The Prioress is reluctant, given the number of armed young men, but eventually relents, aware of her obligation to provide hospitality to travellers.
The wind doesn’t change and the men become restless. They start drinking and flirting with the nuns, who then lock themselves in the dormitory. The soldiers force their way in and rape them. They then loot the nunnery. Not satisfied with that, they turn their attention to a nearby church where they encounter a wedding party. They seize the bride and take turns raping her.
Suddenly they become aware the wind has changed and they herd this woman and as many nuns as they can onto their vessel.
A day or so later, a storm blows up from the east. The ship is swept off course and takes on water. Arundel gives the order for the sixty women to be thrown overboard to lighten the load. They are all hurled into the sea, and the ship makes its way to Ireland.
As Mortimer points out, this story is an extreme one, and probably not typical. But Walsingham believed it to be true and this demonstrates that medieval people found it credible that groups of young men who were armed, bored, drunk and in a gang were capable of this kind of atrocity.
No wonder women travelled little in the Middle Ages. Medieval society was more fearful, guarded and violent than our own.
This story drew my attention in particular because in my series, The Montbryce Legacy, set almost two centuries before this event, William the Conqueror rewards Rambaud de Montbryce with vast tracts of lands and manors in what was known as the Rape of Arundel. It was an area of Sussex vital for the defence of England.
One of my villains, Renouf de Maubadon appeals to the Bishop of Arundel when his wife is abducted by my hero, Hugh de Montbryce (If Love Dares Enough).
William the Conqueror hoped to bring The Peace of God to England, but it appears that by the 14th century, fear and confrontation accompanied bands of armed men wherever they went, and lawlessness prevailed when there were few means of detecting a criminal’s identity.

Video about Battle of Hastings 1066