Queen Of The Conqueror: The Life Of Matilda, Wife Of William I - Plot & Excerpts
Of course, the prestige of her lineage and the strategic importance of her father’s principality increased Matilda’s value, as did the fact that any alliance with Flanders would effectively also mean alliance with France. But what set her apart was the fact that she herself was not as politically sheltered as many other eligible daughters. The years that she had spent in the comital court had given her a keen understanding of international affairs, particularly those relating to England.None of this escaped the notice of Duke William of Normandy. His pride and arrogance bolstered by his recent military success at Val-ès-Dunes, he resolved to establish his dynasty by taking a wife. According to Jumièges, he was prompted to do so by his magnates, who “urgently drew his attention to the problem of his offspring and succession.”1 William of Poitiers agreed that he was “given divergent counsels about his marriage” by the many advisers who occupied his “crowded court.”2 Society dictated that a “youth”
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