by Hilary Green
‘Gracious lady, do not be angry with me for the news I bring you.’
She looked down at him. His clothes were caked with mud and his face was grey with fatigue. A cold fist clenched on her gut. ‘What news?’
‘Madam, forgive me. The King your father is dead.’
10
ANJOU, 1135-36
The same practicality that served her well when her first husband died came to her aid now. The messenger was sent off to the kitchens with instructions that he be fed and given a bed. Then the enormous implications of the news overcame her. Geoffrey, alerted by a page, ran in and found her sitting with her face in her hands. He knelt by her and gently drew them away, but her eyes were dry. She gazed at him in blank unbelief.
‘It is not possible. He cannot be dead.’
‘How did it happen? Was he killed in battle?’
‘No. A sudden illness. That is all the messenger knew.’
‘When did this happen?’
‘Five days ago. The man has ridden almost day and night to reach us.’
He stood up, crossing himself. ‘God rest his soul. You will mourn him, of course. We may have come to blows, but he was your father. You will want to arrange masses for his soul …’
She rose abruptly. ‘There will be time to mourn later. I have been thinking. I must move quickly to claim the throne.’
‘The throne of England?’
‘Of course, where else? We must leave for England at once.’
‘No! We must secure our position in Normandy first.’
‘Once I have England, Normandy will follow.’
‘Not necessarily. Your father held both, but only after he had conquered his brother Robert and taken Normandy from him. If we go to England and leave the situation in Normandy unresolved, the Norman lords may choose someone else to rule. Once I am established as duke we can go to England without fear of trouble in our rear.’
‘You?’
‘Us. Obviously as my wife you will be the duchess.’
She looked at him and felt exasperation tinged with pity. ‘I am Henry’s heir. I shall be queen and duchess in my own right, not as your wife.’
His face darkened. ‘And me? Do I have no rights?’
‘Of course, as my husband you will have a place of honour. You will be my consort.’
He made a dismissive gesture. ‘The English barons will never accept a woman as ruler.’
‘They are oath sworn to me and to my son.’
‘Your son is three years old! They won’t accept him as king.’
‘Then I will rule as regent until he is of age. You know very well that Henry never meant you to be king.’
‘Henry is dead! His intentions no longer matter. We must forge our own destiny.’
She ran her hands over her face, pushing back the hair that had escaped from under her veil. ‘We are acting like the foolish hunter who sold the bear’s skin before he had killed the bear. First we must get to England and gather the support of the barons. Then we can discuss titles and lay claim to Normandy.’
‘No, we must have Normandy first.’ He turned to her urgently. ‘Can you not see? If I leave Anjou those Norman lords we have been fighting will pour over the border and seize everything. I will not risk my birthright to be your consort in England. We must act now. At the very least we must secure our borders. You must assert your rights over those Norman castles.’
She laughed bitterly. ‘I had other news to give you, but I was going to keep it until Christmas. I am with child again.’
Guigan Algason, the castellan of Argentan, met them in front of the city gates. Heralds had gone ahead to warn him of their approach and the gates in the massive walls were wide open. He fell on his knees beside Matilda’s palfrey and offered her the keys on a silk cushion.
‘Madam, you are my liege lady now that the King your father is dead. The castle of Argentan is yours, as are Exmes and Domfront, which are also under my stewardship.’
She thanked him and rode through the gates with her husband at her side. Algason might welcome her out of duty, but he knew as well as she did that the citizens might feel differently. They were followed by a large force of knights and men-at-arms, together with their squires and pages, and the smiths and butchers and bakers and all the hangers-on who make up an army. The castle could accommodate their personal entourage of clerks and chaplains and ladies-in-waiting and servants, together with their household knights, and the other prominent men found lodgings in the city. The common soldiers had to make camp in the fields outside. It was winter and there were no crops to provide them with sustenance. They soon resorted to stealing livestock and raiding grain stores and looting outlying villages. It could only be a matter of time before trouble broke out between the Norman citizens and their uninvited Angevin guests.
They had been in the city only three days when a young man wearing the colours of Robert of Gloucester rode in in the company of two men-at-arms. He introduced himself as Leofric of Shaftesbury, clerk in the earl’s household.
‘My lord of Gloucester has sent me, my lady, to offer you his deepest sympathy on the death of the King your father, and to assure you of his loyalty and support.’
‘I thank you, and him.’ She indicated that he should sit and leant towards him eagerly. ‘Was the earl with him when he died? I know nothing of the circumstances.’
‘He was, my lady. We were at Lyons-la-Forêt, the King’s favourite hunting lodge.’
‘I know it well. Was the King in good health?’
‘So it seemed, and in good spirits too. He was looking forward to some good hunting. The first evening he partook of a dish of lampreys, always a favourite of his.’
‘And one that always disagrees with him! His physicians have told him to avoid them.’
‘I know nothing of that, madam. In truth, he made a plentiful repast, refilling his trencher several times. Then, in the middle of the night, he was taken with a powerful colic and began vomiting blood. His physicians were called and every treatment they could suggest was tried, but alas to no effect. Very soon it was obvious that His Grace was weakening.’
‘Was a priest with him?’
‘Indeed, madam. None other than the Lord Archbishop Hugh of Rouen was with him for three days. My lord of Gloucester instructed me to tell you particularly that your father confessed his sins and received absolution. He pardoned all exiles, revoked sentences of forfeiture and gave instructions for his body to be buried in Reading Abbey. Having thus eased his conscience, he made a peaceful and godly end.’
‘May God rest his soul.’
‘Did he name his successor?’ Geoffrey broke across her murmured prayers. She looked at him in exasperation. Would he never learn when to speak and when to keep silent?
Leofric shook his head. ‘My lord, I know nothing of that. It was not part of the message I was given to bring to you.’
‘What arrangements have been made for conveying his body to England?’ she asked, before Geoffrey could interrupt again.
‘It has been embalmed and the entrails buried in the priory church of Notre Dame Du Pré. The lords who were with him, including my master, have taken an oath that they will not part company until they have conveyed his coffin safely to its last resting place. When I left, they were preparing to set out for Caen to take ship for England.’
She took a ring from her finger and extended her hand. ‘I thank you for bringing me this news. It has eased my heart to know that he died in a state of grace. Take this as a token of my gratitude.’
Leofric kissed her hand and bowed himself out of the room. As soon as they were alone Geoffrey gave vent to some colourful curses. She said, ‘What did you expect? Even if he did make his intentions clear, would we have been told the truth? But now we have a breathing space. Nothing will be decided until after the funeral. We must set out for England immediately.’
‘No! We dare not leave until we are sure that Anjou is safe. First we need to establish our control along t
he border. I am going to claim the remaining castles we were promised. I’ll give them into the charge of Juhel de Mayenne. He’s loyal and has a just claim to them. In return I shall ask for a promise of support if we need to call on him later. Then we need to get oaths of fealty from the leading Norman lords. After that, when we are sure that our backs are guarded, we can set out for England.’
She chewed her lip in indecision. ‘If I am to claim the throne, I must be in England when the barons meet for my father’s funeral. But it is a bad time of year for sailing. It may be that there will be a delay in taking my father’s body across the narrow seas. But we cannot afford to wait for long.’
‘Trust me! Juhel will be installed in Ambrieres within days and then we can move. Anyway, who else could they choose? Are there any other claimants?’
‘It would have to be someone with the blood of the first William in his veins. Clito is dead. Who else is there? Henry’s sister Adela is married to Stephen of Blois. She has sons. The eldest is Theobald, I think. The second is another Stephen. He was at court when the first oath was taken to support me and he swore, along with the rest. He has charm. He is a bit like my father, ready to eat and joke with anyone, regardless of rank. I think my father was quite fond of him. And of course the third son, Henry, is Bishop of Winchester.’
Geoffrey spat. ‘Blois! That nest of vipers! They have been our enemies since time began. We need to know what is happening in Caen. I shall send a reliable man to keep an eye on those lords who are accompanying the coffin.’
Geoffrey left to claim the remaining castles. While he was absent his spy returned with news.
‘The weather has prevented the lords from taking ship. They are waiting in Caen, but I have heard disturbing rumours. Some of them met with Norman lords at Lisieux and discussed the question of the succession. It seems they favour Theobald of Blois.’
She leapt to her feet. ‘Traitors! Oath breakers! I will have their heads for treason when I am queen and they will burn in hell for their sin.’
Geoffrey returned triumphant just before Christmas.
‘Juhel de Mayenne now holds the castles of Ambrières, Gorron and Châtillon-sur-Colmont – and what’s more William Talvas has seized Seès and Alençon. At least we control the border area now.’
‘Then we can leave for England at once.’
‘Is there any truth in the rumour that the English lords have offered Normandy to Theobald?’
‘So I have heard. That makes it all the more imperative for me to assert my authority. The traitors hold honours on both sides of the narrow seas. They will not wish to owe allegiance to two different lords. Once I am queen, they will soon abandon Theobald.’
‘Even if I agreed with you – which I don’t – it is impossible to set out for England now. All the reports speak of terrible storms. It would be madness to try to cross until they abate. You said yourself that nothing will be decided until Henry is buried. At least wait until after Christmas.’
Christmas was celebrated with as much state as could be managed at short notice and the festivities were marred by outbreaks of fighting between Normans and Angevins in the city. The twelve days were not over when another messenger arrived. The weather had cleared and the cortège with the King’s body had left Caen, but word had crossed the Channel in the opposite direction. On 22 December in Winchester Cathedral, Stephen of Blois had been anointed King of the English by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
A letter from Robert of Gloucester brought further details. Amongst his other honours Stephen held the lordship of Boulogne, through his wife, who was also called Matilda; and he happened to be there when news of Henry’s death was received. While his older brother was negotiating with the knights accompanying the King’s body for possession of Normandy, he had gathered a small force and braved the weather to cross to England. He was refused entry to Dover, which belonged to Robert, but pressed on to London, where he was received with acclamation. The principal source of London’s wealth was the wool trade with Flanders, most of which passed through the port of Boulogne, so the citizens were delighted at the prospect of the same overlord holding both cities. Stephen promised them valuable concessions, including nominating London as a commune, which would give them much greater freedom to manage their own affairs. So all the leading burghers had done homage to him and promised their support. From there, Stephen had moved quickly to Winchester, where the royal treasury was held, and with the aid of his brother, the bishop, persuaded William Pont de l’Arche, the treasurer, to hand over the keys. Robert wrote:
This having been achieved the usurper then set out to persuade the Archbishop of Canterbury to crown and anoint him as king. The Archbishop was loath to do so because of the oaths we had all sworn to you and your son, but Hugh Bigod, the Earl of Norfolk, and two other knights, swore that they had heard your father on his deathbed release all his subjects from their oath to you and name Stephen as his successor. To my knowledge, neither Hugh nor the other two were present at the time, though they were among the King’s followers, but the Archbishop believed them and took that as sufficient grounds to proceed with the coronation.
I have learned that upon news of your father’s death, many of the lesser barons, freed from the fear of his retribution, and seeing no one at hand to take over the rule of the kingdom, seized the opportunity to settle old grievances and grab for themselves disputed lands, so that the country lapsed into anarchy. Many men longed for a strong ruler to bring order to the chaos. Stephen has thus drawn to him many of the great men of the kingdom and his position is such that, unless you can bring a sufficient force to unseat him, he must prevail. I beg you to believe me, madam, that you have my undying loyalty, but for the present I can do nothing to advance your cause.
Matilda rounded on her husband. ‘You see? This is what our delay has wrought. If I had done as I wished and gone straight to England the people would have seen that the succession was secure and I could have put a stop to that lawlessness. Now, let us gather our forces and set out before the usurper makes himself stronger yet.’
Geoffrey shook his head obstinately. ‘I dare not leave Normandy yet. You have seen how unpopular we Angevins are. If I take my troops to England the Normans will rise up and we shall lose all that we have gained.’
She gazed at him in disbelief. ‘You are refusing to help me to prosecute my just claim to the crown? You will not join your forces with mine?’
‘Not at present. When I have Normandy, then we can think about England.’
‘You put being Duke of Normandy above my right to the throne?’
He looked back at her with narrowing eyes. ‘Why not? You told me yourself that your father never intended me to be king. I should rather take what I can get than waste my energies pursuing a hopeless quest.’
‘Then I shall go alone!’
‘Don’t be a fool! You do not have sufficient men to mount a campaign. It would be madness to challenge Stephen, who has all the resources of England behind him, with such a pitiful handful.’
‘Then come with me!’
‘No! You must have patience and wait until we are ready. With Normandy at my command we can raise enough men and money to mount a proper campaign. Besides,‘ he softened his tone, ‘have you forgotten you are with child? How can you think of risking yourself in battle until after the birth?’
She sent for Alexander de Bohun, the captain of her household knights. Over the recent years she had been carefully building their numbers, determined never again to have to rely on Geoffrey for an adequate escort. But they were still a small force by comparison with his army.
‘My husband refuses to help me to drive out the usurper who has taken my throne. Can we muster sufficient forces to attack Stephen?’
He shook his head sadly.
‘It is impossible, my lady. You know yourself how few we are in comparison to the numbers the usurper could bring against us. It would be suicide to attempt it.’
‘But my brother, Robert of
Gloucester, would raise his people in my support. I am sure of that.’
‘It is not enough, madam. Without my lord Geoffrey’s assistance we would be fools to proceed.’
She had no choice but to remain in Argentan. In Anjou a dissident baron, Robert of Sablé, raised a rebellion and Geoffrey was forced to return to suppress it. Matilda paced the castle battlements in frustration as she waited for his return. Then just after Easter one of the spies she had dispatched to report on what was happening in England arrived and begged audience.
‘King Stephen—’
She cut him short. ‘You mean the usurper Stephen!’
‘Forgive me, my lady. I have become accustomed to referring to him as king. Otherwise it would be obvious that I am in your service.’
‘Very well. Go on.’
‘He summoned all the lords to his Easter court. Before them all he produced a letter from Pope Innocent approving his assumption of the throne. All had sworn fealty to him, save only your brother, the Earl of Gloucester. He has always refused to present himself at court, in spite of many summonses from Stephen. This time … forgive me, madam … this time he went. He did homage and was received with great kindness and rewarded with lands and privileges.’
‘I do not believe you. He would never betray me like that.’
‘I can tell you only what I have gleaned from talking to men about the court, madam. But I believe it is true.’
She turned away, determined not to show weakness, but she could not stop her tears. ‘The traitor! The traitor!’
A letter arrived from England. At first she did not recognize the seal; then she remembered that it belonged to Adeliza. With a shock she realized that she had not given a thought to the other woman’s fate since Henry’s death.
To the Empress Matilda, Countess of Anjou, and rightful Queen of the English; from Adeliza, widow of Henry, King of England.
My dear friend – I cannot address you as daughter, though my marriage to your father would give me that right. You were a queen long before me and I have never forgotten how you interceded with the Emperor, at my urgent plea, to release my father. I have hoped to welcome you to England to take up your rightful place, but now the usurper Stephen sits on the throne and you are not here to oppose him. If only you would come, my dear friend, there would be many who would welcome you with open arms – myself among them. We have been too long without a just ruler. Freed from your father’s authority the petty barons all round the country have taken the chance to expand their power. Old injuries are avenged, disputed land is seized, brigands and masterless men terrorize the country and the people cry out for law and justice. That is why so many are prepared to bend the knee to Stephen. By putting down revolts and imposing his rule he is making himself stronger with every day that passes.