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Stephen was a powerful man and an effective soldier. He rode to Winchester, where his brother was Bishop, and had himself crowned King. For Matilda this was a shocking betrayal. Stephen had been among the nobles who had sworn allegiance to her when her father was alive. Matilda believed absolutely in her right to the throne. But her big mistake was to assume that others did too. Male might, it seemed, still overcame female right. According to a chronicle known as the Gesta Stephani, The Deeds of Stephen: "There was no one else at hand who could take the King's place and put an end to the great dangers threatening the kingdom." This is hardly an impartial account. It was written by a monk with close ties to Stephen's court and Stephen is the hero of the story. Unfortunately no one was writing Matilda's story. |
