FORMIDABLE ROYALS

Isabella was not the only medieval queen to fight for her rights

Empress Matilda 1102-67

A claimant to the English throne during the Anarchy, a civil war between England and Normandy,

Empress Matilda almost became

England’s first female ruler. She was the daughter and heir of King Henry

I, but after his death the throne was seized by her cousin Stephen of Blois.

Although Matilda defeated Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln in 1141, she was driven out of London before her coronation could be held. In 1153, she signed the Treaty of Winchester, which agreed that Stephen could remain king as long as Matilda’s son, Henry, was named his heir.

Eleanor of Aquitaine c.1122 – 1204

Eleanor was queen of France through her marriage to King Louis VII. After that marriage was annulled, she became queen of England after marrying King Henry II, with whom she had eight children. The couple eventually became estranged and

Eleanor supported her sons Henry,

Richard and Geoffrey when they plotted to overthrow their father. The revolt failed and the king imprisoned Eleanor for almost 16 years until she was released by Richard after he ascended the throne. When he left for the Third Crusade Eleanor was chosen to act as regent and govern the country on his behalf.

Margaret of Anjou 1430-82

Margaret was the queen of England as the wife of King Henry VI. She was a leader of the Lancastrian faction in the Wars of the Roses, which was partly triggered by the power vacuum caused by Henry’s frequent bouts of mental instability.

Fiercely protective of her son, Edward of Westminster, and his right to the

English throne, she forged alliances to try and defeat the Yorkist faction. She was defeated and captured at the Battle of Tewkesbury, during which her son was killed. Her cousin, the French King Louis XI, paid a ransom for her and she spent the rest of her life in France.