Matilda I, Countess of Boulogne
| Matilda of Boulogne | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Queen consort of England | |
| Tenure | 22 December 1135 – 7 April 1141 1 November 1141 – 3 May 1152 |
| Coronation | 22 March 1136 |
| Countess of Boulogne | |
| Tenure | 1125 – 3 May 1152 |
| Predecessor | Eustace III |
| Successor | Eustace IV |
| Born | c. 1105 Boulogne, France |
| Died | 3 May 1152 (aged c. 46–47) Hedingham Castle, Essex |
| Burial | Faversham Abbey |
| Spouse | Stephen, King of England |
| Issue more... |
Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne Marie I, Countess of Boulogne William I, Count of Boulogne |
| House | House of Flanders |
| Father | Eustace III, Count of Boulogne |
| Mother | Mary of Scotland |
Matilda I (or Maud) (1105? – 3 May 1152) was suo jure Countess of Boulogne. She was also queen consort of England as the wife of King Stephen. She is not to be confused with the Empress Matilda, her first cousin, with whom she and her husband fought for the English throne in the civil war known as the Anarchy. During this period, Matilda was forced to play an unusually active role for a woman of the period when her husband was captured, and proved herself an effective general who managed to force her cousin to release him. Under the agreement that settled the civil war, her children did not inherit the throne.
She was born in Boulogne, France, the daughter of Eustace III, Count of Boulogne, and his wife Mary, daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland. Matilda was first cousin of her husband's rival, Empress Matilda. Through her maternal grandmother, Matilda was descended from the pre-Conquest English kings.
In 1125, Matilda married Stephen of Blois, Count of Mortain, who possessed a large honour in England. When Matilda's father abdicated and retired to a monastery the same year, this was joined with Boulogne and the similarly large English honour Matilda inherited. On Eustace III's death, Matilda and her husband became joint rulers of Boulogne. Two children, a son and a daughter, were born to the countess and count of Boulogne during the reign of King Henry I, who had granted them a residence in London. The son was named Baldwin, after Matilda's uncle, King Baldwin I of Jerusalem. The daughter was named Matilda. Baldwin died in early childhood and the young Matilda is thought to have died during childhood too, although she lived long enough to be espoused to Waleran de Meulan, Earl of Worcester.
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