Matilda of Flanders

Matilda of Flanders was the wife of William the Conqueror and queen of England from 1068. She governed Normandy during William’s absences, acted as patron of churches and religious houses and maintained a household with its own political influence. The marriage produced several surviving children, including Robert Curthose, William II and Henry I. Conflict between William and their eldest son placed Matilda in the difficult position of supporting both husband and child.

Matilda appears in Helen Hollick’s I Am the Chosen King and in many novels about the Norman Conquest and William’s family. Historical fiction often treats her as the civilising or conciliatory partner of a formidable conqueror. Her independent administration in Normandy, however, shows that she was a political actor rather than merely a domestic influence.