My trailblazing royal heroine!
Isabelle honours 'personification of determination' Empress Matilda
Hi Royal Clubbers,
I have a very exciting interview to share with you tomorrow for International Women's Day. Last week, I had the opportunity to pop down to Hampton Court Palace in west London where I spoke to historian and royal author, Tracy Borman.
Tracy regaled me with her top 5 most influential royal women of all time, some of whom I admit I hadn't heard of (she went back a few centuries!), and it was so fascinating to hear about these trailblazing ladies.
I'll be sharing the video tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled. Here's a little teaser of what to expect.
Can you identify the small but mighty royal woman Tracy is talking about here? Let me know your guesses in the comments below!
In the meantime, International Women's Day had me thinking about my own most influential royal woman, and I have to say it would be Empress Matilda.
She was the daughter of Henry I of England and married future Holy Roman Emperor Henry V in 1114. In my eyes, she was the personification of determination.
Matilda was at the centre of the civil war known as "the anarchy", fighting her own family members for her right to the throne, at a time when the idea of a female monarch was not only unprecedented but unthinkable to many of her male relatives.
After finding herself cornered at a besieged Oxford Castle in the winter of 1142, Matilda managed to escape by crossing the frozen River Thames on foot.
Despite never making it to the throne (her cousin Stephen Blois staged a coup becoming her father's successor), upon her death, Matilda's efforts were recognised and her epitaph stated that she was "great by birth, greater by marriage, greatest in her offspring".
Today, women are often coined "bossy" rather than assertive, and I believe this idea was something that heavily impacted Matilda and her perception to the public. The Empress was known for being "aggressive" and "arrogant" which, had these characteristics been displayed by her male counterparts, would no doubt be perceived as much more positive traits.
Who is your most influential royal woman? Leave a comment below.
Magnificent! I like to read about strongwomen!