Matilda of Scotland

Matilda of Scotland, originally christened Edith, was born in 1080. Through her marriage to King Henry I, she was Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy.

She was the oldest daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and his wife Margaret of Wessex, and like many women of noble birth at the time, from the age of 6, she was educated at a convent in southern England along with her younger sister Mary. Their aunt, Christina, was abbess at the convent, and while there she was forced against her will to wear a nun’s veil. In 1093, a suitable match was made for Matilda, and she was initially engaged to an English nobleman until her father and her brother Edward were killed in the Battle of Alnwick. This triggered a messy succession conflict between her uncle, brother, and half-brother. Her brother Edgar eventually assumed the throne in 1097.

When King Henry inherited the throne of England after the ‘accidental’ death of his brother, King William II, Matilda became an excellent candidate for marriage due to her Anglo-Saxon and Wessex lineage. A marriage with her would not only unite the Norman and Anglo-Saxon lines but would also ally England with Scotland.

However, Matilda's years in the convent raised questions of whether she had taken vows as a nun and was not free to marry legally. Henry asked Archbishop Anselm for a ruling, and Anselm convened a council of bishops. They heard testimony from Matilda that she had never taken vows, had worn the veil only for protection, and that her stay in the convent had only been for her education. The bishops agreed that Matilda was eligible to marry Henry.

Matilda and Henry I were married at Westminster Abbey on November 11, 1100. At this point, her name was changed from her birth name, Edith, to Matilda. Their marriage produced four children, but only two survived infancy: Matilda, born in 1102; and William, born in 1103. Perhaps due to her convent upbringing, she prevailed over the court in a more simplistic and rustic way, unlike the previous flamboyant court of King William II.

Her education was valuable in her role as Henry's queen, as she served on her husband's council, was queen regent when he was travelling, and she often accompanied him on his travels. From 1103 to 1107, during a conflict between church and state, Matilda served as a mediator between Henry and Archbishop Anselm, eventually helping to resolve the issue. Her work as regent lives on; to this day, charters and documents signed by Matilda as regent still survive.

She also commissioned literary works, including a biography of her mother and a history of her family. She administered estates that were part of her dower properties and oversaw several architectural projects. In general, Matilda ran a court that valued both culture and religion, and she herself spent a great deal of time on works of charity and compassion.

Matilda died on Mary 1, 1118, and although she had wanted to be buried at Holy Trinity, Aldgate, King Henry chose to bury her at Westminster Abbey near Edward the Confessor. The inscription on her tomb reads: "Here lies the renowned queen Matilda, excelling both young and old of her day. She was for everyone the benchmark of morals and the ornament of life."

Sources:

Queen Consorts of England: the Power Behind the Throne, Margot Arnold

Henry I : King of England and Duke of Normandy, Judith Green

Edith Becomes Matilda, England in Europe : English Royal Women and Literary Patronage, c. 1000–c. 1150, Elizabeth Muir Tyler