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Queen of the Conqueror: The Life of Matilda, Wife of William Iby Tracy Joanne Borman
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Around the year 1049, William, Duke of Normandy and future conqueror of England, raced to the palace of Baldwin V, Count of Flanders. The count’s eldest daughter, Matilda, had refused William’s offer of marriage and publicly denounced him as a bastard. Encountering the young woman, William furiously dragged her to the ground by her hair and beat her mercilessly. Matilda’s outraged father immediately took up arms on his daughter’s behalf. But just a few days later, Baldwin was aghast when Matilda, still recovering from the assault, announced that she would marry none but William, since “he must be a man of great courage and high daring” to have ventured to “come and beat me in my own father’s palace.”
Thus began the tempestuous marriage of Matilda of Flanders and William the Conqueror. While William’s exploits and triumphs have been widely chronicled, his consort remains largely overlooked. Now, in her groundbreaking Queen of the Conqueror, acclaimed author and historian Tracy Borman weaves together a comprehensive and illuminating tapestry of this noble woman who stood only four-foot-two and whose role as the first crowned Queen of England had a large and lasting influence on the English monarchy.
From a wealth of historical artifacts and documents, Matilda emerges as passionate, steadfast, and wise, yet also utterly ruthless and tenacious in pursuit of her goals, and the only person capable of taming her formidable husband—who, unprecedented for the period, remained staunchly faithful to her. This mother of nine, including four sons who went on to inherit William’s French and English dominions, confounded the traditional views of women in medieval society by seizing the reins of power whenever she had the chance, directing her husband’s policy, and at times flagrantly disobeying his orders.
Tracy Borman lays out Matilda’s remarkable story against one of the most fascinating and transformative periods in European history. Stirring, richly detailed, and wholly involving, Queen of the Conqueror reveals not just an extraordinary figure but an iconic woman who shaped generations, and an era that cast the essential framework for the world we know today. Review:"Using a ship secretly and lovingly commissioned by his wife, ruthless William of Normandy conquered England in 1066, utterly transforming the country's culture. Equally ambitious, his wife, Matilda, used his frequent absences and well-placed trust to serve as regent over the Norman duchy and as a calming buffer between the violent new king and the morally crushed Anglo-Saxons. Relying heavily on the Domesday Book and other contemporary sources, British historian Borman (Elizabeth's Women) describes the surprisingly happy union between the high-born, independently wealthy Matilda and the self-made William the Bastard that soured only after each championed a differentadult child, threatening the line of succession. While detailing Matilda's innate strengths, Borman also places her reign in the context of the early Middle Ages, when the education of well-born women was encouraged though motherhood was still their primary duty. Matilda's legacy of intelligence, self-possession, and strength served as a powerful example for legendary medieval queens such as Isabella the She-Wolf and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Photos; 2 maps. Agent: Julian Alexander, LAW Ltd. (U.K.)." Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
About the AuthorTracy Borman is the author of Henrietta Howard: King’s Mistress, Queen’s Servant and Elizabeth’s Women: Friends, Rivals, and Foes Who Shaped the Virgin Queen, as well as The Ring and the Crown: A History of Royal Weddings, 1066–2011, which she co-authored with Alison Weir, Kate Williams, and Sarah Gristwood. Borman studied and taught history at the University of Hull and was awarded a Ph.D. in 1997. She has worked for various historic properties and national heritage organizations, including the National Archives and English Heritage. She is now chief executive of the Heritage Education Trust and also works for Historic Royal Palaces. Borman is a regular contributor to history magazines, such as BBC History Magazine, and is a frequent guest on television and radio.
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