The White Ship

One interpretation of this scene gained popularity: it was hoped that the recovery of England, after the protracted trauma of the Norman Conquest, would stem from the marriage of the princess with such an ancient English bloodline to the king descended from warriors of the renown of Rollo, Longsword and the Conqueror.

Although a dynastic marriage, the couple were eager participants. Eadmer observed that they were ‘in love’, while Orderic Vitalis wrote that Henry had ‘long adored’ Matilda’s ‘perfection of character’. Another commentator noted that Matilda was ‘not despicable in point of beauty’. But the choice of Matilda as royal bride had its difficulties. On being returned to England in her youth she had been educated at convents at Romsey – under the protection of her aunt Cristina, who was a nun there – and then Wilton. The question arose as to whether she had taken the veil while attending either religious house. If she had ever made her vows to God, she could never marry.

When Matilda understood that she might be blocked from becoming Henry’s wife, she appealed to Anselm for help. She explained that she had only worn ‘a little black hood’ at her aunt’s insistence, to protect her from the lust of marauding Normans. ‘And when I threw it off,’ Matilda protested, her aunt ‘would often make me smart with a good beating and a most horrible scolding’.

Archbishop Anselm ordered an investigation, the findings of which were to be considered by an assembly of leading churchmen and barons at Lambeth. Reports came back confirming that Matilda had not taken the veil, although she had worn one once – when the notorious Alan of Richmond had heard where she was and come to inspect her as a potential bride. To save her teenaged niece from Richmond’s unwanted advances, Cristina had disguised Matilda as a nun until he was safely on his way.

Anselm appears to have been sceptical about Matilda’s eligibility for marriage, but it was not an issue over which he was prepared to risk his budding relationship with the new king. The archbishop led the marriage ceremony of Henry and Matilda in Westminster Abbey at the end of 1100, less than four months after Henry became king.

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