The First Queen of England They Erased From History

Empress Matilda: The First Queen of England They Erased From History. Discover the forgotten story of England's first female ruler who fought a 19-year civil war for her crown.

In 1120, the White Ship disaster killed William Adelin, heir to England's throne, leaving his sister Matilda as the only legitimate successor. King Henry I named her his heir, forcing barons to swear oaths of loyalty. But when Henry died in 1135, her cousin Stephen of Blois seized the throne, breaking his sacred oath and plunging England into a brutal civil war known as "The Anarchy."

Matilda was a Holy Roman Empress who refused to surrender her birthright. She invaded England, captured King Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln, and was proclaimed "Lady of the English" in 1141. For crucial months, she ruled England in everything but name—issuing charters, holding court, and governing the realm. She came within days of her coronation before a London uprising forced her to flee.

This is the story of her legendary escape from Oxford Castle through enemy lines in a snowstorm, her strategic brilliance, and her ultimate victory: ensuring her son Henry II took the throne, founding the Plantagenet dynasty that ruled England for over 300 years.

Why was Matilda erased from history when she was effectively England's first queen regnant? Why is Mary Tudor credited as the first when Matilda ruled 400 years earlier? This documentary explores medieval misogyny, broken oaths, and one woman's refusal to be forgotten.