Queen of the Conqueror

February 20, 2012
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.).

February 15, 2012
A British historian brings to life Queen Matilda's enormous accomplishments in consolidating early Norman rule. Alongside her warrior husband, William I, Matilda brought legitimacy, a deeper degree of education, diplomatic savvy and artistic and religious flowering to the shared Norman-English throne. Borman (Elizabeth's Women: Friends, Rivals, and Foes Who Shaped the Virgin Queen, 2010, etc.) the chief executive of Britain's Heritage Education Trust, fleshes out the personality of this fascinating woman, who set the steely precedent for subsequent English female sovereigns by displaying great longevity and stamina in a rough, paternalistic time. The daughter of Baldwin V, Count of Flanders, one of the most illustrious houses of Europe, Matilda, apparently diminutive and comely, demonstrated early on her extraordinarily strong will by not only pursuing a suitor on her own, and suffering rejection, but initially rejecting the suit of William of Normandy because he was an illegitimate son of Duke Robert I. Nonetheless, William won her, and their fruitful, long marriage established a powerful, solid dynasty in Normandy before William even cast his eyes covetously across the English Channel. Leaving her as regent to keep Normandy in line--the records show that she was a hands-on, effective ruler--William set out to conquer England. While his methods won few admirers from the English, Matilda proved politically astute, generously endowing monasteries, encouraging cultural integration and ensuring her last son, Henry, was born in England and viewed as its natural heir. Indeed, her fierce loyalty to her sons would prove nettlesome later in the marriage. A richly layered treatment of the stormy reign that yielded the incomparable Bayeux Tapestry and the Domesday Book.

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from April 1, 2012

Borman (chief executive, Heritage Education Trust; Elizabeth's Women: Friends, Rivals, and Foes Who Shaped the Virgin Queen) traces the life of the important but often forgotten Matilda of Flanders (1031-83). While women at this time played solely a background role in social and political spheres, Borman argues that Matilda showed great agency both before her marriage to William the Conqueror and during her time as Duchess of Normandy and Queen of England. Drawing from contemporaneous chronicles and legal documents, Borman creates a vivid portrait of a strong woman who was not at all uncomfortable delving into the antagonistic and decidedly masculine realm of court politics. Further, she contends that Matilda's refined presence as queen helped calm the newly conquered English and assisted in providing a smooth transition for the Norman dynasty in England, as her haughty lineage--she was, after all, granddaughter of the King of France--made up for her husband's well-known illegitimacy. VERDICT A highly useful work that sheds light on the life of a surprisingly obscure but important figure in English history. As Borman suggests, Matilda did perhaps serve as an exemplar for later authoritative q ueens such as Elizabeth I and Victoria.--Brian Renvall, Mesalands Community Coll., Tucumcari, NM

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.