Matilda of Flanders
F, b. 1031, d. 2 November 1083
Father | Baldwin V of Flanders b. c 1012, d. 1 Sep 1067 |
Mother | Adele (Alix) of France b. 1009, d. 8 Jan 1079 |
Relationship | 25th great-grandmother of Pamela Joyce Wood |
Last Edited | 22 Jan 2010 |
Matilda of Flanders, sculpture by Carle Elshoecht (1850), Luxmbourg Garden, Paris, France. Photo credits: Marie-Lan Nguyen, Wikimedia Commons, downloaded 17 Jan 2010
According to legend, Matilda, being a descendant of King Alfred, was too "high-born" to marry the bastard William, or so he was told. He found her in Bruges, dragged her off her horse by her braids and rode off. Another version says William rode to her father's house in Lille, threw her to the ground in her room by her braids and left. Matilda decided she would marry him in any case. Ignoringa papal ban on the grounds of consanguinity did not prevent her from marrying him.
There were rumors that Mayilda had been in love with the English ambassador to Flanders, a Saxon named Brihtic, who declines her advances. Whether or not that was true, when she was acting as Regent for William, years later, She confiscated his lands and had him thrown in prison where he died.1
Family | William The Conquerer b. c 1027, d. 9 Sep 1087 |
Child |
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Citations
- [S726] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org, Matilda of Flanders entry.
- [S871] T. Anna Leese, Blood Royal, p.2.