I never knew about Matilda II but I’m so glad I do now. I learned about a woman who was smart, creative and a role model. She was fascinating to read about. This book bring medieval history to life as you see the court and characters surrounding Matilda. Definitely check it out!

Now, this is a book I have been waiting for!

And it is a book that has needed to be written for a long time. How useful it would have been when I was writing my own book, Women of the Anarchy. A complete biography of Matilda of Scotland – also referred to as Matilda II to distinguish her from her predecessor, Matilda of Flanders. As the wife of Henry I of England Matilda of Scotland is a woman often neglected and overlooked by historians. And yet, Queen Matilda was a truly remarkable queen and one who was well respected during her lifetime. Born as the eldest daughter of Malcolm III Canmore, King of Scots, and his saintly wife, Margaret of Wessex, and given the name Edith at birth, her name was changed to the more Norman name, Matilda, on her marriage to Henry I.

Joanna Arman expertly guides us through Queen Matilda’s life, from her childhood in a convent, supervised by her mother’s sister, Christina, through the various suitors who came calling to the controversy over her marriage to King Henry. Matilda II: The Forgotten Queen delves deep into the investigation into whether or not Matilda had ever been professed as a nun and presents the evidence and arguments for both sides. It is a fascinating study.

Queen Matilda’s role, as a queen, wife and mother, is examined in great detail, demonstrating her influence, both on her family and on England and Normandy. Matilda’s piety is shown as an anchoring force throughout her life, influencing the way she approaches problems and relationships. The queen is shown to be a deeply devout, kind and benevolent woman, with a strong sense of purpose and destiny.

Matilda II: The Forgotten Queen covers every aspect of the queen’s life, drawing on chronicles and charters to present what we know in a clear, engaging narrative that brings this often-overlooked queen to life. The book is accompanied by extensive notation and a through bibliography – I was flattered to discover my own book, Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey, cited as a refence. It is an excellent biography, thoroughly researched and beautifully presented. I loved reading every word.

For the purposes of her place in history, Matilda, queen of Henry I of England, had the misfortune of being surrounded by larger-than-life figures: her mother, St. Margaret of Scotland; her husband; and her daughter, the redoubtable Empress Matilda (also known as Maud), who fought King Stephen for the throne, to name but a few. In addition, her mother-in-law, William the Conqueror’s wife; her daughter; and her niece, who was Stephen’s queen, all shared her name. Consequently, it is not surprising that she is often overlooked, portrayed as a relatively colorless figure, or even confused with another of the plethora of Matildas. In Matilda II: The Forgotten Queen, Joanna Arman aims, with considerable success, to remedy this situation.

She was christened Edith and was the daughter of Malcolm Canmore (who succeeded Macbeth as King of Scotland) and his English wife Margaret, who died when her daughter was young; it is not clear whether the name Matilda was part of her birth name or was added later as a tribute to her husband’s mother. Through Margaret, young Edith was descended from the Saxon kings of England, which made her a valuable bride for Henry, who seized the crown on the death of William Rufus, taking advantage of his older brother’s absence from the country. Since she was at the time residing in the abbey of Wilton in the care of her aunt Christina, who appears to have wanted her to become a nun, controversy over the legality of their marriage would dog her and Henry throughout what appears, despite her husband’s frequent infidelities, to have been a happy and loving, if not passionate match.

Although Matilda tends to be portrayed in stereotyped terms as a rather boring medieval queen with her chief quality being her piety, Arman argues persuasively that she was a strong-minded, intelligent, and competent woman who not only refused to bow to pressure to take the veil, but in fact actively participated in her abandonment of the convent and elevation as Henry’s queen. Later on, she presided over a court that was favorably compared with later medieval universities in its learning, kept up correspondences with several prominent churchmen, and served as Henry’s regent when he was on the Continent, as he was often required to be to defend his Norman possessions. Arman makes it clear, however, that Matilda was no plaster saint; she also faced criticism for extravagance, although admittedly some of that seems to have been in the service of her cultural interests, and she seems to have had a well-developed sense of her own rank and importance.

She also gave birth to the coveted male heir, William Adelin, who perished in the White Ship disaster in 1120, setting the stage for the later civil war between her daughter Empress Maud (Henry’s chosen heir) and Maud’s cousin Stephen. By then, however, Matilda was also dead, having passed away at the relatively young age of 38 from an unknown illness. She was sincerely mourned, and in the descendants of her daughter, her bloodline - and that of the ancient kings of Wessex - continues on the English throne.

I received a copy of Matilda II: The Forgotten Queen from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a biography of Matilda, wife of Henry I and mother of the more famous would-be ruler of England who was her namesake. It's tough to make biographies of fairly poorly documented medieval figures like this work; often the author spends more time talking about what was going on around the person than the actual person. So it is here. I also think that at times Arman doesn't develop the arguments for her judgments enough. Despite these things, I did very much enjoy this book. It shed light where it deserved to be so, and brought to life some of the oddities of the ages. Recommended for medieval enthusiasts.

Excellent telling of the life of Matilda, wife of Henry I. Joanna Arman has a fine knowledge of this fascinating, clever and wily Queen. In a period where women were mere vassals, Matilda seizes her chances to ensure her name is not forgotten in the history of royalty. I found this a very easy read which is saying something considering the commonality of names such as the other Matilda and many Henrys. An easy 5 stars for a fascinating insight to her life. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of Matilda II: The Forgotten Queen

I never knew about Matilda II but I’m so glad I do now. I learned about a woman who was smart, creative and a role model. She was fascinating to read about. This book bring medieval history to life as you see the court and characters surrounding Matilda. Definitely check it out!

I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

An interesting history of Matilda, wife of Henry I, daughter of the King of Scotland who was able to bring a degree of unity to the country. Due to her husbands frequent forays abroad probably ruled the country in his absence. A fascinating read.

Joanna Arman has written a competent biography based on the records of Matilda II: the Forgotten Queen, the wife of King Henry I and daughter of Malcolm of Scotland. Her mother was saint Margaret of Scotland wife of Malcolm and carrier of the line of Alfred the Great. Matilda was raised in the convent and some thought her destined to take the veil, but she said her aunt the Abbess put her in a veil to protect her from unwanted marriage. Matilda provided Henry with an heir, who died crossing the British channel and a daughter, Maud/Matilda who married the German emperor and later was supposed to inherit the English throne. Matilda served as her husband's regent, was highly literate, and pious. An interesting read from a different historical perspective.

Arman brings the forgotten first wife of King Henry I of England, Edith of Scotland and Matilda II, Queen of England, to life in this new book. Accompanied by pertinent images that speak to Matilda II’s importance to Christianity and the English Crown in the twelfth century, Arman brings the life of a great medieval queen to the forefront of history. Arman weaves in the relevant historical events and individuals into Matilda II’s narrative, with appropriate detours into the life of her daughter Empress Maud, son William Adelin, sister Margaret of Scotland and Boulogne, and spiritual advisor Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Arman’s use of images and illustrations adds a level of tangibility and interaction to the text, with several locations still in existence across England today as markers of Matilda II’s quiet yet powerful influence as queen and regent. Arman’s familiarity with Matilda’s story allows the reader to take advantage of her knowledge and familiarity with this fascinating historical woman. Arman’s prose is engaging and compelling, full of interesting historical facts and connections to the large twelfth-century European world and even to the twenty-first century. Matilda II: The Forgotten Queen is an amazing and engaging portrait of a powerful medieval English queen.

Good book on a powerful but forgotten person from history. I've looked for a book on Matilda but had no luck, so was very pleased to find this book is very informative and enjoyable to read.

This historical nonfiction book was an easy read and will likely be a good contribution to our library for college students studying middle ages history. We will be purchasing this nonfiction book for the library.

Joanna Arman's mother told her that her book was unputdownable, and indeed it is! It's strange that this likeable Queen, much beloved in her time, as been forgotten about, because she is certainly fascinating. Although some of the book is speculation, the author makes this highly-educated and intelligent Queen shine.

Matilda spent time in a convent as a girl, and was very upset about one of the nuns being cruel to her. In spite of this, she was accused of secretly being a nun herself, which supposedly cursed her marriage to Henry1! She was extremely pious, founding churches and helping charities, but there was no evidence that she was a secret nun. Matilda sometimes acted as regent when Henry was away, signing charters, and helping to administer the realm. She also may have been better-educated than Henry, helping hin with his legal reforms. She was also an excellent mother to her children, and even to Henry's illegitimate children, in some cases.

Matilda had to put up with a lot from Henry, who had many affairs. One of the most famous was with an attractive young woman called Nest. However, she and Henry appeared to get on well, and have a reasonably happy marriage. He was devastated when she died.

I especially liked the stories about Matilda's correspondence with Archbishop Anselm, and other high-ranking clerics. This is when her interesting personality really shows itself.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is a fascinating biography of a little known English queen, Edith Matilda of Scotland, the first wife of King Henry I. She’s overshadowed by her famous daughter, the Empress Matilda, the first women to rule England (albeit briefly). Edith Matilda was the daughter of a Scottish king and a Saxon princess (who later became a saint). Her marriage to Henry I helped to legitimize Norman rule in England, because she had royal Saxon blood.

Joanna Arman does an excellent job of giving insights into her subject's life, using Matilda's letters to show her political role. We tend to think of women having little political power in the Middle Ages, and while they may not have wielded power in the traditional male sense, they could do so in other ways. Matilda serves as regent for her husband in the early years of their marriage, she oversees her children's education, and she corresponds with important figures such as churchmen.

I really enjoyed this look at the life of an often forgotten queen. It's a fitting tribute to Matilda's overlooked legacy.

This is an entertaining and easy-to-read biography of Matilda, queen consort of England's Henry I. It's a good complement to the portrayal of of Matilda in Alison Weir's "Queens of the Conquest." My big takeaway from this book, which I didn't get from Weir's book, was how usurper King Stephen may have manipulated Matilda's pious reputation to repudiate the claim of Matilda's daughter, Empress Matilda (aka Maud), the rightful heir to the throne.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Edith, better known in her life as Matilda, was the daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland & on her mother's side was related to Edmund Ironside & Edward the Confessor. Married to Henry I of England, third son of William the Conqueror, Matilda lived during the end of the eleventh/start of the twelfth century (b.1080 - d.1118) & was of the generation following the Battle of Hastings & the Norman Conquest of England. Mostly overshadowed by the civil war fought by her daughter (also named Matilda but referred to as Maud), Matilda seems to have been forgotten quickly by subsequent generations, becoming infamous only for the rumour that she was a nun who abandoned her calling for marriage to Henry I & their children's tragic destinies.

In fact the author shows that Matilda seems to have been an intelligent, educated woman, who stepped in as Regent during many of her husband's absences. She corresponded with prominent clergy, & other Royal families & seems to have been held in high esteem. Yes she spent her early years at a convent but it is by no means certain that she did or ever intended to take the veil. It is difficult to tease out the real woman from the idealised version much praised as pious & chaste yet doomed by later writers, but I thought the author made an admirable attempt. There's not a great deal of contemporary evidence left & Matilda appears & disappears for several years at a time (as the author surmises, this probably points to her not displaying any outlandish behaviour which would have been remarked upon) until her early death before the age of 40.

I found this an intriguing & informative read about a woman that history has sadly neglected. There was a little bit of repetition in some parts & the sheer amount of Matildas at one point became a little confusing, but on the whole, it was a nicely researched work. There are also lots of photographs displaying the architecture of some of the buildings that were part of the English landscape in the early twelfth century. I enjoyed reading it & felt I learned something about a time of English history I am not familiar with.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pen & Sword History, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

3.5 (rounded up) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

Another nice and easy read from this publisher, I really like how they are publishing accessible and digestible history books.

I really liked the subject of this book-someone who is often overlooked as she was overshadowed by her rather excellent daughter.
It was interesting to have what few primary sources there are examined to try and piece together Matilda’s life.

I myself was not a fan of the layout of the book - it really is a very basic introductory work, and in fact much of the content could be readily found on the internet. Kudos for subject matter. However, to say that this work "provides a much-needed re-evaluation of Edith/Matilda’s role" I think is slightly ambitious.

Matilda II: The Forgotten Queen by Joanna Arman fills a gap in historical biography. Matilda II's reign and achievements have received less attention from historians than they deserve.
Arman shows us that Matilda II was well-read and highly educated. She played a major role in administrative and legal matters and acted as regent during the king's absences.
The book is very well-researched and there are extensive notes for each chapter plus a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. The illustrations, including some original photographs, bring the book to life.
The author's writing style make this book a joy to read. Although it is a serious historical biography I found it as easy to read as a novel.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the life of this fascinating queen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen and Sword Books for an e-ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

TOOK ME MUCH LONGER TO READ THAN IT SHOULD

I have a masters degree in history specialized in English Medieval Queenship. So this should have been right up my alley. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Subject: Queen Matilda is absolutely fascinating. She has been given a sort of secondary station in history, which I do not believe she deserves. We mostly talk about her in relation to her more famous mother, daughter or grandson. But she has a rich history all of her own. I am thrilled to finally see someone give her the space she deserves.

Illustrations: The book is peppered with illustrations and photos, which made the reading very engaging.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Person gallery: We start the reading experience with a person gallery. Which is not in itself a bad idea. There are a lot of people in this story, so setting them straight from the beginning is a good thing. If its done well. Which this was really not. For several reasons. First, the introduction to each person is simply too long and complicated. A good person gallery should just be the bones of a person, not the entire thing. Date of birth, station and most important relationships. For example: Matilda of Scotland (1080-1118), Queen of England, wife of Henry I. That's it. That's what you need. The rest will be expanded upon in the actual book. Sadly, too much information was thrown at the reader right off the bat, which made the person gallery more confusing than illuminating. Which brings me to the second point. Consistency. Every medieval historian knows that names are a bit of an issue. Because they are pretty much all named the same. Here it's a cacophony of Williams and Matildas. Which is why it as so frustrating to see that Arman could not stay consistent with what she called the different people. Take Empress Matilda, for example. In one part, she is called Matilda and in the next she is suddenly referred to as Maud. And then back to Matilda again. If only Arman had stayed consistent, just picked a name and stuck with it. Then the book would be much less confusing. As I said, I wrote my masters thesis about these women and even I had a hard time keeping things straight.

Writing: I know this is an ARC. There's bound to be mistakes. But honestly, did no one do any proofreading at any point? I have a hard time believing that SO MANY mistakes could slip past a proofreader. There were grammatical errors, spelling errors, sentences that made no sense or that started with one train of thought only to verve into another without ever finishing the first. Again and again I encountered mistakes. Which is fine, we all make them. I probably have a few in this review. But this was practically every single page. It disturbed and annoyed me to no end.

Illustrations: Yes, this is both a positive and a negative. Because while the illustrations really serve a good purpose, there were simply too many of them! It pulled me out of the flow of the book and halfway through I stopped actually looking at them. Especially because many of the photos were contemporary and pictured the same thing from several angles. I don't need 5 photos of a hill, where a castle once stood. In the end is best illustrated how little we actually know about Matilda in the first place.

The amazing true tale of one of England’s stellar Queens, Edith/Matilda of Scotland, mother of Empress Matilda and grandmother of Henry II. Through her, the current royal family is descended from Alfred the Great and the first Kings of a United England, Her life is worth being remembered.