When Empress Matilda (1102 – 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, and daughter of King Henry I of England attemped to be crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1141, her plans collapsed in the face of bitter opposition from the London crowds. She retreated to the Castle in Oxford, a secure town, protected by walls, but Stephen stormed the town, trapping Matilda in the castle. Matilda sneaked out of the castle, crossed the icy river on foot and escaped to safety at Wallingford.
When Empress Matilda (1102 – 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, and daughter of King Henry I of England attemped to be crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1141, her plans collapsed in the face of bitter opposition from the London crowds. As a result Matilda was never formally declared Queen of England and retreated to Oxford Castle. Oxford was a secure town, protected by walls and the River Isis, but Stephen led a sudden attack across the river, and stormed into the town, trapping Matilda in the castle. Oxford Castle was a powerful fortress and, rather than storming it, Stephen decided to settle down for a long siege. Just before Christmas, Matilda sneaked out of the castle with a handful of knights (probably via a postern gate), crossed the icy river on foot and made her escape past the royal army to safety at Wallingford, leaving the castle garrison free to surrender the next day.
Size: 3660px × 4850px
Location: Oxford Castle, Oxford, UK
Photo credit: © De Luan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1141, 12th, 19th, ages, anarchy, antiquarian, antiquity, art, black, bygone, castle, century, civil, claimant, country, countryside, drawing, empress, england, english, engraving, escape, etching, family, flight, fortress, heritage, historic, history, iconic, illustration, king, lane, line, lithograph, matilda, maud, medieval, middle, monarchy, monochrome, moonlight, night, oxford, oxfordshire, people, road, royal, royalty, sketch, stephen, study, throne, tower, track, war, white, woodcut
