Matilda of Flanders

I was born in 1031 by count Baldwin V of Flanders and Adela Capet. I grew up to be spoiled. I had everything my heart desired except for one thing. I was in love with a Saxon ambassador named Brihtric. One day Brihtric asked my father for my hand in marriage and to my happiness my father accepted the proposal! This was the happiest day of my life! I was going to marry Brihtric! We are going to have many children and live happily ever after! But later on my fate went down anther path.

One day William, the Duke of Normandy, asked my father for my hand in marriage. My father said no, that I was going to marry Brihtric. I sighed. Good! I was still going to marry my love Brihtric. William came up to me and asked, “Do you really love Brihtric?” “Yes, I love Brihtric,” I said with great pride. Maybe then he would leave me be. But I later found out that William did not take no for an answer.

While I was on my way to church, William came riding up to me. He jumped off his horse. He lunged at me and dragged me off my horse by my long beautiful braids. Ouch! How that hurt! It hurt even worse when I hit the ground. I burst into tears. William started to punch me and beat me up and told me that he did it to get me in my senses that

I should marry him instead of Brihtric! It was painful! I felt like I was being tortured! Nobody, not even my parents, had ever laid a hand on me! William then rode off. I got back onto my horse and I saw that my attendants were shocked about what William had done to me.

I told my father of this and he replied, “I’m sorry, Matilda. I am going to break up your engagement to Brihtric and you will marry William. It is the only way I can think of because I don’t want to see my darling girl get hurt again.” What! I was to marry that man who has beaten me up in the streets! I ran to my room and cried my eyes out. “Oh, Brihtric! Brihtric! I wish you were here right now and stand up to my father! We could get married and have children and live happily ever after! Never will I have to marry William who has tortured me in order to get me to marry him!” Later on I found out that Brihtric had married somebody else. No! This couldn’t be! We were supposed to be married! Not him marrying somebody else! I was going to get revenge on him if it was the last thing I did.

My father made me spend some time with William and I got to know a lot about him. I was starting to fall out of love with Brihtric and fall in love with William. After all, I had to marry him. “I will conquer England and together you and I will rule England,” William said to me. My father and I didn’t believe him. We thought that William was just trying to impress us.

William and I married in 1053. When William said that he was going to conquer England, he was serious. I paid for William’s ship, named Mora, and William and his army sailed to Europe. I waited until I heard word that my husband had conquered Europe. Oh how I hoped he didn’t die in war!

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity I heard word that William was victorious and that I was to go to England immediately to receive my coronation. I sailed to Europe in magnificent triumph! I was Queen of England! I had power! I was going to make my old lover miserable! He should have stood up against my father instead of marrying somebody else!

My coronation with William was magnificent. I ruled along side with William. One day I found out that I was pregnant! I told William this and he was very happy. We both prayed that it would be a boy, and then came the most triumphant day of our lives. I gave birth to a handsome boy named Robert. William and I were living happily. Years I spent in producing children, and while William was away he gave me the most splendid role. I was to be Regent! When I was regent I could finally get my revenge on Brihtric on my own instead of asking William to do it for me.

I confiscated Brihtric’s lands and I threw him into the Tower of London William had built during the early years of our marriage. One day I found out I was pregnant again. I groaned. I hated to become pregnant. It was such a painful job and you rarely got any freedom at all. During my pregnancy, I found out that Brihtric had died. I smiled with triumph! Yay! He was dead! That’s what he got for marrying somebody else! I gave birth to a handsome boy named Henry.

Years later my sons William Rufus and Henry played a cruel trick against Robert. They had dumped fetid water on him. Robert asked William to get some punishment on his brothers, but William wouldn’t allow it. Robert planned to rebel against his father. It wasn’t long until my father and I decided that it was the right thing to do. The rebellion at first failed but I encouraged Robert to try again and this time we succeeded. William decided to punish his sons and we lived happily ever after.

One day my health began failing. I was weak. The doctor said that I wasn’t going to live long. On November 2, 1083, I confessed my sins to a priest and asked to see my husband and children one last time. “I love you mom,” my children cried. I turned to look at them and saw tears in their eyes and said, “Why are you mourning for me? You should be happy for me. I am going to be in a better place.” “I love you, Matilda. I’ve loved you ever since I set eyes on you. I don’t want to lose you,” said William sadly. I looked at William and I said, “You are not going to lose me. I’ll always be with you. I love you William. You have always been faithful to me,” I said. William and I kissed each other for one last time, and the world floated away with the parting of our lips…