King stephen
Known as Stephen of Blois - the last of the Norman Kings
The tragedy of the White Ship left King Henry without a male heir and as fate would have it – Stephen changed his mind at the last minute and did not set sail on the ‘White Ship’ as he feared it was overcrowded.
On the death of King Henry, I, Matilda, being the daughter of Henry I was the true heir, but the thought of the country being ruled by a woman was not popular – it was unprecedented (Matilda and Stephen were cousins). She was known as ‘Empress Matilda’.
King Stephen accepted the Treaty of Wallingford, which meant that on Stephen’s death Matilda’s son, Henry of Anjou, would inherit the throne of England – and since then all English monarchs have descended from Matilda.
The Anarchy
Stephen’s reign was dominated by civil war ‘The Anarchy’ which lasted for 19 years.
support for Matilda
Stephen was not thought to be a strong king as many of his supporters were not loyal to him and often changed sides - supporting Matilda.
painting
There is a painting of King Stephen in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
King Stephen and his wife Queen Matilda and their son Eustace were all buried in Faversham Abbey, Kent, but the exact location is not known – the abbey was demolished in 1538, but with the discovery of Richard III in a Leicestershire car park – attention has now turned to Faversham! The site of the Abbey is currently a grammar school
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