When Christ and all his Saints slept

In the early years she was successful. Stephen, easy-going and amiable, was a weak and unpopular king. Many changed sides if they thought it would suit their purposes, often going from one side to the other. Stephen was captured at the Battle of Lincoln in 1141 and thrown into Bristol jail.

Matilda declared herself Queen, and might have consolidated her position if it had not been for her unpopularity. She immediately imposed a tax on the people of London swearing at a delegation which opposed this. They rebelled and drove her out in disgrace.

Many of the bishops and the aristocracy had turned against Stephen, however. Even his own brother was angry with him when he was not chosen to be Archbishop of Canterbury.

Matilda's half-brother Robert was also captured and, in what must have been the hardest decision she ever had to make, Matilda agreed to exchange Stephen's freedom for that of her brothers. This was the Siege of Winchester.

Although Matilda returned to Normandy and Stephen regained his throne, her son Henry carried on the fight. Eventually, however, he became the next King of England. Although Matilda did not gain her true rights, it was only just that her son should be crowned King.

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