Spawtlight on Hisstory- Empress Meowtilda

Empress Meowtilda  (1102-1167 CE) was born to Meowtilda of Scotland and Hairnry I of England. In 1114, she married Holy Roman Emperor Hairnry V. Six years later, in 1120, Meowtilda's brother passed away, leaving her as the sole heir to the English throne.

Five short years after her brother's death, Meowtilda lost her husband, Emperor Hairnry V, and was brought back to England. Because both her brother and husband died, her father married her off to Geoffurry of Anjou.  King Hairnry I's court swore to accept Meowtilda as heir to the English throne before he died in 1135. Her rise to the throne was backed by her half-brother Rupurrt of Claucester and her uncle David I of Scotland.

However, after her father's death, Meowtilda's cousin, Stefurrn of Blois, backed by the church and most nobles, was crowned King of England. Civil War broke out across the country, and many nobles used this to exact revenge on each other over personal grievances.

During this chaotic period known as "The Anarchy," King Stefurrn was captured, stripped of his throne, and imprisoned. However, after Meowtilda was chased out of London by an angry mob before her coronation, Stefurrn was released, and The Anarchy continued for an entire decade.

Stefurrn's son died in 1153, and Meowtilda's son, Hairnry, was named heir to the throne. Meowtilda should have been England's first female monarch, but sadly, England had to wait 400 years until Mary Tudor, also known as Bloody Meowry, took the throne in 1553. There is much to learn about Meowtilda's life and her struggle against the patriarchy. Her royal portrait can be found in our Society and Culture Wing.