You’re finally ready for the last episode of the Empress Matilda chronicles.<\/p>\n
As I’ve said, Matilda was a real fighter. That’s why the necklace I designed for her is a sword that can be pulled from a scabbard.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, back at the French ranch, Matilda’s husband Geoffrey proved he wasn’t entirely a pain in the ass when he conquered Normandy on Matilda’s behalf in 1144. Stephen lost a lot of territory when he lost Normandy. It also must have been a terrible blow to his pride and his political standing, because this defeat came a mere 78 years after the Normans conquered England. He lost their native land! But he still clung to England, although Matilda continued that fight till 1147, when her half-brother and biggest supporter, Robert of Gloucester<\/a>, died. Without Robert to lead her troops, Matilda was forced to leave for Normandy. Stephen had about half a second to heave a sigh of relief and then Matilda’s 16-year-old son, Henry, picked up where his mother left off. Henry and Stephen fought until 1153, when Henry forced Stephen to sign a treaty<\/a> recognizing Henry as Stephen’s heir. Stephen was allowed to remain king till he died, which conveniently happened the following year. With Henry’s ascension to the throne in 1154 (as Henry II), The Anarchy<\/a> officially ended — 19 horrible years after Stephen usurped the throne on the theory that any male would be better for the country than a gifted female ruler would be. You can hear that same theory now whenever you turn on talk radio.<\/p>\n I should note that Henry II married a woman just like Mom: the beautiful and powerful Eleanor of Aquitaine<\/a>. I will leave that interesting couple for another day. For now, here are some Matilda books:<\/p>\n Two final thoughts: Matilda was only reviled when she was a candidate for England’s top job. She was beloved as the child bride of the Holy Roman Emperor and later respected as a key political adviser to Henry II. I think that tells you all you need to know about the motivations of her detractors.<\/p>\n Matilda’s epitaph has always amused me. Whoever wrote it dealt brilliantly with the name problem: “Great by Birth, Greater by Marriage, Greatest in her Offspring: Here lies Matilda, the daughter, wife, and mother of Henry<\/em>.” Remember, Henry I was her father; Henry V was her first husband, the Emperor; and Henry II was her son. While the epitaph defines her by the men in her life, it doesn’t totally rub me the wrong way. After all, the man she had the most influence over, her son, is the greatest (he may have paid for the tomb, but let me have my happiness). And that annoying Geoffrey? Written out of history altogether.<\/p>\n So there.<\/p>\n UPDATED TO ADD: A number of people have asked if I will do the Matilda Necklace in silver. If you have looked at it on my site<\/a>, you’ve seen that this is an important piece that utilized the most highly skilled labor; it is priced accordingly. If I get enough serious requests, I’ll investigate doing the sword in silver, with different stones, as a stand-alone piece. The labor required to do the scabbard would, in my opinion, be excessive for silver.<\/p>\n UPDATED AGAIN TO ADD: The New York Times has two good articles (here<\/a> and here<\/a>) on the misogyny faced by a woman running for high office. Not much has changed in the name-calling business in the past 900 years. <\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pretend you’re hearing that TV announcer voice: “Previously, on Wendy Brandes Jewelry….” Now go read these: Book Club: Empress Matilda, Part I Book Club: Empress Matilda, Part II You’re finally ready for the last episode of the Empress Matilda chronicles. As I’ve said, Matilda was a real fighter. That’s why the necklace I designed for…<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/_gTmdbGeiE-E\/SCy_-tqqRdI\/AAAAAAAADLQ\/C-gwUmUnJIU\/s200\/matilda-closed-lowres.JPG\")
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\nVolume discounts available!
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\n\u00a9 Wendy Brandes 2007-2010<\/span>
\nPhotography by SquareMoose<\/a><\/em><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_gTmdbGeiE-E\/SCzHW9qqRfI\/AAAAAAAADLg\/XPmb4l5CKIc\/s320\/Stephen.jpg\")
<\/a>“Drat! Foiled again!”<\/span>
\nMost villains twirl their mustaches while saying that; it appears King Stephen twirled his eyes.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n