Editing Empress Matilda (section)

==Civil war==
{{main|The Anarchy}}

===Initial moves===
[[File:Political map of England 1140.PNG|thumb|alt=A colour coded map of England showing the political factions in 1140|Political map of Wales and southern England in 1140; areas under Matilda's control (blue); Stephen's (red); Welsh (grey)]]
Empress Matilda's invasion finally began at the end of the summer of 1139. Baldwin de Redvers crossed over from Normandy to [[Wareham, Dorset|Wareham]] in August in an initial attempt to capture a port to receive Matilda's invading army, but Stephen's forces forced him to retreat into the south-west.<ref name=DavisP39>{{harvnb|Davis|1977|p=39}}</ref> The following month, the Empress was invited by her stepmother, Queen Adeliza, to land at [[Arundel]] instead, and on 30 September Robert and Matilda arrived in England with a force of 140 knights.<ref name=DavisP39/>{{refn|Edmund King disagrees that the Empress received an invitation to [[Arundel Castle|Arundel]], arguing that she appeared unexpectedly.<ref>{{Harvnb|King|2010|p=116}}</ref>|group="nb"}} Matilda stayed at [[Arundel Castle]], while Robert marched north-west to [[Wallingford, Oxfordshire|Wallingford]] and Bristol, hoping to raise support for the rebellion and to link up with [[Miles of Gloucester]], who took the opportunity to renounce his fealty to the King and declare for Matilda.<ref>{{harvnb|Davis|1977|p=40}}</ref>

Stephen responded by promptly moving south, besieging Arundel and trapping Matilda inside the castle.<ref name=BradburyP78>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=78}}</ref> Stephen then agreed to a truce proposed by his brother Henry; the full details of the agreement are not known, but the results were that Matilda and her household of knights were released from the siege and escorted to the south-west of England, where they were reunited with Robert of Gloucester.<ref name=BradburyP78/> The reasons for Matilda's release remain unclear. Stephen may have thought it was in his own best interests to release the Empress and concentrate instead on attacking Robert, seeing Robert, rather than Matilda, as his main opponent at this point in the conflict.<ref name=BradburyP78/> Arundel Castle was also considered almost impregnable, and Stephen may have been worried that he risked tying down his army in the south whilst Robert roamed freely in the west.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=79}}</ref> Another theory is that Stephen released Matilda out of a sense of [[chivalry]]; Stephen had a generous, courteous personality and women were not normally expected to be targeted in Anglo-Norman warfare.<ref>{{harvnb|Gillingham|1994|p=31}}</ref>{{refn|"[[Chivalry]]" was firmly established as a principle in Anglo-Norman warfare by the time of Stephen; it was not considered appropriate or normal to execute elite prisoners and, as historian John Gillingham observes, neither Stephen nor Matilda did so except where the opponent had already breached the norms of military conduct.<ref>{{harvnb|Gillingham|1994|pp=49–50}}</ref>|group="nb"}}

After staying for a period in Robert's stronghold of Bristol, Matilda established her court in nearby Gloucester, still safely in the south-west but far enough away for her to remain independent of her half-brother.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=83–84}}; {{harvnb|White|2000|p=36}}</ref> Although there had been only a few new defections to her cause, Matilda still controlled a compact block of territory stretching out from Gloucester and Bristol south into [[Wiltshire]], west into the Welsh Marches and east through the [[Thames Valley]] as far as Oxford and Wallingford, threatening London.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=81}}; {{harvnb|White|2000|pp=36–37}}</ref> Her influence extended down into Devon and Cornwall, and north through [[Herefordshire]], but her authority in these areas remained limited.<ref>{{harvnb|White|2000|p=37}}</ref>

Matilda faced a counterattack from Stephen, who started by attacking [[Wallingford Castle]] which controlled the Thames corridor; it was held by Brian Fitz Count and Stephen found it too well defended.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|pp=82–83}}; {{harvnb|Davis|1977|p=47}}</ref> Stephen continued into Wiltshire to attack [[Trowbridge#Castle|Trowbridge]], taking the castles of [[List of castles in Gloucestershire|South Cerney]] and [[Malmesbury]] en route.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|pp=82–83}}</ref> In response, Miles marched east, attacking Stephen's rearguard forces at Wallingford and threatening an advance on London.<ref>{{harvnb|Davis|1977|p=42}}</ref> Stephen was forced to give up his western campaign, returning east to stabilise the situation and protect his capital.<ref name=DavisP43>{{harvnb|Davis|1977|p=43}}</ref>

At the start of 1140, Bishop [[Nigel of Ely]] joined Matilda's faction.<ref name=DavisP43/> Hoping to seize [[East Anglia]], he established his base of operations in the [[Isle of Ely]], then surrounded by protective [[fen]]land.<ref name=DavisP43/> Nigel faced a rapid response from Stephen, who made a surprise attack on the isle, forcing Nigel to flee to Gloucester.<ref name=BradburyP88>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=88}}</ref> Robert's men retook some of the territory that Stephen had taken in his 1139 campaign.<ref name=Bradbury2009P90>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=90}}</ref> In an effort to negotiate a truce, Bishop Henry held a peace conference at Bath, at which Matilda was represented by Robert.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=92}}</ref> The conference collapsed after Henry and the clergy insisted that they should set the terms of any peace deal, which Stephen's representatives found unacceptable.<ref name=Bradbury2009P90/>

===Battle of Lincoln===
[[File:Battle of Lincoln 1141.jpg|250px|thumb|alt=Diagram of the Battle of Lincoln|The [[Battle of Lincoln (1141)|Battle of Lincoln]], 1141:
{{image key
|A: Welsh forces
|B: Robert
|C: Alan
|D: Stephen
|E: William
|F: Fosse Dyke
|G: Lincoln Castle
|H: Lincoln Cathedral
|I: City of Lincoln
|J: River Witham
}}
]]
Matilda's fortunes changed dramatically for the better at the start of 1141.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=110}}</ref> [[Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester|Ranulf of Chester]], a powerful northern magnate, had fallen out with the King over the winter and Stephen had placed his castle in Lincoln under siege. In response, Robert and Ranulf advanced on Stephen's position with a larger force, resulting in the [[Battle of Lincoln (1141)|Battle of Lincoln]] on 2 February 1141.<ref name=DavisP52>{{harvnb|Davis|1977|p=52}}</ref> The King commanded the centre of his army, with [[Alan, 1st Earl of Richmond|Alan of Brittany]] on his right and [[William of Aumale]] on his left.<ref name=BradburyP105>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=105}}</ref> Robert and Ranulf's forces had a superiority in cavalry and Stephen dismounted many of his own knights to form a solid infantry block.<ref name=BradburyP105/>{{refn|David Crouch argues that in fact it was the royalist weakness in infantry that caused their failure at Lincoln, proposing the city militia was not as capable as Robert's Welsh infantry.<ref>{{Harvnb|Crouch|2002|p=260}}</ref>|group="nb"}} After an initial success in which William's forces destroyed the Angevins' Welsh infantry, the battle went well for Matilda's forces.<ref name=BradburyP108>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=108}}</ref> Robert and Ranulf's cavalry encircled Stephen's centre, and the King found himself surrounded by the Angevin army.<ref name=BradburyP108/> After much fighting, Robert's soldiers finally overwhelmed Stephen and he was taken away from the field in custody.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|pp=108–109}}</ref>

Matilda received Stephen in person at her court in Gloucester, before having him moved to [[Bristol Castle]], traditionally used for holding high-status prisoners.<ref name=King2010P154>{{Harvnb|King|2010|p=154}}</ref> Matilda now began to take the necessary steps to have herself crowned queen in his place, which would require the agreement of the Church and her coronation at [[Westminster Abbey|Westminster]].<ref>{{Harvnb|King|2010|p=155}}</ref> Henry of Winchester summoned a council at [[Winchester]] before Easter in his capacity as papal legate to consider the clergy's view. Matilda had made a private deal with Henry that he would deliver the support of the Church in exchange for being granted control over Church affairs.<ref name=King2010P156>{{Harvnb|King|2010|p=156}}</ref> Henry handed over the royal treasury to her, which proved to be rather depleted except for Stephen's crown, and he excommunicated many of her enemies who refused to switch sides.<ref>{{Harvnb|King|2010|p=175}}; {{harvnb|Davis|1977|p=57}}</ref> Archbishop Theobald of Canterbury was unwilling to declare Matilda queen so rapidly, however, and a delegation of clergy and nobles, headed by Theobald, travelled to Bristol to see Stephen, who agreed that, given the situation, he was prepared to release his subjects from their oath of fealty to him.<ref name=King2010P156/><ref name="King 2010 p.158">{{Harvnb|King|2010|p=158}}; {{harvnb|Carpenter|2004|p=171}}</ref>

The clergy gathered again in Winchester after Easter, on 7 April 1141, and the following day they declared that Matilda should be monarch in place of Stephen. She assumed the title "Lady of England and Normandy" ({{Langx|la|domina Anglorum|links=no|lit=Lady of the English}}) as a precursor to her coronation.<ref name="King 2010 p.158"/> Although Matilda's own followers attended the event, few other major nobles seem to have attended and the delegation from London procrastinated.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=98–99}}</ref> Stephen's wife, Queen Matilda, wrote to complain and demand her husband's release.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=98}}</ref> Nonetheless, Matilda then advanced to London to arrange her coronation in June, where her position became precarious.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=102}}</ref> Despite securing the support of [[Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex|Geoffrey, Earl of Essex]], who controlled the [[Tower of London]], forces loyal to King Stephen and Queen Matilda remained close to the city and the citizens were fearful about welcoming the Empress.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=103}}</ref> On 24 June, shortly before the planned coronation, the city rose up against the Empress and Geoffrey of Essex; Matilda and her followers fled just in time, making a chaotic retreat back to Oxford.<ref>{{Harvnb|King|2010|p=163}}; {{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=104–105}}</ref>

Meanwhile, Geoffrey of Anjou invaded Normandy again and, in the absence of [[Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester|Waleran of Beaumont]], who was still fighting in England, Geoffrey took all the Duchy south of the [[River Seine]] and east of the [[Risle]].<ref>{{harvnb|Carpenter|2004|p=173}}; {{harvnb|Davis|1977|p=68}}; {{Harvnb|Crouch|2008b|p=47}}</ref> No help was forthcoming from Stephen's brother Theobald this time either, who appears to have been preoccupied with his own problems with France—the new French king, [[Louis VII]], had rejected his father's regional alliance, improving relations with Anjou and taking a more bellicose line with Theobald, which would result in war the following year.<ref>{{Harvnb|Crouch|2008b|p=52}}</ref> Geoffrey's success in Normandy and Stephen's weakness in England began to influence the loyalty of many Anglo-Norman barons, who feared losing their lands in England to Robert and the Empress, and their possessions in Normandy to Geoffrey.<ref>{{harvnb|Davis|1977|p=67}}</ref> Many started to leave Stephen's faction. His friend and advisor Waleran was one of those who decided to defect in mid-1141, crossing into Normandy to secure his ancestral possessions by allying himself with the Angevins, and bringing Worcestershire into the Empress's camp.<ref>{{harvnb|Davis|1977|pp=67–68}}</ref> Waleran's twin brother, [[Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester|Robert]], effectively withdrew from fighting in the conflict at the same time. Other supporters of the Empress were restored in their former strongholds, such as Nigel of Ely, and still others received new earldoms in the west of England. The royal control over the [[Mint (coin)|minting]] of coins broke down, leading to coins being struck by local barons and bishops across the country.<ref>{{harvnb|Blackburn|1994|p=199}}</ref>

===Rout of Winchester and the Siege of Oxford===
{{main|Siege of Oxford (1142)}}
[[File:Oxford Castle.JPG|thumb|upright|alt=A photograph of Oxford Castle in the 21st century|St George's Tower at [[Oxford Castle]]]]
Matilda's position was transformed by her defeat at the [[Rout of Winchester]]. Her alliance with Henry of Winchester proved short-lived and they soon fell out over political patronage and ecclesiastical policy; Henry transferred his support back to Stephen's cause.<ref name=BarlowP176>{{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=176}}</ref> In response, in July the Empress and Robert of Gloucester besieged Henry in his episcopal castle at Winchester, using the royal castle in the city as the base for their operations.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=121}}; {{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=176}}; {{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=113}}</ref> Queen Matilda had kept her husband's cause alive in the south-east of England, and the Queen, backed by her lieutenant [[William of Ypres]] and reinforced with fresh troops from London, took the opportunity to advance on Winchester.<ref>{{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=176}}; {{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=113}}; {{harvnb|Bennett|2000|p=106}}; {{Harvnb|Crouch|2002|p=261}}</ref> Their forces encircled Matilda's army.<ref>{{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=176}}; {{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=113}}</ref> Matilda decided to escape from the city with Brian Fitz Count and [[Reginald, Earl of Cornwall]], another of her half-brothers, while the rest of her army delayed the royal forces.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=113}}</ref> In the subsequent battle the Empress's forces were defeated and Robert himself was taken prisoner during the retreat, although Matilda escaped, exhausted, to her fortress at Devizes.<ref>{{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=177}}; {{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=114}}</ref>

With both Stephen and Robert held prisoner, negotiations were held to try to come to agreement on a long-term peace settlement, but Queen Matilda was unwilling to offer any compromise to the Empress, and Robert refused to accept any offer to encourage him to change sides to Stephen.<ref name=BarlowP177>{{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=177}}</ref> Instead, in November the two sides simply exchanged the two leaders, Stephen returning to his queen, and Robert to the Empress in Oxford.<ref>{{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=177}}; Chibnall, p.115.</ref> Henry held another church council, which reversed its previous decision and reaffirmed Stephen's legitimacy to rule, and the King and Queen were crowned anew at Christmas 1141.<ref name=BarlowP177/> Stephen travelled north to raise new forces and to successfully persuade Ranulf of Chester to change sides once again.<ref name="Barlow, p.178">{{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=178}}</ref> Stephen then spent the summer attacking some of the new Angevin castles built the previous year, including [[Cirencester Castle|Cirencester]], [[Bampton Castle, Oxfordshire|Bampton]] and Wareham.<ref name=BradburyP136>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=136}}</ref>

During the summer of 1142 Robert returned to Normandy to assist Geoffrey with operations against some of Stephen's remaining followers there, before returning in the autumn.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=116–117}}</ref> Matilda came under increased pressure from Stephen's forces and was surrounded at [[Oxford]].<ref name=BradburyP136/> Oxford was a secure town, protected by walls and the [[River Isis]], but Stephen led a sudden attack across the river, leading the charge and swimming part of the way.<ref name=BradburyP137>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=137}}</ref> Once on the other side, the King and his men stormed into the town, trapping Matilda in the castle.<ref name=BradburyP137/> [[Oxford Castle]] was a powerful fortress and, rather than storming it, Stephen decided to settle down for a long siege.<ref name=BradburyP137/> Just before Christmas, Matilda sneaked out of the castle with a handful of knights (probably via a [[postern gate]]), crossed the icy river and made her escape past the royal army on foot to Abingdon-on-Thames and then riding to safety at Wallingford, leaving the castle garrison to surrender the next day.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=138}}; {{cite web|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/printable/18338|title=Matilda [Matilda of England] (1102–1167), Empress, Consort of Heinrich V|last1=Chibnall|first1=Marjorie|year=2004–2013|website=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|publisher=Oxford University Press|access-date=22 December 2013|mode=cs2}}</ref>{{refn|Most chroniclers suggest Matilda probably escaped from [[Oxford Castle]] via a [[postern gate]], although one suggests she climbed down the walls using a rope.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=117}}; {{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=138}}</ref>|group="nb"}} Matilda and her companions reportedly wore white to camouflage themselves against the snow.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/printable/18338|title=Matilda [Matilda of England] (1102–1167), Empress, Consort of Heinrich V|last1=Chibnall|first1=Marjorie|year=2004–2013|website=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|publisher=Oxford University Press|access-date=22 December 2013|mode=cs2}}</ref>

===Stalemate===
[[File:Invasion of Normandy 1142-3.png|thumb|alt=A map of Normandy in 1142|[[Geoffrey of Anjou]]'s invasion of Normandy, 1142–43]]
In the aftermath of the retreat from Winchester, Matilda rebuilt her court at [[Devizes Castle]] in [[Wiltshire]], a former property of the [[Bishop of Salisbury]] that had been confiscated by Stephen.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=118}}</ref> She established her household knights on the surrounding estates, supported by Flemish mercenaries, ruling through the network of local sheriffs and other officials.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=120, 122}}</ref> Many of those that had lost lands in the regions held by the King travelled west to take up patronage from Matilda.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=123–125}}</ref> Backed by the pragmatic Robert of Gloucester, Matilda was content to engage in a drawn-out struggle, and the war soon entered a stalemate.<ref>{{harvnb|Davis|1977|p=78}}; {{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=120, 146}}</ref>

At first, the balance of power appeared to move slightly in Matilda's favour.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=120}}</ref> Robert besieged Stephen in 1143 at [[Wilton Castle]], an assembly point for royal forces in Herefordshire.<ref name=BradburyP139>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=139}}</ref> Stephen attempted to break out and escape, resulting in the [[Battle of Wilton]]. Once again, the Angevin cavalry proved too strong, and for a moment it appeared that Stephen might be captured for a second time, before finally managing to escape.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=140}}</ref> Later in the year, Geoffrey of Essex rose up in rebellion against Stephen in East Anglia.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=141}}</ref> Geoffrey based himself from the Isle of Ely and began a military campaign against [[Cambridge]], with the intention of progressing south towards London.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=144}}</ref> Ranulf of Chester revolted once again in the summer of 1144.<ref name=BarlowP179>{{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=179}}</ref>
Meanwhile, Geoffrey of Anjou finished securing his hold on southern Normandy, and in January 1144 he advanced into [[Rouen]], the capital of the Duchy, concluding his campaign.<ref name="Barlow, p.178"/> Louis VII recognised him as Duke of Normandy shortly after.<ref>{{harvnb|Amt|1993|p=7}}</ref>

Despite these successes, Matilda was unable to consolidate her position.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=158}}</ref> Miles of Gloucester, one of the most talented of her military commanders, had died while hunting over the previous Christmas.<ref>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=147}}</ref> Geoffrey of Essex's rebellion against Stephen in the east ended with his death in September 1144 during an attack on [[Burwell Castle]] in Cambridgeshire.<ref name=BradburyP146>{{harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=146}}</ref> As a result, Stephen made progress against Matilda's forces in the west in 1145, recapturing [[Faringdon Castle]] in Oxfordshire.<ref name=BradburyP146/> Matilda authorised Reginald of Cornwall to attempt fresh peace negotiations, but neither side was prepared to compromise.<ref name="Chibnall 1991 121">{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=121}}</ref>

===Conclusion of the war===
[[File:Eleonora Jindra2.jpg|thumb|alt=Picture of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitain|12th-century depiction of Matilda's eldest son [[Henry II of England|Henry II]] and his wife [[Eleanor of Aquitaine|Eleanor]] holding court]]
The character of the conflict in England gradually began to shift; by the late 1140s, the major fighting in the war was over, giving way to an intractable stalemate, with only the occasional outbreak of fresh fighting.<ref name=BarlowP180>{{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=180}}</ref> Several of Matilda's key supporters died: in 1147 Robert of Gloucester died peacefully, and Brian Fitz Count gradually withdrew from public life, probably eventually joining a monastery; by 1151 he was dead.<ref>{{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=180}}; {{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=148–149}}</ref> Many of Matilda's other followers joined the [[Second Crusade]] when it was announced in 1145, leaving the region for several years.<ref name=BarlowP180/> Some of the Anglo-Norman barons made individual peace agreements with each other to secure their lands and war gains, and many were not keen to pursue any further conflict.<ref>{{harvnb|Davis|1977|pp=111–112}}</ref>

Matilda's eldest son Henry slowly began to assume a leading role in the conflict.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=144–146}}</ref> He had remained in France when the Empress first left for England.<ref name=Chibnall1991P144>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=144}}</ref> He crossed over to England in 1142, before returning to Anjou in 1144.<ref name=Chibnall1991P144/> Geoffrey of Anjou expected Henry to become the King of England and began to involve him in the government of the family lands.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=145}}</ref> In 1147, Henry intervened in England with a small mercenary army but the expedition failed, not least because Henry lacked the funds to pay his men.<ref name=BarlowP180/> Henry asked his mother for money, but she refused, stating that she had none available.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=146}}</ref> In the end Stephen himself ended up paying off Henry's mercenaries, allowing him to return home safely; his reasons for doing so remain unclear.<ref name="King 2010 243">{{Harvnb|King|2010|p=243}}; {{harvnb|Barlow|1999|p=180}}</ref>{{refn|One potential explanation is Stephen's general courtesy to a member of his extended family; another is that he was starting to consider how to end the war peacefully, and saw this as a way of building a relationship with Henry.<ref name="King 2010 243"/>|group="nb"}}

Matilda decided to return to Normandy in 1148, partially due to her difficulties with the Church.<ref name=Chibnall191P148/> The Empress had occupied the strategically essential Devizes Castle in 1142, maintaining her court there, but legally it still belonged to [[Josceline de Bohon]], Bishop of Salisbury, and in late 1146 [[Pope Eugene III]] intervened to support his claims, threatening Matilda with excommunication if she did not return it.<ref name=Chibnall191P148>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=148}}</ref> Matilda first played for time, then left for Normandy in early 1148, leaving the castle to Henry, who then procrastinated over its return for many years.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=148–149}}</ref> Matilda re-established her court in Rouen, where she met with her sons and husband and probably made arrangements for her future life in Normandy, and for Henry's next expedition to England.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=151, 153}}; {{cite web | url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/printable/18338 | title=Matilda [Matilda of England] (1102–1167), Empress, Consort of Heinrich V |mode=cs2| access-date=22 December 2013 | last1= Chibnall| first1= Marjorie | website=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | publisher=Oxford University Press | year = 2004–2013 }}</ref> Matilda chose to live in the priory of Notre Dame du Pré, situated just south of Rouen, where she lived in personal quarters attached to the priory and in a nearby palace built by Henry.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=151}}; {{cite web | url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/printable/18338 | title=Matilda [Matilda of England] (1102–1167), Empress, Consort of Heinrich V |mode=cs2| access-date=22 December 2013 | last1= Chibnall| first1= Marjorie | website=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | publisher=Oxford University Press | year = 2004–2013 }}</ref>

Matilda increasingly devoted her efforts to the administration of Normandy, rather than to the war in England.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=150–152}}; {{Harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=157}}</ref> Geoffrey sent the [[bishop of Thérouanne]] to Rome in 1148 to campaign for Henry's right to the English throne, and opinion within the English Church gradually shifted in Henry's favour.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=147}}</ref> Matilda and Geoffrey made peace with Louis VII, who in return supported Henry's rights to Normandy.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=154–155}}</ref> Geoffrey died unexpectedly in 1151, and Henry claimed the family lands.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=155}}</ref> Henry returned to England once again at the start of 1153 with a small army, winning the support of some of the major regional barons.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bradbury|2009|pp=178–179}}</ref> Neither side's army was keen to fight, however, and the Church [[Treaty of Wallingford|brokered a truce]]; a [[Treaty of Winchester|permanent peace followed]], under which Henry recognised Stephen as king, but became Stephen's adopted son and successor.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bradbury|2009|p=183}}; {{Harvnb|Crouch|2002|p=276}}; {{Harvnb|King|2010|pp=270, 280–283}}; {{Harvnb|Bradbury|2009|pp=189–190}}; {{harvnb|Barlow|1999|pp=187–188}}</ref> Meanwhile, Normandy faced considerable disorder and the threat of baronial revolt, which Matilda was unable to totally suppress.<ref name=Chibnall1991P157>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=157}}</ref> Stephen died the next year, and Henry assumed the throne; his coronation used the grander of the two imperial crowns that Matilda had brought back from Germany in 1125.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=189}}</ref> Once Henry had been crowned, the troubles facing Matilda in Normandy died away.<ref name=Chibnall1991P157/>