Editing Empress Matilda (section)

===Marriage to Geoffrey of Anjou===
[[File:Geoffrey of Anjou Monument.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=Picture of Geoffrey of Anjou|Contemporary depiction of [[Geoffrey of Anjou]], Matilda's second husband]]
Matilda returned to Normandy in 1125 and spent about a year at the royal court, where her father was still hoping that his second marriage would generate a son.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=51}}; {{Harvnb|Pain|1978|p=18}}</ref> If this failed to happen, Matilda was Henry's preferred choice, and he declared that she was to be his rightful successor if he should not have another legitimate son.<ref name=Hollister2003P309>{{harvnb|Hollister|2003|p=309}}</ref> The Anglo-Norman barons were gathered together at Westminster on Christmas 1126, where they swore in January to recognise Matilda and any future legitimate heir she might have.<ref>{{harvnb|Hollister|2003|p=309}}; {{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=51}}</ref>{{refn|Medieval chroniclers' accounts of this oath vary on the points of detail. William of Malmesbury stated that the nobles present recognised Matilda as the legitimate heir on the basis of her paternal and maternal royal descent; [[John of Worcester]] described the inheritance of England as being conditional on Matilda having a legitimate male heir; the Anglo-Saxon chronicle suggested that an oath was given concerning the inheritance of both England and Normandy; neither Orderic or Henry of Huntingdon recorded the event at all. Some chronicler accounts may have been influenced by Stephen's acquisition of the throne in 1135 and the later events of the Anarchy.<ref>{{harvnb|Green|2009|pp=193–194}}</ref>|group="nb"}}

Henry began to formally look for a new husband for Matilda in early 1127 and received various offers from princes within the Empire.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=51}}</ref> His preference was to use Matilda's marriage to secure the southern borders of Normandy by marrying her to [[Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou|Geoffrey]], the eldest son of Count [[Fulk V of Anjou]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=51–52}}</ref> Henry's control of Normandy had faced numerous challenges since he had conquered it in 1106, and the latest threat came from his nephew William Clito, the new count of Flanders, who enjoyed the support of the French king.<ref name="Chibnall 1991 54–55">{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=54–55}}</ref> It was essential to Henry that he not face a threat from the south as well as the east of Normandy.<ref name=Chibnall1991P54>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=54}}</ref> William Adelin had married Fulk's daughter [[Matilda of Anjou|Matilda]], which would have cemented an alliance between Henry and Anjou, but the ''White Ship'' disaster put an end to this.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=38, 54}}</ref> Henry and Fulk argued over the fate of the marriage dowry, and this had encouraged Fulk to turn to support William Clito instead.<ref name=Hollister2003P290>{{harvnb|Hollister|2003|p=290}}</ref> Henry's solution was now to negotiate the marriage of Matilda to Geoffrey, recreating the former alliance.<ref name="Chibnall 1991 54–55"/>

Matilda appears to have been unimpressed by the prospect of marrying Geoffrey of Anjou.<ref name=Chibnall1991P55>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=55}}</ref> She felt that marrying the son of a count diminished her imperial status, and she was probably also unhappy about marrying someone so much younger than she was; Matilda was 25 and Geoffrey was 13.<ref name=Chibnall1991P55/> [[Hildebert of Lavardin|Hildebert]], the [[Archbishop of Tours]], eventually intervened to persuade her to go along with the engagement.<ref name=Chibnall1991P55/> Matilda finally agreed, and she travelled to Rouen in May 1127 with Robert of Gloucester and Brian Fitz Count where she was formally betrothed to Geoffrey.<ref>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=55–56}}</ref> Over the course of the next year, Fulk decided to depart for Jerusalem, where he hoped to become king, leaving his possessions to Geoffrey.<ref name=Chibnall1991P56>{{Harvnb|Chibnall|1991|p=56}}</ref> Henry knighted his future son-in-law, and Matilda and Geoffrey were married a week later on 17 June 1128 in [[Le Mans]] by the bishops of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Le Mans|Le Mans]] and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Séez|Séez]].<ref name=Chibnall1991P56/> Fulk finally left Anjou for Jerusalem in 1129, declaring Geoffrey the count of Anjou and Maine.<ref>{{harvnb|Chibnall|1991|pp=56, 60}}</ref>