Matilda, Duchess of Bavaria

## Matilda of England

Duchess of Bavaria

William, Lord of Lunenburg

Lothar?

**Matilda of England** (C. 1139 - May, 1160) was the 8th child of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England. Matilda was considered a very beautiful princess, though not as beautiful as her beyond beautiful older sister Constance of England which caused a rivaly between Constance and Matilda. But Matilda was indeed the favourate sister of her brother Prince Richard, but Richard happened to be the least favourate brother of Princess Constance. When Prince Richard became King, Constance helped Richard secure his succession in his French holdings, but Matilda still knew she was the favourate sister, Matilda was given 1000 pounds in England by her brother, but Constance was forced to give up her estates in northern England and hand them over to Matilda, Constance was very furious and turned to her half-brother Louis VIII of France, Constance and Louis went to Matilda's husband Duke Albert, and accused Matilda of adultery with a famous Bavarian knight known as "Fredrick Wezoberg." Despite no evidence of adultery, Matilda and her ladies in waiting were imprisoned at Burghausen Castle, and Matilda was beaten with a rod when she refused to admit to adultery, certainly Constance was a mastermind behind the downfall of her sister, then Constance allowed herself in the Castle, and brutally murdered Matilda by strangling her, Matilda's ladies screamed and tried to free her, when Matilda would not die of strangling, Constance ran a knife through her throat alive, then she was drowned in a bucket of mud, her ladies in waiting were privately beheaded or hang drawn and courtered, she was burried in Munich and her husband remarried, Constance and Louis were never punished for her death.

## Early Life

### Childhood

Matilda's birth date is unknown, she was probably born around October or November of 1139. She was probably named for her paternal grand-mother Empress Matilda. Her mother valued her education and spent a lot of money on her education. Matilda had some traits of a mideval Princess, which were cruel and ruthless, but she had traits of a caring woman who fooled around at her fathers court. Matilda had many boyfriends growing up at court, one of them was Phillip de Dover who was a deputy French ambassador to the King, Phillip was eventually murdered by Matilda's father because of the scandal the affair caused. Matilda's father surely wanted to marry the Princess to a powerful family, Matilda was going to Marry the King of Scotland, but the King liked Matilda's sister Margaret more. Matilda was both, the favourate sibling and sister to her brother Prince Richard because of her charm, she supported Richard's succession to the English crown, much to her older sister Constance's disapointment. Constance was Savage and cruel mastermind behind many english courtiers downfalls, the rightful heir to the throne was Richard's older brother Henry the Young King, who was the co-king along with Matilda's father. Constance supported the rightful heir as the future king.

### Fued with Constance of England

Constance was the least favourate child along side Henry the Young of Eleanor and Henry. Constance did not care, and she helped her brother invade a lot of England. Constance was not afraid to insult Matilda in front of her mother, she indeed offended them with her come backs, and arragonce. Matilda saw Constance as a witchy brat who "Won't shut up." Constance once pushed her mother down the stairs, and attempted to strangle her with a rope in front of Matilda. Matilda forced Constance away to help there mother. Constance was banished from court and nicknamed "Lady of Madness" by Matilda. Constance moved in to the co-kings royal court, and they possibly had an incestous relationship.

### Marriage

In 1151, Eleanor of Aquitaine wanted Matilda to marry the Count of Perche, but the Count rejected Matilda because he fell in-love with her sister Constance (But Constance never married him, and rejected him when they met). Matilda met the Duke of Bavaria who was Albert, Albert agreed to marry her and brought her to Bavaria, Matilda took her ladies-in-waiting, a few of them were Lady Cecily Bohun, Lady Jane Bohun, Lady Elizabeth Arden, Lady Phillipa Beauclerk, Lady Mary Bentinck, Lady Anne Beaufort, and Lady Maude de Beauchamp. Matilda set up her court and joined the court of her sister Isabella of England who was Holy Roman Empress. But Matilda was a less then wanted figure according to Isabella, the thing was Isabella happened to be the favourate sister of Constance of England who called her Ysbella (Which was German for Isabella.) Isabella and Constance were close and they both shared a dislike for Matilda. Isabella though a consort was a powerful woman, her husband gave her the power that a king had, Isabella demoted Albert and Constance and took away most of there allowance, Albert furious blamed Matilda for his demotion, Matilda wanted to make up for it by going on a crusade which at time was the biggest war going on.

## Crusading in the 7th Crusade

Matilda had been trained at a young age how to fight, Matilda took the opprotunity to try to please the Empress to re-rank and give Albert his money back. She set for a crusade in Hungary where her half-sister Blanche, was ruling as Queen. Matilda was a desent crusader and did a part in protecting the Hungarian empire, she was greatly admired by her half-sister, her brother who was now Richard I of England also gave Matilda a lot of money, much to the disaproval of Constance and Isabella. She led 7 army's to Turkey to protect french holdings in Turkey. But she failed to impress the Empress, the Empress was a crusader herself and nearly banished the couple from the royal court. The Emperor was also unimpressed with the couple and rarely gave them royal duties, Matilda crusaded harder and led an army into Serbia. Eleanor of Aquitaine also attempted to change Isabella's opinion on Matilda and even offered her support, but the Empress refused and humiliated her by publicly dismissing her. Matilda was very mad, she did everything to attempt to gain royal favor, but the stuborrn Empress refused to promote her. Matilda left the court much to the Empresses delight, and kept her own court in Bavaria.

## Arrest and Imprisonment

Constance still was in a rivaly with her sister, she was forced to give up palaces in England that belonged to her to Matilda. Constance tried 18 attempts to assassinate the Duchess, but Matilda dodged all of them, tired of wasting money on swordsmen who would just be executed in Matilda's favor, wen't to have a meeting the Albert, Albert fond of Constance's beauty allowed her in without a thought, but Constance was not here to commit adultery, she infact was here to blame her sister for adultery, she told Albert that she recalled Matilda having an affair with a dashing knight named "Fredrick Wezoberg" who was a lesser knight of the Bavarian army. She even stated that she had secretly given birth to a son named Lothar, even though this rumor was probably not true, Albert believed Constance and arrested Matilda and her ladies-in-waiting. Matilda was forced to hand her wealth to Constance, her children were separated from her and she and her ladies-in-waiting were put in a prison were also commoners stayed, they were not treated like royals, they dressed like pesants and ate the same food as pesants. But this as just the begining of agony, the worst of all was yet to come.

## Downfall and Murder

Constance brought her half-brother Louis VIII of France to "Visit" the Duchess, the Duchess demanded they leave but Constance refused, Louis handed Constance a peace of rope which Constance attempted to strangle Matilda, her ladies-in-waiting were grabbed by local knights and they were forced to watch there dear friend who the served be tourtured by her sister, when she would not die, so Matilda slit her throat alive with a knife, she cried in agony but she did not die, so Constance told her 7 loyal knights to drown the Duchess in a bucket of mud until she died, this time Matilda died after accidently eating to much mud, her body was left the rot there for 2 hours before being cleaned by local servents, she was burried in Munich and her husband remarried Irene of Kiev.