Although Henry I had forced his barons to swear an oath to support Matilda as his heir on several occasions, a woman had never ruled in England in her own right.
Meskipun Henry telah memaksa para baronnya bersumpah untuk mendukung Matilda sebagai ahli warisnya dalam beberapa kesempatan, seorang wanita tidak pernah memerintah di Inggris dengan caranya sendiri.