Queen of the Conqueror by Tracy Joanne Borman

Author:Tracy Joanne Borman [Borman, Tracy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-553-90825-1
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2012-04-03T07:00:00+00:00

Baudri goes on to describe “a wonderful tapestry” that surrounded Adela’s bed. This sounds remarkably similar to the Bayeux Tapestry, for it included scenes depicting the comet, the Norman council and preparations, the fleet, the Battle of Hastings with the feigned flight of the Normans and the real one of the English, and the death of Harold. However, from Baudri’s description it seems that the work was on a much smaller scale than the Bayeux Tapestry and was fashioned from richer materials than the original. Nevertheless, it still provides an interesting insight into the pride that Adela felt in her father’s achievements.5

Baudri would at best have caught only a glimpse of the chamber of which he paints such a vivid picture, so much of the detail must be imaginary. He himself admitted: “I described what would be most appropriate more than what existed.” But his account still provides a valuable insight into contemporary tastes and fashions, and hints at the lavish and luxurious style in which Matilda and her family might have lived.

Without accounts such as these, it can be difficult to imagine the color and spectacle of the palaces and churches that Matilda knew, both as queen of England and duchess of Normandy. Those buildings that do survive have plain, imposing stone walls that show little sign of the vibrantly painted murals and rich decorations that would have adorned them originally. Such decorations had long been in fashion. The Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf describes a hall bedecked with drapes “embroidered with gold” and “many a sight of wonder for those that delight to gaze on them.”6 But such grandeur was not just hollow opulence; it served a vital purpose: to reinforce William and Matilda’s right to the English throne.

There were no such lavish palaces in the place where Matilda was obliged to halt her progress northward in 1068. Despite her determination to give birth to her latest child in York, in the end she made it only as far as Selby, some fourteen miles south of the city. It is possible that William had sent word that it was not safe for her to venture farther, given the fragile state of affairs in the region. Or perhaps the onset of labor had forced her to rest there. Whatever the reason, the fact that Matilda sought refuge smacks of a hasty rather than a preplanned decision. Even though Selby was a sizable town, it was by no means as fitting a venue for the birth of a royal prince as York, the “capital” of the north.

Matilda’s confinement would be her last. It resulted in a fourth son, who was named Henry after Matilda’s uncle, King Henry I of France. This may seem an odd choice given the difficult, rivalrous relationship that had existed between William and the French king before the latter’s death in 1060. However, the royal couple clearly wished to further legitimize the boy and the family in the eyes of their subjects by reminding them yet again of Matilda’s impeccable pedigree.

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