Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror, was the first woman to be crowned Queen of England and formally recognised as such by her subjects. Tracy Borman’s new book, Matilda: Queen of the Conqueror, is the first major biography of this exceptional, brave and complex queen. In a dangerous, brutal world of conquest and rebellion, fragile alliances and bitter familial rivalries, Matilda possessed all the attributes required for a woman to thrive. With her fiercely independent nature, Matilda was essential to William’s rule,
and had unparalleled influence over the King. While this would provide an inspiring template for future indomitable queens, it led eventually to treachery, revolt and the fracturing of a dynasty.
Tracy Borman will talk on the drama of Matilda’s life, followed by a Q&A chaired by Chris Gidlow, which will consider Matilda’s role and legacy as a woman of power and influence in the male-dominated world of the 11th century.