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Oxford Castle, where Matilda was besieged by King Stphen and
barely managed to escape on an icy winter night in her
white dress which had her camouflaged |
In our last
blog, we left where Stephen and Robert were finally freed as a result of
negotiations between the two opposing sides. The negotiations failed to bring
peace, however, and no sooner had it ended than war resumed. Matilda remained a
thorn in Stephen’s neck throughout his reign, tirelessly stirring up unrest and finding followers to join her cause. Fortune apparently seemed briefly to
have abandoned her, however, during the summer of 1142 with the return of
Robert to Normandy to assist Matilda’s husband, Geoffrey, with his war effort.
Matilda was left in Oxford Castle, presumably believing herself to be safe. In
this she was gravely mistaken. No sooner was Robert gone than Stephen launched
a sudden attack and brought his army to surround the castle. His plan was to
besiege the castle, trapping his cousin inside and starving her into
submission. The food has run out. But Matilda’s will has not. It was the depth
of winter, just before Christmas. The ground was icy, the road snowy and the
river completely frozen. Determined not to be captured, on a freezing winter night, Matilda snuck out of the castle with a handful of knights, all dressed
in white. They crossed the icy river on foot and successfully escaped to
Wallingford, thanks to their perfect camouflage.
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Wilton Castle, where King Stephen just managed to escape from
the Angevin forces |
Matilda
remained in England for a few years, tirelessly yet futilely pursuing her
claim. She reestablished her court at Devizes Castle, and rebuilt considerable
forces of her own. Both sides kept fighting till to the end, and the war
soon entered a stalemate. At first, it seemed that luck was favouring Matilda,
when the Angevin forces besieged Stephen in 1143 at Wilton Castle, Herefordshire. Stephen managed to escape in the end, however.
She kept fighting on until she finally decided to hand over the
torch to her son Henry, who arrived in England in 1147 at the age of 14. Yet, by
this time the war effort has become stagnant, with many key players
dead or retired, and magnates entering into individual peace agreements. It was
obvious that all were keen to cease this pointless fighting that has plagued
their country for years.
Something
else needs to be explained about the period. Despite the extensive fighting
across the realm, the English administrative order remained intact. Stephen’s
reign in fact saw abbeys built more than any other period in English
history. People went about their business as usual in the midst of civil war.
Nonetheless, the battles were entirely ceased in the Penitential seasons of
Lent and Advent.
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| Henry II's Coronation in 1154 |
Despite
Henry’s effort, he was nonetheless defeated at Cricklade by the Thames. In the
final years of The Anarchy, it was apparent that Stephen was the clear victor.
However, it was equally agreed that Henry should be an inevitable successor of
Stephen. A treaty was drawn up at Winchester in 1153. Stephen would reign. But
he would also recognize Henry as his successor. Henry gave homage to Stephen,
and Stephen exchanged an oath in return. Both sides got what they wanted.
Matilda returned to Rouen. With these events unfolded, The Anarchy finally came
to a close. King Stephen retired to his grave the following year. Henry then ascended the throne to become Henry II, the founder of the Plantagenet dynasty.
The Anarchy
took 16 years. The struggle was futile, solved nothing and proved
nothing. Yet, its beauty lies in its purely accidental cause. In a way, it is
emblematic of the playful and fickle nature of chance and fortune in interfering
with the mortal affairs, similar events of which have littered human history
since the Stone Age and will continue to do so in the ages to come.
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