On This Day

English King Henry I marries Princess Matilda of Scotland at Westminster Abbey in London

Matilda of Scotland (originally christened Edith, 1080 – 1 May 1118), also known as Good Queen Maud, was Queen consort of England and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I.

Matilda of Scotland (originally christened Edith, 1080 – 1 May 1118), also known as Good Queen Maud, was Queen consort of England and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I. She acted as regent of England on several occasions during Henry's absences: in 1104, 1107, 1108, and 1111.

Daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and the Anglo-Saxon princess Margaret of Wessex, Matilda was educated at a convent in southern England, where her aunt Christina was abbess and forced her to wear a veil. In 1093, Matilda was engaged to an English nobleman until her father and her brother Edward were killed in the Battle of Alnwick in 1093. Her uncle Donald III seized the throne of Scotland, triggering a messy succession conflict.

Historical Significance

Matilda of Scotland (originally christened Edith, 1080 – 1 May 1118), also known as Good Queen Maud, was Queen consort of England and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I.

Events Before

  1. First Crusade: 15,000 starving Christian soldiers march in religious procession around Jerusalem as its Muslim defenders

    First Crusade: 15,000 starving Christian soldiers march in religious procession around Jerusalem as its Muslim defenders look on

  2. City of Jerusalem is captured and plundered by Christian forces during the First Crusade

    The Massacre of Jerusalem was a mass slaughter of thousands of Muslims and Jews by the sieging Crusaders in mid-July 1099, following the Siege of Jerusalem during the First Crusade.

  3. Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the First Cru

    Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the First Crusade

  4. Crusaders set fire to Mara, Syria

    Crusaders set fire to Mara, Syria

  5. The First Crusaders begin the siege of Hosn al-Akrad, Syria

    The First Crusaders begin the siege of Hosn al-Akrad, Syria

Events After

  1. Henry I of Limburg becomes Duke of Lower Lorraine

    Henry I of Limburg becomes Duke of Lower Lorraine

  2. Dedication of the transept and choir of Abbey of Ste Madeleine Vezelay, France, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture

    Dedication of the transept and choir of Abbey of Ste Madeleine Vezelay, France, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture and an important place of pilgrimage

  3. Maginulf is elected Antipope Sylvester IV

    Sylvester IV, born Maginulf, was a claimant to the Papacy from 1105 to 1111 in opposition to Paschal II. A priest before his election, he was probably a native of Rome.

  4. Rabbi Nathan ben Yehiel of Rome completes Talmudic dictionary

    Rabbi Nathan ben Yehiel of Rome completes Talmudic dictionary

  5. Henry I of Limburg loses the duchy of Lower Lorraine to Godfrey of Louvain

    Henry I of Limburg loses the duchy of Lower Lorraine to Godfrey of Louvain

More from the 1100s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 11, 1100?
Matilda of Scotland (originally christened Edith, 1080 – 1 May 1118), also known as Good Queen Maud, was Queen consort of England and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I. She acted as regent of England on several occasions during Henry's absences: in 1104, 1107, 1108, and 1111. Daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and the Anglo-Saxon princess Margaret of Wessex, Matilda was educated at a convent in southern England, where her aunt Christina was abbess and forced her to wear a veil.
Why is English King Henry I marries Princess Matilda of Scotland at Westminster Abbe... significant?
Matilda of Scotland (originally christened Edith, 1080 – 1 May 1118), also known as Good Queen Maud, was Queen consort of England and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I.

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