Week 1 The Rout of Winchester in 1141
THREAD👇
THREAD👇
When Henry I died without an heir in 1135 so began a struggle for the English throne between his only surviving legitimate child, Matilda, and Stephen, a grandson of William I. Lasting nearly two decades, the conflict later became known as The Anarchy.
King Stephen was captured by Empress Matilda during the Battle of Lincoln in February 1141, encouraging her to assert her claim to the throne. She gained control of the royal treasury at Winchester Castle and #otd was proclaimed “Lady of the English” by Bishop Henry de Blois.
Her success was short-lived. Within two months Bishop Henry renounced his allegiance to Matilda and sided with his brother King Stephen. Bishop Henry, with the help of Stephen’s queen and her supporters, laid siege to the Empress Matilda at Winchester Castle.
The resulting month-long standoff saw much of the city and surrounding areas burnt. Proving too large a force to be reckoned with, Matilda was forced to abandon the castle and flee to Wherwell.
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