Elisabeth van Houts Archives - Aspects of History

Empress Matilda: Queen of the Romans, Ruler of the English, by Elisabeth van Houts

A new biography that challenges narratives and restores one of medieval England’s most influential women to centre stage.

Adam Staten

Empress Matilda: Queen of the Romans, Ruler of the English is a new biography by the University of Cambridge historian Elisabeth van Houts. The subject of the book, Empress Matilda, is one of the most fascinating and, arguably, one of the most overlooked characters in...

Empress Matilda – A Conversation with Elisabeth van Houts

The author re-examines the political skill and leadership of one of medieval Europe’s most remarkable figures and talks Adam Staten through just how elite women exercised power during the 12th century.

Elisabeth van Houts

Welcome to Aspects of History, Elizabeth, and congratulations on the release of Empress Matilda: Queen of the Romans, Ruler of the English. Matilda was made regent of northern Italy by her husband, the Holy Roman Emperor, at the age of just sixteen. Do you think this...

The Complex Character of Empress Matilda

While her determination was sometimes mistaken for arrogance, Matilda’s resilience and political judgement ended up securing the English crown for her son, Henry II, and laid the foundations for the Plantagenet dynasty.

Elisabeth van Houts

In my new biography of Empress Matilda, I have emphasised Matilda’s capacity for collaboration with the men surrounding her, revealing her concomitant skill of persuasion and negotiation. Nevertheless, it is clear from her life story that there were moments that these...