Queen of the Conqueror: The Life of Matilda, Wife of William I (43 page)

A thirteenth-century illustration showing the descendants of William and Matilda. At the top is William, and directly beneath him are the children that Matilda bore him: (left to right) Robert “Curthose,” William Rufus, Richard, Henry, Adela, Cecilia, Constance, and two unnamed daughters (probably Adeliza and Matilda).
(illustration credit i1.8)

Harold Godwinson swears an oath recognizing William’s claim to the English throne.
(illustration credit i1.9)

The Mora
, the magnificent flagship commissioned by Matilda for her husband’s invasion of England.
(illustration credit i1.10)

An imaginary portrait showing Matilda and her ladies working on the Bayeux Tapestry. The widespread belief that Matilda was responsible for the tapestry has been convincingly disproved in recent years.
(illustration credit i1.11)

A romantic depiction of Matilda watching her husband set sail for England in 1066.
(illustration credit i1.12)

The White Tower, built by William to subdue the “evil inhabitants” of London.
(illustration credit i1.13)

A modern illustration showing William and Matilda granting a charter to the city of London.
(illustration credit i1.14)

A charter bearing Matilda’s signum, a distinctive Jerusalem-style cross.
(illustration credit i1.15)

Statue of Matilda, Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris.
(illustration credit i1.16)

Matilda’s tomb in the choir of La Trinité, Caen.
(illustration credit i1.17)

To Eleanor, with love

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I
t is no exaggeration to say that this book could not have been written without the unstinting support of my parents, John and Joan Borman. Between them, they have clocked up so many miles on the East Coast Railway that they deserve shares in the company. My mother in particular has spent many days looking after my daughter in order for me to be able to visit the British Library and other places necessary for research. I am deeply grateful for her kindness, and that of my father, who made regular trips to the London Library on my behalf. I have also been lucky enough to have the support and encouragement of my sister, Jayne, her husband, Rick, and their two lovely daughters, Olivia and Neve.

This book has been greatly enhanced by the dedication and expertise of my publishers. In particular, I would like to thank my editors at Jonathan Cape and Bantam Dell, Alex Bowler, Jessica Waters, and Tracy Devine, for their invaluable insight and meticulous attention to detail. I am also delighted to have been supported by my wonderful publicists Hannah Ross and Lisa Barnes, and I am grateful to Steven Messer for his excellent detective work with the picture research and to Tom Avery for seeing the book through to completion. My agent, Julian Alexander, has—as ever—supported me throughout with his sage advice, patience, and humor.

I have been very fortunate to have had the help and encouragement
of my friend and fellow historian Alison Weir, who generously shared her research notes on Matilda with me, as well as her extensive collection of images. I would also like to thank Nicola Tallis for her valuable insights into the castles and abbeys of Normandy that are connected with Matilda’s history. Sincere thanks are also due to Julian Humphrys for sharing his expertise on eleventh-century warfare and for assisting with translations.

My colleagues at the Sandford Award have continued to encourage my writing career, and I am particularly grateful to Jean MacIntyre, John Hamer, and Gareth Fitzpatrick. I also owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the staff at Historic Royal Palaces with whom I have been lucky enough to work, notably Michael Day, John Barnes, David Souden, Ruth Gill, Rhiannon Goddard, and Sam Brown. I would also like to express my thanks to Dr. David Musgrove, editor of
BBC History Magazine
, and Hugh Alexander of the National Archives.

In a short acknowledgments section such as this, I cannot possibly do justice to the many kindnesses that I have received from the friends who contributed—in different ways—to the crafting of this book. They include Honor Gay, for her infectious enthusiasm about the book and for being such a wonderful playmate for Eleanor. Likewise, Maura and Howard Davies have continued to provide support with everything from babysitting to publicity. It is thanks to Lucinda and Stuart Eggleton that I was able to do much of the editing in Cyprus, and to Lisa, Rob, Lily, Zoe, Matthew, and Frances Cameron for letting me stay in their beautiful home in northern France while undertaking the research. I have been greatly touched by the kindness and support of my former headmaster Len Clark and his wife, Jeanne. It has also been a delight to become reacquainted with Judi Jones, the teacher who inspired my interest in history to begin with and who has shown great enthusiasm for my writing career.