Queen of the Conqueror

Around the year 1049, William, Duke ofNormandy and future conqueror of England, raced to the palace of Baldwin V,Count of Flanders. The count's eldest daughter, Matilda, had refused William'soffer of marriage and publicly denounced him as a bastard. Encountering theyoung woman, William furiously dragged her to the ground by her hair and beather mercilessly. Matilda's outraged father immediately took up arms on hisdaughter's behalf. But just a few days later, Baldwin was aghast when Matilda,still recovering from the assault, announced that she would marry none butWilliam, since "he must be a man of great courage and high daring" to haveventured to "come and beat me in my own father's palace."

Thus began the tempestuous marriage of Matilda of Flanders and William theConqueror. While William's exploits and triumphs have been widely chronicled,his consort remains largely overlooked. Now, in her groundbreaking Queen ofthe Conqueror, acclaimed author and historian Tracy Borman weaves togethera comprehensive and illuminating tapestry of this noble woman who stood onlyfour-foot-two and whose role as the first crowned Queen of England had a largeand lasting influence on the English monarchy.

From a wealth of historical artifacts and documents, Matilda emerges aspassionate, steadfast, and wise, yet also utterly ruthless and tenacious inpursuit of her goals, and the only person capable of taming her formidablehusband-who, unprecedented for the period, remained staunchly faithful to her.This mother of nine, including four sons who went on to inherit William'sFrench and English dominions, confounded the traditional views of women inmedieval society by seizing the reins of power whenever she had the chance, directingher husband's policy, and at times flagrantly disobeying his orders.

Tracy Borman lays out Matilda's remarkable story against one of the mostfascinating and transformative periods in European history. Stirring, richlydetailed, and wholly involving, Queen of the Conqueror reveals not justan extraordinary figure but an iconic woman who shaped generations, and an erathat cast the essential framework for the world we know today.

Tracy Bormanis the author of Henrietta Howard: King's Mistress, Queen's Servant andElizabeth's Women: Friends, Rivals, and Foes Who Shaped the Virgin Queen,as well as The Ring and the Crown: A History of Royal Weddings, 1066-2011,which she co-authored with Alison Weir, Kate Williams, and Sarah Gristwood.Borman studied and taught history at the University of Hull and was awarded aPh.D. in 1997. She has worked for various historic properties and nationalheritage organizations, including the National Archives and English Heritage.She is now chief executive of the Heritage Education Trust and also works forHistoric Royal Palaces. Borman is a regular contributor to history magazines,such as BBC History Magazine, and is a frequent guest on television andradio.