# Empress Matilda: Queen of the Romans, Ruler of the English

An episode of [Gone Medieval](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1564113746), 14 Jul 2026, 50 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/gone-medieval/e/6a4d15e26ae7b13bb275927a/media.mp3?tk=eyJ0ayI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJhZHMiOnRydWUsInNwb25zIjp0cnVlLCJzdGF0dXMiOiJwdWJsaWMifQ==&sig=jVWJsTzjUZQT_UveGMSVOSJGaiUcwdtxfj-K-QX_qVc

How did an empress become the most dangerous claimant to the English throne? From the Battle of Lincoln to her legendary escape from Oxford Castle, Matilda was a formidable political actor whose legacy shaped the Plantagenet dynasty. Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Professor Elisabeth van Houts to explore Matilda’s imperial upbringing, her contested claim after Henry I’s death, the infamous White Ship disaster, and the brutal civil war known as the Anarchy. MORE The Anarchy: Disruptive Women Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify How to be a Medieval Teenager Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds. Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast. Watch Eleanor and Matt's new documentary The Rise of the Plantagenets with a History Hit subscription. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS Early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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