Empress Matilda: life of the week

History Extra podcast

History Extra

History

4.3 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 2 December 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the tumultuous aftermath of Henry I’s death, England was thrown into one of the most chaotic civil wars in its history – the Anarchy. At the heart of the struggle stood Empress Matilda: daughter of a king, widow of an emperor, mother of a future dynasty, and the woman who came closer than any before her to ruling medieval England in her own right. Yet, bold and authoritative, Matilda has historically been seen in a less than favourable light until recent reassessments. In this episode, Emily Briffett explores Matilda’s extraordinary life and legacy with historian and author Dr Catherine Hanley – from her imperial upbringing in the Holy Roman Empire to her daring campaign against King Stephen and her life after the conflict. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This History Extra podcast is sponsored by Help for Heroes. The past is studied with tales of
0:05.5	our armed forces personnel, making huge sacrifices to change the course of history. And that's still the
0:11.2	case today, with thousands of veterans around the UK fighting daily battles, physical, mental, and
0:17.5	financial, that can make life seem overwhelming. That sense of pressure can be all the
0:22.4	more challenging during these winter months, as the nights draw in and our screens are full of
0:26.8	images of family fun and festive cheer. Health for Heroes understands the difficulties people face
0:31.9	when starting a new life after leaving the military. It offers life-changing, tailored support
0:37.2	for those who most need it,
0:39.1	helping them rebuild their lives.
0:41.1	But it needs public support
0:42.5	to continue to deliver its life-changing services.
0:45.7	This Christmas, they're asking us
0:47.3	to show our veterans they're not forgotten
0:48.9	and help the armed forces community
0:50.9	live well after service
0:52.1	by sending a Christmas message
0:53.9	of support and gratitude.
0:56.3	Visit healthforheroes.org.uk to write your Christmas message to our veterans. It only takes a
1:02.2	moment, but will make a world of difference. This History Extra podcast is sponsored by the new global
1:07.8	economic history book, Economica, A Global History of Women,
1:11.6	Wealth and Power by Dr. Victoria Bateman. Humanity's journey from poverty to prosperity is filled
1:17.9	with men who have become household names. But how many female entrepreneurs, merchants and investors
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 5 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from History Extra, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of History Extra and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.