Matilda, called the Empress Maud 1102-67
English princess

The only daughter of Henry I, she was born in London and married (1114) Emperor Henry V. She returned to England as Empress Maud after his death (1125) and was acknowledged as the heir to the English throne. In 1128 she married Geoffrey Plantagenet of Anjou, by whom she had a son, Henry 'FitzEmpress', the future Henry II of England. When Henry I died (1135), his nephew Stephen of Blois seized the throne and Matilda invaded England from Anjou (1139) with her half-brother, Robert, Earl of Gloucester. After capturing Stephen, she was acknowledged as 'Lady of the English', but was never crowned. Lacking in judgement, she lost potential allies, especially the city of London, through her financial impositions. Stephen regained control, while Matilda left England (1148) and returned to her son in Normandy, where she exerted influence over his continental territories.