Stephen of Blois: A Historical Overview

Written by Simon Williams

Stephen of Blois seized the English throne in 1135 over the rightful claim of Empress Matilda, plunging England into nineteen years of civil war known as the Anarchy. His reign ended with the Treaty of Wallingford, which secured Matilda's son as his successor.

Key Facts

• Crowned: 22 December 1135, Westminster Abbey
• Died: 25 October 1154, Faversham, Kent
• Main rival: Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I and designated heir
• Key conflict: The Anarchy, c.1138 to 1153
• Resolution: Treaty of Wallingford, 1153 — Stephen reigns until death, Henry Plantagenet succeeds
• Successor: Henry II (first Plantagenet king)

A King's Turbulent Reign

When King Henry I of England died in December 1135, it left the English succession disputed as his only legitimate heir, Empress Matilda, was abroad in Anjou, while his nephew Stephen of Blois was fortuitously placed in England. This set the stage for Stephen of Blois chaotic and ultimately failed reign in medieval England that saw the country plunged into nearly 20 years of civil war, turbulence and lawlessness in a period that came to be known as "The Anarchy".

The absence of Henry I's lawful heir, Matilda, gave Stephen his opportunity to seize the English crown for himself immediately upon the death of his uncle. However, this also sparked a bitter rivalry with Matilda herself who asserted her rightful claim to the throne as the descendant of previous Kings of England and the designated successor to her father. Their struggle for the English monarchy during King Stephen's time on the throne sheds light on the complex issues of succession during the Middle Ages, as well as the disastrous consequences that could arise when the nobility descended into infighting rather than uniting behind a strong leader. The turbulence and conflict that characterised Stephen's rule would be his ultimate undoing, but it also gave rise to the great Plantagenet dynasty that would define a new era for England.

Stephen's Ascension to the Throne

A Claimant to the Throne

As the grandson of William the Conqueror, Stephen of Blois had strong royal lineage that enabled him to pursue the English crown upon King Henry I's death. While he lacked the strongest direct claim to the throne, as Empress Matilda was still alive as Henry's designated heir, Stephen sought to capitalise on the uncertainty over the succession by putting himself forward swiftly as a claimant while Matilda remained abroad in Anjou.

Seizing the Chance

With King Henry I having failed to produce any legitimate surviving sons late in his reign, the line of succession was left vulnerable when he died in 1135. Stephen saw an opportunity to promote his candidacy and, fortuitously located in England at the time, was able to seize the initiative. He won over key members of the nobility and clergy such as the Archbishop of Canterbury to support his coronation and pursuit of power. This ruthlessness to have himself crowned so swiftly after his uncle's demise demonstrated Stephen's strong personal ambition.

A New King, Disputed

Within a few weeks of Henry I's death, Stephen had engineered enough backing from noble factions to have himself crowned King on 22 December 1135. It was a narrow window, but with Empress Matilda still in France, Stephen was able to gain the crucial momentum to have his authority established as the new English monarch. However, Matilda herself refused to acknowledge Stephen's legitimacy. This created a looming threat to his reign and portended the civil strife ahead.

The Anarchy

Civil War

After Stephen claimed the throne, Empress Matilda garnered support to dispute his right to rule, refusing to acknowledge him as the legitimate monarch. This lack of unified succession plunged England into nearly 20 years of civil war as the two sides battled across the country, neither gaining decisive superiority.

Contested Authority

With Matilda commanding strong allies in the West Country and Stephen retaining London and the Church's support, both factions had bases of power. Stephen won some notable battlefield victories, capturing Matilda in 1141, but could never fully conquer areas loyal to her or overcome the threat she posed. This meant Stephen struggled to enforce true royal authority across the whole realm at any point.

Chaos and Disorder

The sustained conflict between Empress Matilda and King Stephen created instability across England as nobles exploited the uncertainty at court to expand their own regional influence. Law and order broke down frequently, exacerbated by famine and rising prices. Castles were constructed without crown permission and coinage was debased significantly. The country was left exposed to the whims of feuding barons.

The Ravaged Countryside

As the civil war dragged on without resolution, the English countryside bore the brunt of the impact as armies rampaged across land to further their militaristic causes. The war brought suffering to common people as crops and villages were destroyed in the barons' battles for supremacy, showing how little the high nobility cared for protecting the realm.

Later Rule and Death

Compromise and Truce

By the early 1150s, both sides had been significantly weakened by the endless conflict and a realisation emerged that a truce was needed. This led to the Treaty of Wallingford in 1153, brokered by the Church, in which it was agreed that Stephen would remain King but Matilda's son Henry Plantagenet would succeed him upon his death.

Continued Struggles

The peace was short-lived unfortunately, as hostilities reignited in 1153 over Stephen's attempts to have his own son recognised as heir instead. Despite the treaty, Stephen failed to command authority or constrain the independence of his rebellious barons who continued warring. The country remained in an insecure state throughout his final year of rule.

End of the Reign

Stephen's health had been in steady decline when he finally died in October 1154. While some loyal nobles mourned him, for many across England and Normandy, his death marked a welcome end to the nearly 20 year period defined by civil war, lawlessness and fractured leadership that plagued his reign. Few were sad to see him go.

Legacy of Chaos

Ultimately, Stephen was unable to recover from the early contested bid for the crown that Matilda and others posed, dooming his rule to be dominated by disputes he could never permanently quell. The compromise made to succeed him with Henry Plantagenet only opened further unrest in Stephen's last years. His reign had been an abject failure scarred by anarchy from which England needed to build itself anew.

Legacy

Reputation as Inept Ruler

King Stephen is regarded by historians as an ultimately weak and ineffective ruler who failed to demonstrate the decisiveness and command necessary to properly govern England during turbulent times. While the civil war was not necessarily his own doing, his contested claim to the throne and inability to ever achieve total victory over his rivals or control the barons forfeited his authority.

England Scarred

The near 20 year period of Stephen's rule left England scarred by the ravages of civil warfare, famine and lawlessness that consumed the era now aptly named The Anarchy by scholars. Stephen himself failed to maintain order, the countryside and populace suffered greatly from the wanton nobles' disputes, while the empty treasury and proliferation of adulterated coins wrecked financial stability.

Rise of the Plantagenets

Though he defeated Empress Matilda's forces on occasion, Stephen could never remove the threat she posed or fully best her claims to the Crown. The later Treaty of Wallingford compromised that her heir Henry Plantagenet would succeed Stephen upon his death, directly leading to the rise of the mighty Plantagenet dynasty under Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine subsequently. Matilda's own campaign against Stephen, including her escape from Oxford Castle, is told in full in our comprehensive briefing on Empress Matilda and the Anarchy.

A Cautionary Tale

The turmoil of Stephen's contested reign demonstrated the strife that battles over succession in the Middle Ages could unleash when there was no undisputed and capable heir. It served as a cautionary tale on the necessity of clear succession plans to preserve stability in the realm and avoid plunging a kingdom into the dire fate of civil war similar to that suffered under King Stephen.

Conclusion

Ambition Undid a King

Stephen of Blois allowed personal ambition to ultimately undo his reign, by seizing the royal throne over his more legitimate rivals. This engendered opposition that he could never overcome and condemned his rule to civil war. Though external factors conspired against him, his impatient pursuit of power for its own sake carried much blame for the ensuing anarchy.

Rule Subsumed by Inner Turmoil

For all his occasional battlefield victories, Stephen could not stop England subsiding into the "Anarchy" that plagued his tenure as king. The ceaseless disputes with Empress Matilda's forces and the rebellious, unconstrained barons meant Stephen rarely held meaningful control over the realm at any point. Inner turmoil came to define his reign more than any rulership.

The Path for Future Glory

Ironically, Stephen's utter failure to impose himself emphatically as England's undisputed ruler paved the way for future glory under Henry II and his heirs. The Plantagenet dynasty would rise from the English Crown passing to Matilda's son, finally ending the Norman rivalry and bloodshed which Stephen had fanned the flames of with his ill-fated crowning in 1135.

A Doomed Reign

Few English monarchs suffered such a disastrous reign that was so dolefully steeped in civil war, lawlessness and fractured loyalties than King Stephen. That he clung to his crown under great adversity for 15 years could not disguise that his rule was ill-starred and doomed from his tenuous coronation. The "Anarchy" will forever be a blight against his name in the pages of history.

This article is part of the Notable Historical Figures series. Explore all articles at historiesandcastles.com/blogs/historical-figures.

Deepen Your Understanding

History rarely happens in isolation. The people, places, and events on this page are part of a much bigger story. The articles below explore the threads that connect to what you have just read.

→ Empress Matilda: The Woman Who Nearly Became England's First Queen: The rival Stephen could never defeat. Her biography, her escapes, and why she ultimately won the longer game.

→ The Anarchy: Civil War in Medieval England: The full story of the nineteen-year conflict Stephen's coronation ignited.

→ Empress Matilda and the Anarchy: A Comprehensive Briefing: A detailed breakdown of every major event, siege, and turning point during Stephen's reign.

→ Castles of Conflict: Fortresses of the Anarchy Era: The unauthorised castle-building that defined and destabilised Stephen's England.

→ Henry II: The Monarch Who Transformed England: The king who succeeded Stephen and rebuilt everything his reign had broken.

→ Eleanor of Aquitaine and Her Influence on History: Henry II's queen and one of the most powerful women in medieval Europe: the natural next read for anyone following the Plantagenet story.

People Also Ask

Who was Stephen of Blois?

Stephen of Blois was King of England from 1135 to 1154. He was the grandson of William the Conqueror and seized the throne upon the death of his uncle Henry I, despite Henry having designated his daughter Empress Matilda as his heir. Stephen's reign was dominated by civil war with Matilda's supporters, a period known as the Anarchy. He died in October 1154 and was succeeded by Matilda's son, Henry II, the first Plantagenet king, in accordance with the Treaty of Wallingford signed the previous year.

What caused the Anarchy in Stephen's reign?

The Anarchy was caused by Stephen's disputed claim to the English throne. Henry I had designated his daughter Empress Matilda as his heir, and many of the English nobility had sworn oaths to support her succession. When Stephen seized the throne in December 1135, Matilda and her supporters refused to accept his legitimacy. Her half-brother Robert of Gloucester led military resistance on her behalf, and from around 1138 England descended into civil war. Neither side could achieve outright victory, and the conflict dragged on for nearly two decades, weakening royal authority and allowing barons to operate with near-total independence.

What was the Treaty of Wallingford?

The Treaty of Wallingford, also known as the Treaty of Winchester, was agreed in November 1153 and ended the Anarchy. Under its terms, Stephen would remain King of England for the rest of his life, but Empress Matilda's son Henry of Anjou would be recognised as his heir and would succeed him without contest. The treaty was brokered by the Church and represented a compromise that both exhausted sides accepted. Stephen died less than a year later in October 1154, and Henry of Anjou was crowned Henry II almost immediately, founding the Plantagenet dynasty.

How did Empress Matilda escape from Oxford Castle?

Empress Matilda escaped from Oxford Castle in the winter of 1142 after Stephen's forces had besieged it for three months. According to chronicle accounts, she and a small party of knights were lowered from the walls or slipped out through a postern gate at night and crossed the frozen River Thames on foot. Some accounts say they wore white cloaks to blend with the snow. She reached Abingdon safely and from there made her way to Wallingford. The escape became one of the most celebrated episodes of the civil war and a symbol of Matilda's determination and survival.

Why did Stephen fail as king?

Stephen failed as king because he could never consolidate the authority needed to govern effectively. His seizure of the throne over Empress Matilda alienated powerful factions from the outset. He lacked his predecessor Henry I's ruthlessness with rebellious barons and repeatedly showed leniency that his enemies exploited. He failed to prevent the proliferation of unlicensed castles that became centres of baronial power. He also made the fatal error of arresting the powerful bishops of Salisbury and Lincoln in 1139, alienating the Church at a critical moment. These failures together meant Stephen could never impose the centralised royal authority England needed.

What happened to England under Stephen's rule?

Under Stephen's rule England suffered severe instability. The civil war between Stephen and Empress Matilda's supporters caused widespread destruction as armies moved across the countryside, burning villages and seizing supplies. Barons exploited the chaos to build unlicensed castles and act without royal constraint. The coinage was debased, trade disrupted, and famine struck parts of the country. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle's famous description of the period as a time when "Christ and his saints slept" captures the sense of lawlessness that prevailed. Royal administration weakened substantially, and it was left to Henry II to rebuild the machinery of English government after Stephen's death.

Primary Sources and Further Reading

• The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (various dates, compiled to c.1154): The primary contemporary chronicle covering Stephen's reign, including the famous passage describing England as a land where "Christ and his saints slept." Available in translation via the Avalon Project at Yale Law School.
• Gesta Stephani (c.1148, anonymous): A near-contemporary Latin narrative history of Stephen's reign, probably written by a bishop sympathetic to Stephen. Essential for the events of the Anarchy. Available in a modern translation edited by K. R. Potter (Oxford, 1976).
• King, E. (2010): King Stephen, Yale English Monarchs series, Yale University Press. The definitive modern biography of Stephen, drawing on all surviving chronicle sources and the documentary record.
• Bradbury, J. (2009): Stephen and Matilda: The Civil War of 1139-53, The History Press. A clear narrative account of the Anarchy covering the key military and political events of Stephen's reign.
• Chibnall, M. (1991): The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English, Wiley-Blackwell. The authoritative biography of Matilda, essential for understanding Stephen's rival and the civil war from her perspective.

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