On eve December 1 Matilda's father, Henry I died. Matilda was his only legitimate heir. In this time in history in the early 1100s a female had never been the heir to the throne of England before. When Stephen heard of his uncle's death He quickly boarded a ship and the moment he set foot on English soil he road as fast as he could 80 miles to London. After being welcomed with open arms in London he again made haste to the great and important city of Winchester where his brother was the bishop. Stephen seized control of the treasury, quickly summoned the Archbishop of Canterbury and had himself crowned king. Stephen had stolen the crown. It was an ultimate move in the game of thrones. On September 30, 1139 - a few months shy of 4 years after her father died Matilda boarded a small ship for Arundel Castle. She left her three sons and her husband in Normandy to fight for what her father had passed down to her: the throne of England. The fight for the throne between Stephen of Blois and Empress Matilda would last 18 years and would be known as teh war called The Anarchy. The storyline might sound a lot like House of the Dragon- but this history is real. #history #empressmatilda #castle #houseofthedragon #historytime #historybuff #historytok #herstory #historytiktok