On This Day In History . 11 November 1100 . King Henry I married Matilda of Scotland . . ◼ On 11 November 1100 Henry married Matilda, the daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland. Henry was now around 31 years old, but late marriages for noblemen were not unusual in the 11th century. . ◼ The pair had probably first met earlier the previous decade, possibly being introduced through Bishop Osmund of Salisbury. Historian Warren Hollister argues that Henry &  Matilda were emotionally close, but their union was also certainly politically motivated. . ◼ Matilda had originally been named Edith, an Anglo-Saxon name, & was a member of the West Saxon royal family, being the niece of Edgar the Ætheling, the great-granddaughter of Edmund Ironside &  a descendent of Alfred the Great. For Henry, marrying Matilda gave his reign increased legitimacy, &  for Matilda, an ambitious woman, it was an opportunity for high status & power in England. . ◼ Matilda proved an effective queen for Henry, acting as a regent in England on occasion, addressing & presiding over councils, & extensively supporting the arts. The couple soon had two children, Matilda, born in 1102, &  William Adelin, born in 1103; it is possible that they also had a second son, Richard, who died young. Following the birth of these children, Matilda preferred to remain based in Westminster while Henry travelled across England &  Normandy, either for religious reasons or because she enjoyed being involved in the machinery of royal governance. . ◼ Henry had a many mistresses, resulting in a large number of illegitimate children, at least nine sons and 13 daughters, many of whom he appears to have recognised & supported. One of his illegitimate daughters Sybilla of Normandy was later Queen consort of Scotland, wife to Alexander I. . .. . #OnThisDayInHistory #ThisDayInHistory #TheYear1100 #KingHenryI #HenryI #HenryIofEngland #MatildaofScotland #QueenMatilda  #Normans #HouseofNormandy #HouseofDunkeld #EnglishMonarchy #History #BritishMonarchy #D11Nov #HistoryFacts #InstaHistory (at United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqCdiJylfyM/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=3sw9sksxzks6
