In 12th century Europe, a world built and run primarily by men, a womanu27s success was defined through the men around her. This social concept applied especially to Empress Matilda, whose opportunity to claim her right to the throne of England was squandered by her husband, her rival, and her contemporaries. This paper examines the series of events leading up to the subsequent anarchistic civil war, argues that the decisions made by opposing parties were driven by sexist attitudes of the era, and affirms the importance of recognizing and remembering the Queen of England that never was.
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