Cultural depictions of the Empress Matilda

Updated on Dec 17, 2023

Edit

Comment

The 12th-century ruler Empress Matilda has been depicted in various cultural media.

Historical fiction

Novels dealing with the civil war between Matilda and Stephen include:

Graham Shelby, The Villains of the Piece (1972) (published in the US as The Oath and the Sword)

The Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, and the TV series made from them starring Sir Derek Jacobi

Sharon Penman, When Christ and His Saints Slept tells the story of the events before, during and after the civil war (1995)

Ken Follett, The Pillars of the Earth (1989)

E. L. Konigsburg, A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver (1973)

Cecelia Holland, The Earl (1971)

Elizabeth Chadwick, Lady of the English (2012)

Jean Plaidy, The Passionate Enemies, the third book of her Norman Trilogy (1976)

Ellen Jones, The Fatal Crown (1991)

Haley Elizabeth Garwood, The Forgotten Queen (1997)

Alison Pill portrayed Matilda in the 2010 TV miniseries The Pillars of the Earth, an adaptation of Follett's novel.

Matilda is a character in Jean Anouilh's play Becket. In the 1964 film adaptation she was portrayed by Martita Hunt.

She was also portrayed by Brenda Bruce in the 1978 BBC TV series The Devil's Crown, which dramatised the reigns of her son and grandsons.

(Text) CC BY-SA