EMfK: King Stephen of England 1135-1154

also called Stephen of Blois (reigned 1135-1154)

Stephen was the son of King Henry I's sister. His father was the Count of Blois in France.
King Henry brought him up after his father died.
He became a close advisor to his uncle and helped him run the country.
When King Henry died, his daughter, Matilda, should have inherited the Throne. But England had never had a Queen before and Stephen was made King instead.
At first, things ran smoothly, but then Matilda decided to invade from Normandy.
A civil war, sometimes called 'The Anarchy', was fought between the two sides from 1139 until 1154.
Matilda was helped by her powerful half-brother, Robert of Gloucester. His base was in Bristol. Stephen's base was in London. He was helped by the Church. His brother was Henry, the Bishop of Winchester.
The war did not affect ordinary people much, but their were lots of battles. Stephen was captured at the Battle of Lincoln in 1141.
For a few months Matilda was in charge. But she upset the Londoners and had to flee the City.
When Robert of Gloucester was captured at the 'Rout of (retreat from) Winchester', Matilda decide to swap Stephen for him.
Eventually, she got bored and went back to Normandy. However, her son Henry II, later returned with an army.
Because Stephen's own son died, he signed the Treaty of Wallingford with him. In this, they agreed that Henry should become king after Stephen's death.