Conquest and civil war: how England’s first modern royal house rose to power then lost the crown

In 2026, the Bayeux Tapestry will be on show in England for the first time ever. It was created almost 1,000 years ago to tell the story of a moment that changed the country forever but it’s taken until 2025 for it to be displayed in the place at its very heart.

It’s expected that royalty will be at the official opening of the exhibition housing it. President Emmanuel Macron gave the go ahead for the tapestry to leave its home in Normandy for this historic event.

The tapestry is huge and tells a momentous story. The Norman Conquest of 1066 was a revolution all of its own and led by a man who became one of the most famous kings of all. However, William the Conqueror’s dynasty reigned for less than a century after the crown he won became so appealing that his relatives began fighting over it. This is how the House of Norman fell.

The House of Norman

The dynasty had come to power in England in 1066 following the famous victory of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. He had revolutionised the administration of his new kingdom and set about changing its very fabric with the imposition of a fresh ruling class.

His throne had passed to two of his sons in turn with William II and Henry I both enjoying successful reigns. But Henry had died without a male heir and his nephew, Stephen, had claimed the crown, the beginning of the end of the House of Norman.

The Last King

Stephen of Blois, grandson of the Conqueror, became King of England in 1135 with an apparent groundswell of support but challenges to his rule soon appeared on all sides. He proved to be weak, granting concessions which exposed his lack of control, while his relationship with the church proved complex.

His ineffectual rule gave fuel to the growing push to put Henry’s daughter, Matilda, on the throne and England descended into a civil war known as the Anarchy.

Matilda briefly claimed the title ‘Lady of the English’ but it was her son, Henry, who established supremacy in this cousins’ war. By 1153, with his own eldest son dead, Stephen negotiated a peace which would see the throne pass to Henry, head of the House of Plantagenet.

The Last Queen

Stephen’s wife, Matilda, would have been less than impressed. She had proved to be a far more effective politician and military strategist than her husband, winning decisive battles in the war for the crown and negotiating his release when he was captured by his enemies.

However, Matilda died in 1152 and within a year, her husband had promised the throne to their rival dynasty.

The Fall

King Stephen died on October 25^th 1154 at Dover Priory in Kent and Henry began the journey from France to England to claim the crown. His accession marked the end of the House of Norman in England and the start of Plantagenet rule.

Lydia Starbuck is a pen name of June Woolerton who has written extensively on royal history. Her book, A History of Royal Jubilees, is available now. She is also the author of a popular cosy mystery, All Manner of Murder.