Empress Matilda: Civil War and the Fight for the Throne

May 19, 2026 43 min

About this episode

How did Matilda, princess of England, become Empress of the Holy Roman Empire in 1110? What disbarred her from becoming queen of England after her father's death? And, why did she go to battle for the throne of England, in the brutal civil war known as The Anarchy? In this new member’s-only mini series, Tom is joined by historian and author Helen Castor, to talk about some of the most impressive queens of medieval Europe. Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠⁠restishistory.com⁠⁠. To read our new newsletter, sign up at: ⁠⁠therestishistory.com/newsletters⁠⁠ _______ Advertise with us: ⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠ _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listen to this episode in English to learn English

Podcast episodes are one of the highest-density ways to absorb English at native pace. Empress Matilda: Civil War and the Fight for the Throne from The Rest Is History gives you natural dialogue, unscripted speech, and vocabulary that actually appears in real conversations.

In the Clue app, every word in the transcript is tappable. Tap an unknown word, see the translation in your language instantly, and keep listening without breaking flow.

Episodes to Learn English

More podcasts in English