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In the autumn of 1142, Empress Matilda was besieged in Oxford Castle by soldiers loyal to her cousin Stephen. A battle, labeled ‘The Anarchy’, was raging across the country for the crown of England. Stephen, grandson of William the Conqueror and Matildas’ cousin, both laid claim to the crown and took it in turns to lay siege to one another’s strongholds. The siege at Oxford Castle lasted for three months. Matilda’s epic escape came one freezing snowy night in December when according to legend, she wrapped herself in a white cape and fled on makeshift ice skates across the ice to Wallingford Castle. A truce was decided to end the battle, with Matilda agreeing that Stephen could keep the throne as long as her son Henry became his heir. Suspiciously, Stephen died not long after this agreement was forged, allowing King Henry II to take the throne. You can discover more about Empress Matilda and more incredible stories on a guided tour at Oxford Castel and Prison.
The Most Interesting Prison Breaks
In the autumn of 1142, Empress Matilda was besieged in Oxford Castle by soldiers loyal to her cousin Stephen. A battle, labeled ‘The Anarchy’, was raging across the country for the crown of England. Stephen, grandson of William the Conqueror and Matildas’ cousin, both laid claim to the crown and took it in turns to lay siege to one another’s strongholds. The siege at Oxford Castle lasted for three months. Matilda’s epic escape came one freezing snowy night in December when according to legend, she wrapped herself in a white cape and fled on makeshift ice skates across the ice to Wallingford Castle. A truce was decided to end the battle, with Matilda agreeing that Stephen could keep the throne as long as her son Henry became his heir. Suspiciously, Stephen died not long after this agreement was forged, allowing King Henry II to take the throne. You can discover more about Empress Matilda and more incredible stories on a guided tour at Oxford Castel and Prison.