On December 1, 1135, England plunged into one of its darkest chapters. King Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, died without a male heir. His only son, William Adelin, had drowned years earlier in the White Ship disaster. Henry’s chosen successor was his daughter, Empress Matilda, widow of the Holy Roman Emperor. But in a world where a woman’s right to rule was bitterly contested, Matilda’s claim was challenged. Her cousin, Stephen of Blois, acted quickly—seizing the throne and rallying power