Mathilde of Flanders at The Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris

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Matilda of Flanders was born circa 1031 and passed away on November 2, 1083. She was the wife of William the Conqueror and as such Queen of England. Matilda bore nine children to William, including two kings, William II and Henry I. Her mother was Adèle of France, daughter of Robert II of France. According to legend, when Duke William II of Normandy sent a representative to ask for Matilda's hand in marriage, she told the representative that she considered marrying him too lowly born. After hearing this response, William rode from Normandy to Bruges, found Matilda on her way to church and dragged her off her horse by her long braids, threw her down in the street in front of her attendants and rode away. Another version of the story states that William rode to Matilda's father's house in Lille, threw her to the ground in her room (again by her braids), hit her before leaving. Naturally, Baldwin took offense at this but before they could draw swords, Matilda settled the matter by refusing to marry anyone but William; even a papal ban by Pope Leo IX at the Council of Reims on the grounds of consanguinity did not dissuade her. William and Matilda were married after a delay in 1051-2. A papal dispensation was finally awarded in 1059 by Pope Nicholas II. Lanfranc, prior of Bec Abbey, negotiated the arrangement in Rome and it came only after William and Matilda agreed to found two churches as penance.