Year 7 - History
Matilda's early life: Empress of Germany
Medieval women: what can we learn from Matilda about women in medieval England?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils analyse the historical significance of Empress Matilda's life. They use her life as a lens to consider the lives of noble women in medieval England.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe Matilda's early life and her role in the Holy Roman Empire.
Key Notes
- Matilda married the Holy Roman Emperor when she was only 12 years old.
- Matilda spent much of her early life in Germany.
- Matilda took an active role in the government of the Holy Roman Empire.
- Matilda's husband died and she was married again to Geoffrey Plantagenet.
- Matilda expected to inherit her father's throne.
Vocabulary To Learn
- empress: an empress is the wife of an emperor, the ruler of an empire
- empire: an empire is a group of countries or provinces ruled from the centre by one person or group of people
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- It has always been illegal for children to get married.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
Matilda married the Holy Roman Emperor when she was only 12 years old. Matilda spent much of her early life in Germany.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'empress'
an empress is the wife of an emperor, the ruler of an empire.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: It has always been illegal for children to get married. Correction: Throughout history, royal children were regularly betrothed at a young age in order to secure alliances between nations. Marriage followed later when the children had grown up, although they regularly still married younger than we do today.
More Lessons In This Unit
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