Matilda of Flanders

Matilda, the daughter of a count, grew up accustomed to wealth and power. Around 1051, she married William the Conqueror, duke of Normandy, who later became king of England. After 1066, she served as regent of the duchy of Normany during her husband’s frequent absences in England. It has been suggested that she was the creator of the Bayeux Tapestry, a large embroidered cloth that commemorates the Battle of Hastings, which was fought on October 14, 1066, between the Normans and the Anglo-Saxon army of England. The tapestry has also been attributed to Edith of Wessex. Upon her death, Matilda was buried at the Church of La Trinité in Caen, France.