Matilda of Anjou was born circa 1106 in Anjou, France to Fulk I of Jerusalem (c1090-1143) and Ermengarde of Maine (-1126) and died 1154 France of unspecified causes. She married William of Normandy (1103-1120) June 1119 JL in Lisieux, France.
Biography
Matilda of Anjou, (also known as Mahaut) was married in 1119 to William Adelin, son and heir of Henry I, King of England.
Matilda was the daughter of Count Fulk V of Anjou, and his first wife Ermengarde, Countess of Maine. In February 1113, Fulk V and Henry I met near Alençon where they entered into a treaty of peace which was secured by the betrothal of Henry's son William Adelin and Fulk's daughter Matilda. The young couple were married in June 1119. Her father afterwards traveled to the Middle East with the Crusades where he became, Fulk I, King of Jerusalem.
On the evening of 25 November 1120, returning from Normandy to England, William chose to sail aboard the White Ship and subsequently drowned when that ship sank in the English Channel just outside Barfleur harbor. Matilda had avoided the disaster, as passage for her had been arranged aboard another ship, presumably the one that her father-in-law was traveling on. His death left her a widow with no immediate heir to the throne of England and thus ended the treaty with Anjou.
On his return from Jerusalem, c. 1121–1122, Fulk V demanded the return of Matilda's dowry, comprising castles and towns in Maine, to which Henry flatly refused.[6] After months of fruitless quarreling Fulk was considering warring on Henry once more.[6] Finally, Fulk countered Henry by marrying his other daughter, Sibylla, to William Clito, the son of Robert Curthose, Henry's nephew and rival for Normandy.[7] Fulk dowered the couple with the lordship of Maine.
Meanwhile, after her husband's death Matilda remained at Henry's court and was treated as one of the king's daughters.[8] Henry maintained she could remain as long as she wished[a] and intended to marry her to one of his great nobles, "heaping on her wealth and honours which would have raised her above all her family."[8] She remained in England for several years, unmarried, but according to Orderic, wishing to see her parents and home, she returned to Anjou.[8] After a time in Anjou she took the advice of Geoffrey, Bishop of Chartres and in 1128 she took her vows at Fontevrault Abbey as a nun. In 1150 she became the Abbess and died in 1158.[9]
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Matilda of Anjou (1111-1154) | 1106 Anjou, France | 1154 France | William of Normandy (1103-1120) |
| Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou and Maine (1113-1151) | 24 August 1113 Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France | 7 September 1151 Château-du-Loir, France | Matilda of Normandy (1102-1167) |
| Hélie II du Maine (c1114-1151) | 1114 | 15 January 1151 Tours | Philippe du Perche (c1105-c1152) |
| Sibylla of Anjou (1116-1165) | 1116 | 15 January 1165 Tours | William Clito (1101-1128) Thierry of Flanders (1100-1168) |
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Baldwin III of Jerusalem (1131-1163) | 1131 | 10 February 1163 Beirut | Theodora Komnene (c1145-?) |
| Amalric I of Jerusalem (1136-1174) | 1136 | 11 July 1174 | Agnes de Courtenay (c1136-c1184) Maria Komnene (c1154-c1213) |