[Artemisia] Who's Your "King"? -- Authenticity

[Vaun Stevens]

My king is Stephen, although there seems to be a bit of dispute over this. Henry I had named Matilda/aka/Maud to be Queen, that is, he got the barons to swear that they would support her. When Henry died, the barons met and decided to forgo Matilda and her infant son, and instead chose Count Theobald of Blois, elder son of William the Conqueror, for king. However, Theobald's younger brother Count Stephen of Mortain and Boulogne had set sail for England upon hearing of Henry's death. With the help of the Bishop of Winchester (his brother Henry) and the citizens of London, Stephen was able to persuade the clergy that King Henry had named Stephen as his successor on his deathbed. The Archbishop of Canterbury crowned Stephen King on December 22, 1135. LONG LIVE THE KING!

However, Matilda/Maud with the assistance of her half-brother, Robert Earl of Gloucester, and the Norman barons who are now unhappy with King Stephen's abilities as king, have started an open rebellion against the King.

Here in Shrewsbury we are treading carefully as the Earl of Gloucester's lands are just to the north of us.  Many hold for Stephen and many hold for Maud.  We'll just have to wait and see who wins and hopefully not too many of us will die in the conflict.

As for who is the Holy Father, it is Eugene III, elected Pope in 1145. He is dealing with Roger II of Sicily who seems to have a hold on Rome and has called for a second crusade to free the Holy Land.

Annys