October 1100 – Breaking News

Amidst huge controversy it has been announced that a formal inquiry is to be held at Lambeth this month to inquire into the past life of Matilda, daughter of the late Malcolm of Scotland. This lady, who used to be known as Edith, spent her youth at the nunnery at Wilton. It was said that she became a nun and wore the veil. This is denied by her supporters. Now a formal inquiry is investigate the truth of the situation. The lady herself, who is said to be deeply upset, has not released a statement and is currently unavailable for comment. 

Insult to future Queen?

The inquiry, instigated by the Archbishop of Canterbury in response to the king’s plan to marry the Lady Matilda is so controversial that he has been forced to defend himself. Through a statement released by his counsel, Baldwin of Tournai, he said: “It is not a matter for me alone.  Such a sensitive issue requires the consensus of leading men of the church.” 

Anselm went on to state that any possible hint of future scandal over Matilda’s past life will be totally suppressed by a favourable outcome at the inquiry. ‘We must have clarity over this issue’, he added, ‘this way we will establish the facts.’

So Anselm has convoked a formal investigation into the life of Matilda.There is no precedent for such a procedure.  If she is found to have worn the veil or to have committed herself to the religious life at Wilton, she will be barred from marriage with the King. Matilda is said to have gone into hiding after leaving Wilton sometime last month.

The inquiry will take place in late October and Matilda will be summoned to attend in person. If she fails to turn up she will be ruled ineligible to marry the king. If she attends she will be subjected to searching questions from a group of elderly churchmen, probing into her intimate life at the nunnery. 

One question sure to come up is why did Matilda start using a different name after leaving Wilton?  As a child at the convent she was known as Edith, her baptismal name. Matilda was a name running through the ancestry and is considered a royal name. Most famously, of course, it was the name of the present King’s mother. Is the name change part of the transition to royal status? Or is it to escape some scandal that occurred during her time at Wilton? What happened at Wilton will remain the central issue of the investigation.

But was Matilda ever a nun? Did she wear the veil, or take vows? Her Aunt Christina, who is herself a nun at Wilton, appealed for Matilda’s to return and called her ‘wilful, ungrateful and proud.’ According to private sources they did not get on and became estranged in recent years. But Christina maintains that her niece did in fact wear the veil.

As might be imagined, the inquiry has drawn adverse comment from a number of quarters. Some see it as an insult to the king, whose plans are on hold until Anselm has reached a verdict. On the other hand, many agree that the only way to prevent malicious slander is to bring everything out into the open now, to prevent any breath of future scandal. ‘We cannot, at a later stage,  have the Queen of England mired in controversy,’ said one spokesman, ‘this inquiry will wipe the slate clean.’ 

At the moment it looks as if Anselm will have his moment in court and Matilda will have to face questioning in what looks like being the first such case in history.

The stakes are very high, the case is unprecedented. Has there been a cover up? Or is Anselm over-playing his hand? Will Matilda be exonerated or barred from the throne? 

Follow the story here as it unfolds over the next few weeks. Verdict expected sometime in early November.