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On one occasion during the civil war, Matilda was trapped in Oxford Castle (in 1142) but escaped over the ice of the frozen River Thames.
Matilda was married to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V in 1114 and returned to England as the Empress Maud after his death in 1125. In 1128 she married Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou (111351) in northwest France, by whom she had a son, the future Henry II. Having returned to England to lay claim to the throne, she rejoined her son in Normandy in 1148.
Matilda's case is sometimes used to suggest that women in medieval times could not rule a kingdom, but in fact Matilda retained control of Normandy after 1148, and ruled the duchy effectively on behalf of her son when he became king of England in 1154.
Red stands for bloodshed. Orange symbolizes agriculture. Blue represents the sky and hope. Effective date: 24 August 1990.
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