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>Designating a woman as his successor was such an unprecedented action that Henry felt obliged to compel his nobles, barons and churchmen to swear an oath of al
by GeoAtreides 20d ago
>Designating a woman as his successor was such an unprecedented action that Henry felt obliged to compel his nobles, barons and churchmen to swear an oath of allegiance to Matilda. All of them did so, although some complied with greater reluctance than others. [...] her cousin Stephen (a younger son of Henry’s sister Adela, dowager countess of Blois) had rushed to England, seized the royal treasury and had himself crowned.
G.R.R.M.: it's free real estate
- jstanley 19d ago> some complied with greater reluctance than others. Is always true, unless they somehow all comply with precisely equal reluctance.
- gcanyon 19d agoI think they mean there was a greater variation in reluctance than might be expected, or that there was some serious arm-twisting to get people to go along, which had future consequences.