Matilda, also known as Empress Matilda due to her first marriage to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, never technically reigned as queen of England. However, her fight for the throne left an indelible mark on English history and led to the eventual reign of her descendants.

Born in 1102, Matilda was the daughter of King Henry I of England and Queen Matilda of Scotland. From an early age, she was used as a diplomatic pawn. At the age of 12, she was married to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. Upon his death, she returned to England, where her father had her wed Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, in a bid to secure the southern borders of Normandy. This marriage was not particularly popular, as the Angevins were traditional enemies of the Normans, and this union gave birth to the Plantagenet dynasty, which would later come to dominate English politics.

Upon the death of her father, King Henry I, the throne was seized by her cousin Stephen of Blois, despite many nobles having sworn allegiance to Matilda as the rightful heir. This led to a period known as "The Anarchy" (1135-1153), a prolonged civil war between forces loyal to Stephen and those to Matilda.

Matilda did not possess the same relationship with the governing entities as later monarchs, as the structure of "Parliament" as it is recognized today was not yet fully formed. However, she dealt with various nobles and magnates. Many of these nobles switched allegiances multiple times during the Anarchy, making the political landscape extremely unstable.

In terms of foreign relations, her ties to the Holy Roman Empire through her first marriage and her connections in Anjou and Normandy due to her second marriage to Geoffrey Plantagenet played significant roles. Normandy, in particular, became a significant battleground during the Anarchy.

As for her political philosophy, Matilda believed in her divine right to rule, rooted in her direct lineage from her father, King Henry I. Her determination was so steadfast that she persisted in her claim even in the face of numerous setbacks.

Matilda had three children with Geoffrey: Henry, who would become Henry II of England, Geoffrey, and William. While the early years with her husband were filled with conflict, they eventually found common ground, especially in their joint ambition for their children. Her relationship with her son Henry was particularly close, with him continuing her fight for the English throne.

Matilda's later years were spent in Normandy, where she maintained a court and was involved in the administration of the duchy. She played a crucial advisory role during the early years of her son Henry II's reign. Matilda died in 1167, and while she never saw herself crowned queen of England, she lived long enough to see her son become one of the most potent medieval English kings. Her death was felt as the passing of a formidable figure who, despite never reigning as queen, played a pivotal role in shaping the future of the English monarchy.

During Matilda's lifetime, England was undergoing significant societal and cultural shifts. The Norman Conquest of 1066 had brought about profound changes, and the country was still grappling with the fusion of Norman and Anglo-Saxon cultures, laws, and traditions. Architecture, like the building of stone keeps and religious structures, was in a transformative phase, leading to the Gothic style's early stages.

In the overarching narrative of English history, Matilda stands out not as a reigning monarch but as a tenacious and pivotal figure who paved the way for the Plantagenet dynasty, which would shape England for centuries to come.