Stephen, King of England Robert of Gloucester rebelled against the King, starting the descent into civil war in England. An illegitimate son of Henry I and the half-brother of the Empress Matilda, Robert was one of the most powerful Anglo-Norman barons, controlling estates in Normandy as well as the Earldom of Gloucester. He was known for his qualities as a statesman, his military experience, and leadership ability. Robert had tried to convince Theobald to take the throne in 1135; he did not attend Stephen's first court in 1136 and it took several summons to convince him to attend court at Oxford later that year.
I Served the King of England between different producers, and at one point the story was under development to be turned into a television soap opera. In the early 2000s, a film was under development by the writer-director duo Petr Jarchovský and Jan Hřebejk. In the end Menzel did direct the film. A co-production between Czech, Slovak, German and Hungarian companies, "I Served the King of England" premiered in the Czech Republic on 21 December 2006. I Served the King of England I Served the King of England () is a novel by the Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal. The story is set in Prague in the