Cultural depictions of Stephen, King of England civil war with Maud, contesting for the crown. Stephen is haunted by visits from the ghost of the betrayed King of England who shows him visions of the downfall of the pretender Stephen played by Tony Curran. The Janna Mysteries by Felicity Pulman posits a love-affair between Matilda and Stephen. Stephen is also depicted as a young lover of Matilda in "The Fatal Crown", by Ellen Jones. Cultural depictions of Stephen, King of England King Stephen of England (c. 1092/6 – 25 October 1154) was a grandson of William the Conqueror, and has been depicted in various cultural works. He
The History of the Norman Conquest of England its influence has nevertheless been profound, many Anglo-Norman historians of modern times having come around to some of Freeman's main conclusions. Freeman first wrote about the Conquest while he was still a student at Oxford, where his 1846 essay "The Effects of the Conquest of England by the Normans" was submitted for, but failed to win, a prize. In 1859 and 1865 he published lengthy reviews of the last two volumes of Sir Francis Palgrave's "History of Normandy and of England". Exploring his points of agreement and disagreement with Palgrave Freeman decided to embark on his own history of the