Where is King Stephen buried

Q. I want to see the grave of King Stephen (1096-1154) one of the Plantagenet kings. Where is he buried I've been told it is in the parish church of St Mary of Charity, Faversham, but that seems too recent for Stephen's dates.< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

A. Faversham was indeed King Stephen's burial place. But is often the way with monarch's bones, they get moved. I expect you'd like a biography of this king

A. Stephen was grandson of King William the Conqueror, brought up by his uncle, King Henry I, and received vast lands in England, Normandy, and Boulogne. By 1130, Stephen was the richest man in England and Normandy. He was pledged, however, to support Henry's daughter, Matilda, as successor to the throne.

Q. And he had a problem with that

A. Yes. Many English nobles didn't want a woman ruler, and after Henry I died in December 1135, leading lords and bishops welcomed Stephen when he crossed the English Channel to claim the crown.

Q. Unopposed

A. No. Matilda's half-brother, the powerful Robert, Earl of Gloucester, took up arms to support her claim. She invaded England in September 1139, and brought most of western England under her control. Early in 1141, her supporters captured Stephen in a battle at Lincoln. But then Matilda's arrogance provoked a rebellion in London, where she had gone for her coronation. The hostage Stephen was swapped for Gloucester, who had been captured by the king's armies. Stephen won more battles and Matilda retreated from England in 1148.

Q. And went in for the kill

A. No - he lost heart after his son and heir Eustace died in August 1153. Heirless, he named Henry of Anjou - Matilda's son - as his successor. He became King Henry II upon Stephen's death in Dover on 25 October 1154.

Q. So what's the Faversham connection

A. Stephen had been in the process of moving his court down to the town of Faversham, about seven miles north-west of Canterbury, when Eustace died. It is not clear why he favoured this small market town, but it certainly had good connections, including a thriving maritime trade and easy access to France. In 1147, he founded an abbey at Faversham, as both a Cluniac foundation and a royal mausoleum for himself, his queen (also called Matilda, sometimes Maude) and son Eustace.

Q. And he's still buried in the mausoleum

A. No more. They were buried there, but the monastery was destroyed in 1538 during the dissolution on Henry VIII's orders. Much of the stone was taken away to France, where it made part of the fortifications at Calais. Stephen's body was, by tradition, thrown into the nearby creek and his lead coffin melted down. The so-called grave of Stephen is near the altar in magnificent St Mary of Charity Church near the abbey's site. It is possible his bones were moved to this later church, but it's more likely it is just a memorial. Indeed the inscription says: 'In memory of...'

To ask another question about History & Myths, click here