# Which prince or duke pulled his future spouse off her horse by the hair? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-prince-or-duke-pulled-his-future-spouse-off-her-horse-by-the-hair/768736 "2016-10-16T16:34:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DudeManBro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@DudeManBro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudeManBro)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-prince-or-duke-pulled-his-future-spouse-off-her-horse-by-the-hair/768736/1 "2016-10-16T16:34:44Z")
I remember reading about a lady of royalty who acted like a brat when meeting him. And afterwards would not marry anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-prince-or-duke-pulled-his-future-spouse-off-her-horse-by-the-hair/768736/2 "2016-10-16T19:33:34Z")
Wait, who was the brat, the future wife, or the guy who dragged her around by the hair? ---
**Author:** ![DudeManBro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@DudeManBro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudeManBro)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-prince-or-duke-pulled-his-future-spouse-off-her-horse-by-the-hair/768736/3 "2016-10-17T16:25:09Z")
The girl was being a brat. She might have insulted him too, hence the rough treatment. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-prince-or-duke-pulled-his-future-spouse-off-her-horse-by-the-hair/768736/4 "2016-10-17T18:25:40Z")
The way I heard it was that William the Conqueror dragged Matilda of Flanders off her horse by the hair. Dunno whether this is true or apocryphal. Am too lazy to Google it right now. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-prince-or-duke-pulled-his-future-spouse-off-her-horse-by-the-hair/768736/5 "2016-10-17T19:45:08Z")
“According to legend, when Duke William II of Normandy (later known as William the Conqueror) sent his representative to ask for Matilda’s hand in marriage, she told the representative that she was far too high-born to consider marrying a bastard. After hearing this response, William rode from Normandy to Bruges, found Matilda on her way to church, dragged her off her horse by her long braids, threw her down in the street in front of her flabbergasted attendants and rode off.” > **[Matilda of Flanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matilda_of_Flanders)** > > Matilda of Flanders (French: Mathilde; Dutch: Machteld) (c. 1031 – 2 November 1083) was Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy by marriage to William the Conqueror, and regent of Normandy during his absences from the duchy. She was the mother of ten children who survived to adulthood, including two kings, William II and Henry I. > In 1031, Matilda was born into the House of Flanders, the second daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders and Adela of France. Flanders was of strategic importance t... ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-prince-or-duke-pulled-his-future-spouse-off-her-horse-by-the-hair/768736/6 "2016-10-17T19:56:03Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > “According to legend, when Duke William II of Normandy (later known as William the Conqueror) sent his representative to ask for Matilda’s hand in marriage, she told the representative that she was far too high-born to consider marrying a bastard. After hearing this response, William **rode from Normandy to Bruges** , found Matilda on her way to church, dragged her off her horse by her long braids, threw her down in the street in front of her flabbergasted attendants and rode off.” (Emphasis added.) Damn, that’s a long way to go. Over four hours drive now, presumably a whole lot slower then. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-prince-or-duke-pulled-his-future-spouse-off-her-horse-by-the-hair/768736/7 "2016-10-17T20:37:07Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > (Emphasis added.) > > Damn, that’s a long way to go. Over four hours drive now, presumably a whole lot slower then. :dubious: Based on the numbers on [this page](http://writemedieval.livejournal.com/4706.html), it sounds like 40 miles per day might be a reasonable estimate for how speedily he might have traveled. Apparently, it’s 273 miles from Normandy to Bruges, so that would have taken him about a week to make the trip (one direction). But, then again, it’s not like there was a lot else to do back then. ---
**Author:** ![DudeManBro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@DudeManBro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudeManBro)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-prince-or-duke-pulled-his-future-spouse-off-her-horse-by-the-hair/768736/8 "2016-10-18T01:23:37Z")
Ah… that’s it. Thanks!