Stephen
Stephen (1097–1154), king of England from 1135 to 1154. He was courageous in battle but incompetent as a ruler, and his reign was marked by disorder and civil war. Stephen was born in Blois, France, the son of Stephen Henry, count of Blois and Chartres, and Adela, daughter of William the Conqueror. On the death of his uncle, Henry I, Stephen seized the crown from the lawful heir, Matilda, with the support of the church and most of the nobility.
Shortly after Stephen's accession to the throne, the nobility began to challenge his authority. There was a rebellion in Wales and an invasion of England by Matilda's uncle, David, king of Scotland. In 1139 Matilda landed in England and soon launched a war against Stephen; she was joined by her son Henry in 1149. After the death of his son in 1153, Stephen signed a treaty recognizing Henry (later Henry II) as his lawful heir.