The civil war in England between the…

The civil war in England between the factions of Stephen of Blois, who had usurped the throne, and his cousin, the Empress Matilda, the daughter and dispossessed heir of King Henry I of England, has raged intermittently since 1135.

Robert, first Earl of Gloucester, who is probably the eldest of Henry’s many illegitimate sons, has fought tirelessly on his sister's behalf.

One of Robert's own sons, Philip, declares for Stephen in 1144, and Robert finds himself and his son on opposite sides.