Matthew of Boulogne — The Count Who Kidnapped a Nun

In 1160, Matthew seized Marie from Romsey Abbey and forced her into marriage. Chroniclers condemned the act as a violation of holy vows. John of Salisbury, writing in the period, described the outrage with which churchmen viewed the marriage. It was a scandal even by the rough standards of the age.

Marie was wrenched from her abbey, stripped of her religious identity, and thrust into the role of countess against her will. For women in the Middle Ages, the cloister was often seen as protection from such forced unions — but not for Marie.