On Henry I's death in December 1135, Stephen of Blois moved with extraordinary speed to secure London and Winchester before Empress Matilda could act. His brother Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, controlled the treasury and gave Stephen access to royal funds. The speed of the coup -- Stephen reached England and was crowned within three weeks of Henry's death -- denied Matilda any opportunity to contest the succession militarily and established the pattern of the Anarchy as a war to reverse a fait accompli rather than a contested immediate succession.
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