On 1 January 1127, King Henry I of England designated his daughter, the Empress Matilda, as heir to the throne. However, when Henry died in 1135, his nephew Stephen of Blois crossed the Channel from Boulogne to England and claimed the throne. He quickly gained the support of London's magnates and the church, and seized control of the treasury at Winchester. He was crowned king on 22 December 1135.