In 1086, Mary and her sister, Matilda, were sent by their parents to Romsey Abbey. Their maternal aunt, Christina, was abbess there. The girls spent their early life at the monastery with their aunt, where they also received part of their education. Some time before 1093, they went to Wilton Abbey, which also had a reputation as a centre of learning, to finish their education.[1] Matilda received many proposals for marriage but refused them all for the time being.
Matilda finally left the monastery in 1100 to marry King Henry I of England. The marriage was controversial because it was not clear whether the girls had been veiled as nuns. Mary herself left the abbey in 1096. Matilda wanted her to also marry, so Henry I arranged a match with Eustace III, Count of Boulogne.[citation needed] The couple had a daughter, Matilda, who succeeded Eustace and later became Queen of England.