At King Stephen's coronation mass on 22 December 1135, the archbishop of Canterbury forgot to include the kiss of peace. The reign which followed was blighted by war: against the Scots and the Welsh, against Geoffrey count of Anjou in Normandy, and against rival contenders for the throne in England. In Geoffrey's wife Empress Matilda and their son the future Henry II, Stephen faced far more formidable challengers for his kingdom than William Rufus and Henry I had encountered in the person of Robert Curthose, and in battling on to defend his position he showed that he was not without ability. His personal courage and skill as a soldier were acknowledged even by hostile commentators, while those of more balanced judgement observed several kingly virtues in him, notably his generosity and fair-mindedness. Settlements he negotiated can easily be condemned for giving too much away, but on closer scrutiny appear as the product of careful calculation: for instance, the first treaty of Durham in 1136 involved the surrender by the Scots of several recent acquisitions, while the charter of 1146 containing lavish grants to the earl of Chester was largely conned to properties he already controlled and envisaged that some might eventually be restored to the king.