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Eleanor of Aquitaine (c. 1122 – March 31, 1204) was the daughter of William X of Aquitaine. She had a younger sister called Petronilla of Aquitaine. She brought the province of Aquitaine to England when she married Henry II of England. It stayed under English control for 300 years.
- Conflict
- Crusade
- Annulment of First Marriage
- Marriage to Henry II of England
- Lord Eleanor
- Revolt and Capture
- Years of Imprisonment 1173–1189
- Regent of England
- Later Life
- Her Legacy
Eleanor also received criticism in Louis' own court, especially for her outspokenness and dress, and was sometimes blamed for actions of her husband. For example, in 1141 Louis bolted the gates of Bourges against the Pope's new bishop, because he wished his own chancellor to hold that post. The Pope reportedly blamed Eleanor for this, saying 'Louis...
It was reportedly during a sermon preached by Bernard of Clairvaux that the royal couple decided to lead their Crusade. Eleanor was followed by some of her royal ladies in waiting as well as 300 non-noble vassals. She insisted on acting not as a mere wife, but as the feudal leader of the soldiers from her own duchy. Her testimonial launch of the Se...
However, after leaving Antioch on separate ships due to their disagreement, home was not easily reached. The royal couple's ships were first attacked by Byzantine naval forces attempting to capture them and take them to Byzantium, at the orders of the Emperor. Although they escaped this predicament unharmed, stormy weather drove Eleanor's ship far ...
After the annulment, two lords—Theobald of Blois, and Henry's brother, Geoffrey—tried to kidnap Eleanor on her way to Poitiers in order to marry her and claim her lands, but she evaded them. As soon as she arrived in Poitiers, Eleanor sent envoys to Henry, Count of Anjou and Duke of Normandy, asking him to come at once and marry her. (This action m...
The year 1167 saw the marriage of Eleanor's third daughter, Matilda, to Henry the Lion of Saxony; Eleanor remained in England with her daughter for the year prior to Matilda's departure to Normandy in September. Afterwards, Eleanor proceeded to gather together her movable possessions in England and transport them on several ships in December to Arg...
In the spring of 1172, while Eleanor looked on, 15-year-old Richard was installed as Duke of Aquitaine. His brother, "young Henry," originally crowned by the Archbishop of York in 1170, was crowned a second time a few months later in the autumn of 1172. In March 1173, aggrieved at his lack of power and egged on by his father's enemies, the younger ...
During her imprisonment, Eleanor had become more and more distant from her sons, especially Richard (who had previously been her favorite). She did not get the chance to see her children very often during her imprisonment, although she was released for special occasions such as Christmas. Henry lost his great love of three years, Rosamund Clifford,...
Upon Henry's death Richard was his undisputed heir. One of his first acts as king was to send William the Marshal to England with orders to release Eleanor from prison, but her custodians had already released her.Eleanor took full advantage of her role as Queen Mother when Richard assumed the throne. She was liberated in many ways by Henry's death ...
Thus surviving Richard, Eleanor lived well into the reign of her youngest son King John. In 1199, under the terms of a truce between King Philip II of France and John, it was agreed that Philip's 12-year-old heir Louis would be married to one of John's nieces of Castile. John appointed Eleanor to travel to Castile to select one of the princesses. N...
Eleanor was beloved by her Aquitainian subjects yet was nonetheless judged by the northern French as flamboyant and immoral during her youth. But Eleanor, the mature woman, mother, and grandmother, exhibited great tenacity, political wisdom and amazing energy well into her 80s. With the well orchestrated marriages of her royal children and grandchi...
Jun 20, 2020 · Print. Eleanor of Aquitaine is considered to have been one of the wealthiest and most powerful women of medieval Europe during the 12 th century. For a start, Eleanor was Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, which made her the most eligible bride on the continent at that time.
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- From duchess to queen. During the 12th century, monarchies were gaining power and expanding across Europe as alliances formed and linked them together. Powerful aristocracies that fell within their kingdoms still held great influence and needed to be respected.
- Queen of France. The wedding was celebrated in Bordeaux on July 25, 1137. Seven days later, Louis the Fat was dead, leaving the teenagers Louis and Eleanor to rule as king and queen.
- Queen on a crusade. The Crusades were a series of European military expeditions to the Holy Land. Starting in 1095, the First Crusade aimed to recapture sites under the control of Islamic rulers.
- Royal endings. A series of disastrous military decisions resulted in the failure of the Second Crusade. In 1149 Louis and Eleanor boarded ships to sail back to France in defeat.
Apr 18, 2024 · The remarkable Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) was irrefutably one of the most powerful and brilliant women of the middle ages. A stunning and charming woman in her youth, she was adored as wife by French King Louis VII.
Jun 28, 2023 · The Early Life and Noble Lineage. Eleanor of Aquitaine was born in 1122, the eldest daughter of Duke William X of Aquitaine and Aenor de Châtellerault. Her birth took place in the heart of southwestern France [1], a region known for its wealth, cultural diversity, and vibrant courtly traditions.
May 17, 2018 · Eleanor, who was only fifteen at the time, had in the space of one year become an orphan, the duchess of Aquitaine, a married woman, and the queen of France. Close to him in age yet more worldly than Louis, Eleanor became a powerful queen, advising her husband on political and religious matters.
