BBC - History - Eleanor of Aquitaine z Eleanor of Aquitaine © Eleanor was one of the most powerful women of the Middle Ages. Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she would go onto become queen-consort of France and later queen of England. Eleanor was the elder daughter of William, tenth Duke of Aquitaine. The exact date of her birth is unknown, but she was raised in one of Europe's most cultured courts and given an excellent education. She later became an important patron of poets and writers. The death of Eleanor's only brother, and of her father in 1137, left her with a vast inheritance. At just 15-years-old, she had suddenly become the most eligible heiress in Europe. That same year she married Louis, heir to Louis VI of France, who shortly afterwards became king as Louis VII. The couple had two daughters. In 1147, Eleanor accompanied her husband on the Second Crusade, travelling to Constantinople and Jerusalem. The Crusade was a failure and relations between Eleanor and her husband, already poor, deteriorated even further.

Eleanor's failure to produce a son contributed considerably to this tension, and in 1152 they were divorced. Two months later Eleanor married Henry of Anjou, who in 1154 became king of England. The couple had five sons and three daughters. For nearly two decades, Eleanor played an active part in the running of Henry's empire, travelling backwards and forwards between their territories in England and France. In 1173 two of Eleanor's sons involved her in a plot against their father, and as a result Henry imprisoned her. After Henry's death in 1189, his eldest son, Richard I, ordered his mother's release. Despite her age (now in her mid-sixties, which was considered elderly in the 12th century) Eleanor became very closely involved in government. In 1190, she acted as regent in England when Richard went to join the Third Crusade. She even played her part in negotiations for his release after he was taken prisoner in Germany on his way home. In 1199, Richard died and was succeeded by Eleanor and Henry's youngest son, John.

Eleanor's role in English affairs now ceased, although she continued to be closely involved in those of Aquitaine, where she spent her final years. She died on 31 March 1204 and was buried in the abbey church at Fontevrault next to Henry II. Eleanor of Aquitaine | Facts Accomplishments History Monarchy , Plantagenet Eleanor Of Aquitaine (1122-1204) was a major figure in the middle ages and a prominent figure in women’s history. Born the Duchess of Aquitaine, she would eventually become Queen of England. The eldest daughter of the William, Duke of Aquitaine, she was married to Louis VII, King of France. During the Second Crusade, her relationship with her husband soured, and in 1152, they officially divorced. Shortly afterward, she married Henry of Anjou, who in two years would become King Of England. The royal couple had 8 children, five sons and three daughters. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine remained heavily involved in the ruling of King Henry II’s vast empire in France and England.

In 1173, Henry’s sons started a revolt against their father with Eleanor siding with her sons. Henry stifled the revolt and, as punishment for her involvement, confined her. Henry II died in 1189, and Richard II, the Lionhearted, became king. Another of her sons, John, rose against Richard along with the King of France. Eleanor supported Richard. Later, when her grandson tried to claim the throne, she supported John. She died in 1204 at the age of 82. * * * Information in this article includes biographical information, facts, her accomplishments, and her relationships with King Louis VII and King Henry II. This restless queen swept across the 12th century, changing the face of Europe. Endowed with intelligence, creative energy and a remarkably long life, Eleanor of Aquitaine played a major role in the 12th century, an impressive achievement given that medieval women were considered nothing more than chattel. Assets of brains and enterprise served her well in the chaos of the time—unrelenting hostilities between Plantagenets and Capets, crusades and struggle between church and state.

They equipped her to advance civility in a ruthless era by promoting the songs of troubadours and the ideals of courtly love. Even in a century of imposing personalities—the likes of Thomas Becket, Bernard of Clairvaux and Peter Abélard—Eleanor took center stage. Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) and her daughter-in-law Isabella, from a 13th-century fresco at Chapelle de Sainte Radegonde, Chinon, France (Dagli Orti/The Art Archive). As the queen consort of King Louis VII of France and of King Henry II of England, and as the mother of King Richard I and King John, she held the spotlight, wielding power over the most important men of her time. She was the daughter and heir of the imperious William X, Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitiers, who possessed the largest domains in northwest Europe, indeed larger than those held by the king of France. When her father died in 1137, she came into her inheritance and, complying with the dictates of a territorial agreement, at age 15 married the heir to the French throne.

Barely a month after the wedding, King Louis VI died, thrusting Eleanor’s 16-year-old groom to the throne of France. Eleanor found court life as queen of France stultifying. Her timid, sweet-tempered and devout husband exasperated her. Formed during her childhood at the court in Poitiers where she was rarely disciplined and always admired, her strong ego impelled Eleanor to create a lofty royal vision for herself, one that did not encompass the subordinate role as queen of France. After a decade of marriage she was as beautiful and capricious as ever, but even more headstrong and domineering toward Louis. From 1147 to 1149 she accompanied him on the Second Crusade.

According to Simon Schama in A History of Britain, while Louis took the cross to atone for his sins, “Eleanor went with him in a magnificent rather than penitential style,” adding, “Dismayed to discover that crusading was an arduous, pious business, she quickly developed an unhealthily warm relationship with her uncle, the slightly impious Raymond of Poitiers.” Raymond, apparently ensconced at Antioch for the duration of the crusade, aroused Louis’jealousy, which caused an estrangement between Eleanor and Louis. SHEHELD The SPOTLIGHT: WIELDING POWER OVER THE MOST IMPORTANT MEN Though at one time Louis had adored his wife, after 15 years of marriage he was willing to let her go for the sake of the Capetian royal line. She had not borne him a son and heir, only two daughters. Eleanor, on cue, illuminated her predicament, explaining that her husband’s infrequent visits to her bed accounted for the fruitlessness of their union. In the end, the marriage was annulled on the convenient grounds of consanguinity: Eleanor and Louis were too closely related for the church to tolerate.

Following the dissolution of her marriage, Eleanor regained possession of Aquitaine and Poitou. This wealth combined with her loveliness attracted suitors well before the annulment was final, one of whom was Henry of Anjou (a domain bordering Poitou), soon to be known as Plantagenet. Most historians agree that Eleanor and Geoffrey of Anjou, Henry’s father, were sexually intimate before she met Henry. Schama notes, “It was rumored that Geoffrey of Anjou had personally verified Eleanor’s appetite for passion before recommending her to his son.” Be this as it may, 30-year-old Eleanor and 18-year-old Henry felt passionately attracted to one another. Henry’s unsurpassed physical courage and keen political acumen resonated with Eleanor’s ambition for power.

Schama writes, “Barely eight weeks after Eleanor’s divorce in May 1152, Henry stood at the altar beside this considerably older woman whom all contemporary accounts describe as a dark-eyed beauty, disconcertingly articulate, strong-minded and even jocular and not at all the modestly veiled damsel in the tower.” For her part, Eleanor was willing to look beyond her groom’s stocky frame, barrel chest and boyish freckles to his arrogant self-confidence and royal objectives. Though they may have had little in common because of the age difference, the pair shared similar backgrounds. “Their native worlds,” writes Schama, “were not all that far apart…knights astride brightly caparisoned chargers thudding into each other in the lists or obliging their overlords by burning down the opposition’s manors.” Four Plantagenet kings are shown in this 13th-century manuscript (clockwise from top left): Henry II, Richard I, Henry III and John. Two years after the wedding, Henry became King Henry II of England, and Eleanor his queen. Stretching from the Pyrenees in the south to the Cheviots in the north, their empire was indeed vast.

Their Plantagenet offspring would rule England and parts of the Continent for the next 330 years, an era of insatiable royal ambition, family jealousies and territorial overreach. During a tempestuous marriage of nearly 40 years, Eleanor and Henry produced seven children who survived to adulthood, four of whom were sons. The oldest surviving son, known as the Young King Henry, died of dysentery at age 28 while leading troops in rebellion against his father. Another disloyal son, Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany, died a mysterious death in Paris, also at age 28. Eleanor’s favorite son, Richard the Lionheart, and Henry’s favorite, John Lackland, would both in turn inherit the crown of England. Throughout her childbearing years, Eleanor participated in the administration of the realm, particularly in the management of her own domains, Aquitaine and Poitou. Accounts of Eleanor’s activities at court in Poitiers reveal a softer side to this aggressive woman. Captivated by the romantic legend of King Arthur and stories of the knights of his Round Table, she filled the court with troubadours whose performances evoked King Arthur’s world—a milieu of chivalry and courtly love.

The precepts of chivalry held that women were to be silent, passive goddesses to be approached with reverence. Perhaps the troubadours’tales appealed to Eleanor because of their contrast to her callous life of action. In an 1840 painting by Jean Baptiste Mauzaisse, young Louis VII, Eleanor’s first husband, takes the banner of St. Denis in 1147. The original hangs at Versailles. Chivalry notwithstanding, circumstances anchored her in reality. Time after time her adult sons’ intermittent revolts against her husband lured her attention away from cultural pursuits. When her sons staged a rebellion in 1173 Eleanor gave them support in the form of troops and money. Indeed, some historians believe that Eleanor initiated the plot. She and Henry had long been estranged, the 12-year age difference proving an obstacle in the marriage. Eleanor resented Henry’s infidelities, particularly his blatant association with the fair Rosamund (a beauty much lauded by English poets). Yet more important than Eleanor’s resentment was her consummate ambition for personal power. She believed that with one of her sons on the throne, she herself would rule England.

The rebellion failed and King Henry II held the throne intact, and for her role in the drama Eleanor was confined under guard at various castles throughout Henry’s kingdom. When her imprisonment ended with her husband’s death in 1189, Eleanor, undaunted at age 67, returned with a vengeance to public life. Schama points out that she greeted the death of Henry with dry eyes, and continues, “With Richard—a character formed by her own educated passions—finally seated on the throne, she could assert herself again in the business of state.” Her opportunity came on the heels of King Richard’s coronation, an event she stage-crafted with the fullest measure of pageantry. The Third Crusade was underway and crusading fervor had enveloped England. Yet Eleanor viewed the rescue of the Holy Land from the Turks as a distraction from the business at hand; the real concern, she believed, was not Saladin but the preservation of the House of Plantagenet, particularly in England. Against his mother’s advice, King Richard was determined to join the crusade, a decision undoubtedly fueled by childhood exposure in Poitiers to his mother’s world of chivalric idylls.

Like an Arthurian knight, he would travel with courage and honor to rescue the besieged city of Jerusalem. At Fontevrault Abbey, France, Eleanor’s tomb lies between those of her husband, Henry II, and her favorite son, Richard the Lionheart. “She WAS BEAVTIFVI AND JUST:— I, VMBLE AND ELEGANT” King Richard was away for five years, during which time his mother ruled England as administrator of the realm, simultaneously thwarting the intrigues of his brother John Lackland in his attempts to seize the throne. Participation in the crusade did not account for Richard’s entire absence. While returning from the Holy Land he was captured and taken prisoner by the Duke of Austria. Characteristically competent and resourceful, Eleanor not only collected her son’s considerable ransom but also made the formidable journey to Austria to escort him back to England. King Richard the Lionheart died in 1199 near Aquitaine, besieging a castle belonging to a rebellious vassal. Because he died without an heir, Richard’s younger brother, and least capable of Henry and Eleanor’s brood, John was crowned king.

From the outset of his reign, territorial wars against the Capetian rulers of France occupied King John. With typical political savvy Eleanor resolved that her granddaughter Blanche should marry the son of the French king, thus initiating peace between the Plantagenets and Capets. Amazingly, in 1200 when she was nearly 80 years old she crossed the Pyrenees on horseback to fetch Blanche from the Court of Castile. Still her work was not completed. That same year, in order to secure King John’s continental possessions, Eleanor helped him to defend Anjou and Aquitaine against her grandson Arthur of Brittany (son of Geoffrey). Records show that in 1202 King John was again in his mother’s debt for holding Poitou against Arthur. But that apparently was her final curtain call. Following the battle she retired to the monastery at Fontevrault in Anjou, where she died in 1204. In the years immediately following her death, historians judged Eleanor harshly, spotlighting only her youthful indiscretions and ignoring the political wisdom and tenacity that marked the years of her maturity.

The nuns of Fontevrault, however, wrote in their necrology, “She was beautiful and just, imposing and modest, humble and elegant.” Eleanor of Aquitaine: Powerful Ruler in Medieval Europe Eleanor of Aquitaine Facts: Dates: 1122 - 1204 (twelfth century) Occupation: ruler in her own right of Aquitaine, queen consort in France then England; queen mother in England Eleanor of Aquitaine is known for: serving as Queen of England, Queen of France, and Duchess of Aquitaine; also known for conflicts with her husbands, Louis VII of France and Henry II of England; credited with holding a " court of love " in Poitiers Also known as: Éléonore d'Aquitaine, Aliénor d'Aquitaine, Eleanor of Guyenne, Al-Aenor Eleanor of Aquitaine Biography Eleanor of Aquitaine was born in 1122. The exact date and place were not recorded; she was a daughter and not expected to matter enough for such details to be remembered. Her father, ruler of Aquitaine, was William (Guillaume), tenth duke of Aquitaine and eighth count of Poitou.

Eleanor was named Al-Aenor or Eleanor after her mother, Aenor of Châtellerault. William's father and Aenor's mother had been lovers, and while they were both married to others, they saw that their children were married. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge Eleanor had two siblings . Eleanor's younger sister was Petronilla. They had a brother, also William (Guillaume), who died in childhood, apparently shortly before Aenor died. Eleanor's father was reportedly looking for another wife to bear a male heir when he suddenly died in 1137. Eleanor, with no male heir, thus inherited the duchy of Aquitaine in April, 1137. Marriage to Louis VII In July 1137, just a few months after the death of her father, Eleanor of Aquitaine married Louis, heir to the throne of France. He became the King of France when his father died less than a month later. During the course of her marriage to Louis, Eleanor of Aquitaine bore him two daughters, Marie and Alix . Eleanor, with an entourage of women, accompanied Louis and his army on the Second Crusade.

Rumors and legends abound as to the cause, but it's clear that on the voyage to the Second Crusade, Louis and Eleanor drew apart. Their marriage failing -- perhaps largely because there was no male heir -- even the Pope's intervention couldn't heal the rift. He granted an annulment in March, 1152, on the grounds of consanguinity. Marriage to Henry In May, 1152, Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Fitz-Empress. Henry was the duke of Normandy through his mother, the Empress Matilda , and count of Anjou through his father. He was also the heir to the throne of England as settlement of the conflicting claims of his mother Empress Matilda (Empress Maud), daughter of Henry I of England, and her cousin, Stephen, who had seized the throne of England at Henry I's death. In 1154, Stephen died, making Henry II king of England, and Eleanor of Aquitaine his queen. Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II had three daughters and five sons. Both sons who survived Henry became kings of England after him: Richard I (the Lionhearted) and John (known as Lackland).

Eleanor and Henry sometimes traveled together, and sometimes Henry left Eleanor as regent for him in England when he traveled alone. Rebellion and Confinement In 1173, Henry's sons rebelled against Henry, and Eleanor of Aquitaine supported her sons. Legend says that she did this in part as revenge for Henry's adultery. Henry put down the rebellion and confined Eleanor from 1173 to 1183. Back to Action From 1185, Eleanor became more active in the ruling of Aquitaine. Henry II died in 1189 and Richard, thought to be Eleanor's favorite among her sons, became king. From 1189-1204 Eleanor of Aquitaine also was active as a ruler in Poitou and Glascony. At the age of almost 70, Eleanor traveled over the Pyrenees to escort Berengaria of Navarre to Cyprus to be married to Richard. When her son John joined forces with the King of France in rising against his brother King Richard, Eleanor backed Richard and helped bolster his rule when he was on crusade.

In 1199 she supported John's claim to the throne against her grandson Arthur of Brittany (Geoffrey's son). Eleanor was 80 years old when she helped hold out against Arthur's forces until John could arrive to defeat Arthur and his supporters. In 1204, John lost Normandy, but Eleanor's European holdings remained secure. Death of Eleanor Eleanor of Aquitaine died on April 1, 1204, at the abbey of Fontevrault, where she had visited many times and which she supported. She was buried in Fontevrault. Courts of Love? While legends persist that Eleanor presided over "courts of love" at Poitiers during her marriage to Henry II, there are no solid historical facts to back up such legends. Legacy Eleanor had descendants via her two daughters of her first marriage , and many descendants via her children of her second marriage . More women's history biographies, by name: Eleanor of Aquitaine - British History - HISTORY.com Eleanor of Aquitaine A+E Networks Introduction Eleanor of Aquitaine (1137-1152) was one of the most powerful and influential figures of the Middle Ages.

Inheriting a vast estate at the age of 15 made her the most sought-after bride of her generation. She would eventually become the queen of France, the queen of England and lead a crusade to the Holy Land. She is also credited with establishing and preserving many of the courtly rituals of chivalry. Google Eleanor of Aquitaine: Early Life Eleanor was born in what is now southern France, most likely in the year 1122. She was well educated by her cultured father, William X, Duke of Aquitaine, thoroughly versed in literature, philosophy, and languages and trained to the rigors of court life when she became her father’s heir presumptive at the age 5. An avid horsewoman, she led an active life until she inherited her father’s title and extensive lands upon his death when she was 15, becoming in one stroke duchess of Aquitaine and by far the most eligible single young woman in Europe. She was placed under the guardianship of the king of France, and within hours was betrothed to his son and heir, Louis. The king sent an escort of 500 men to convey the news to Eleanor and transport her to her new home.

Did You Know? Eleanor of Aquitaine is said to be responsible for the introduction of built-in fireplaces, first used when she renovated the palace of her first husband Louis in Paris. Shocked by the frigid north after her upbringing in southern France, Eleanor’s innovation spread quickly, transforming the domestic arrangements of the time. Eleanor of Aquitaine Becomes Queen of France Louis and Eleanor were married in July 1137, but had little time to get to know one another before Louis’ father the king fell ill and died. Within weeks of her wedding, Eleanor found herself taking possession of the drafty and unwelcoming Cîté Palace in Paris that would be her new home. On Christmas Day of the same year, Louis and Eleanor were crowned king and queen of France. Louis and Eleanor’s first years as rulers were fraught with power struggles with their own vassals–the powerful Count Theobald of Champagne for one–and with the Pope in Rome. Louis, still young and intemperate, made a series of military and diplomatic blunders that set him at odds with the Pope and several of his more powerful lords.

The conflict that ensued culminated in the massacre of hundreds of innocents in the town of Vitry—during a siege of the town, a great number of the populace took refuge in a church, which was set aflame by Louis’s troops. Dogged by guilt over his role in the tragedy for years, Louis responded eagerly to the Pope’s call for a crusade in 1145. Eleanor joined him on the dangerous–and ill fated–journey west. The crusade did not go well, and Eleanor and Louis grew increasingly estranged. After several fraught years during which Eleanor sought an annulment and Louis faced increasing public criticism, they were eventually granted an annulment on the grounds of consanguinity (being related by blood) in 1152 and separated, their two daughters left in the custody of the king. Eleanor Becomes Queen of England Within two months of her annulment, after fighting off attempts to marry her off to various other high-ranking French noblemen, Eleanor married Henry, Count of Anjou and Duke of Normandy.

She had been rumored to have had an affair with her new husband’s father, and was more closely related to her new husband than she had been to Louis, but the marriage went ahead and within two years Henry and Eleanor were crowned king and queen of England after Henry’s accession to the English throne upon the death of King Stephen. Eleanor’s marriage to Henry was more successful than her first, although not lacking in drama and discord. Henry and Eleanor argued often, but they produced eight children together between 1152 and 1166. The extent of Eleanor’s role in Henry’s rule is largely unknown, although it seems unlikely that a woman of her reputed energy and education would have been wholly without influence. Nonetheless, she does not emerge again into a publicly active role until separating from Henry in 1167 and moving her household to her own lands in Poitiers. While the reasons for the breakdown of her marriage to Henry remain unclear, it can likely be traced to Henry’s increasingly visible infidelities.

Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Court of Love Eleanor’s time as mistress of her own lands in Poitiers (1168-1173) established the legend of the Court of Love, where she is reputed to have encouraged a culture of chivalry among her courtiers that had far-reaching influence on literature, poetry, music and folklore. Although some facts about the court remain in dispute amidst centuries of accumulated legend and myth, it seems that Eleanor, possibly accompanied by her daughter Marie, established a court that was largely focused on courtly love and symbolic ritual that was eagerly taken up by the troubadours and writers of the day and promulgated through poetry and song. This court was reported to have attracted artists and poets, and to have contributed to a flowering of culture and the arts. But to whatever extent such a court existed, it appears not to have survived Eleanor’s later capture and imprisonment, which effectively removed her from any position of power and influence for the next 16 years. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Imprisonment In 1173, Eleanor’s son “Young” Henry fled to France, apparently to plot against his father and seize the English throne.

Eleanor, rumored to be actively supporting her son’s plans against her estranged husband, was arrested and imprisoned for treason. Once apprehended, she spent the next 16 years shuttled between various castles and strongholds in England, suspected of agitating against her husband’s interests and said by some to have played a role in the death of his favorite mistress, Rosamund. After years of rebellion and revolt, Young Henry finally succumbed to disease in 1183 and died, begging on his deathbed for his mother’s release. Henry released her, under guard, to allow her to return to England in 1184, after which she rejoined his household at least for part of each year, joining him on solemn occasions and resuming some of her ceremonial duties as queen. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Regency and Death Henry II died in July 1189 and their son Richard succeeded him; one of his first acts was to free his mother from prison and restore her to full freedom. Eleanor ruled as regent in Richard’s name while he took over for his father in leading the Third Crusade, which had barely begun when Henry II died.

On the conclusion of the crusade, Richard (known as Richard the Lionheart) returned to England and ruled until his death in 1199. Eleanor lived to see her youngest son, John, crowned king after Richard’s death, and was employed by John as an envoy to France. She would later support John’s rule against the rebellion of her grandson Arthur, and eventually retire as a nun to the abbey at Fontevraud, where she was buried upon her death in 1204. Tags Eleanor of Aquitaine - Queen - Biography.com Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Aquitaine was queen consort to two kings and mother to two more, making her the most powerful woman in 12th-century Europe. IN THESE GROUPS Famous People Who Died in France Synopsis Eleanor of Aquitaine inherited her father's lands in 1137, and married Louis VII of France that same year. Their marriage was annulled in 1152. She then married Henry II of England, bearing him eight children including sons Richard (the Lion-Hearted) and John who would both become king. Eleanor promoted courtly culture, including troubadour songs, and was a savvy military adviser to her sons.

Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us ! Citation Information Henry II King of England + Eleanor of Aquitaine - Our Family Tree Our Family Tree Fulk V "the Young" Count of Anjou + Ermentrude of Maine Henry I "Beauclerc" King of England + Matilda (Edith) of Scotland Guillaume VII Duke of Aquitaine + Phillipa of Toulouse Aumary I Viscount of Chatellerault + Dangereuse de l'Isle Bouchard Parents Henry II King of England Birth Add more on this location Aged: 56.3 years He was also duke of Normandy, and first monarch of the house of Anjou, or Plantagenet, an important administrative reformer, who was one of the most powerful European rulers of his time. Henry became duke of Normandy in 1151. The following year, on the death of his father, he inherited the Angevin territories in France. By his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry added vast territories in southwestern France to his possessions. Henry claimed the English kingship through his mother.

She had been designated the heiress of Henry I but had been deprived of the succession by her cousin, Stephen of Blois, who made himself king. In 1153 Henry defeated Stephen's armies in England and compelled the king to choose him as his successor; on Stephen's death, the following year, Henry became king. During the first few years of his reign Henry quelled the disorders that had developed during Stephen's reign, regained the northern counties of England, which had previously been ceded to Scotland, and conquered North Wales. In 1171-72 he began the Norman conquest of Ireland and in 1174 forced William the Lion, king of the Scots, to recognize him as overlord. In 1164 Henry became involved in a quarrel with Thomas a Becket, whom he had appointed archbishop of Canterbury. By the Constitutions of Clarendon, the king decreed that priests accused of crimes should be tried in royal courts; Becket claimed that such cases should be handled by ecclesiastical courts, and the controversy that followed ended in 1170 with Becket's murder by four of Henry's knights.

Widespread indignation over the murder forced the king to rescind his decree and recognize Becket as a martyr. Although he failed to subject the church to his courts, Henry's judicial reforms were of lasting significance. In England he established a centralized system of justice accessible to all freemen and administered by judges who traveled around the country at regular intervals. He also began the process of replacing the old trial by ordeal with modern court procedures. From the beginning of his reign, Henry was involved in conflict with Louis VII, king of France, and later with Louis's successor, Philip II, over the French provinces that Henry claimed. A succession of rebellions against Henry, headed by his sons and furthered by Philip II and by Eleanor of Aquitaine, began in 1173 and continued until his death. Henry was succeeded by his son Richard I, called Richard the Lion-Hearted. Eleanor of Aquitaine Add more on this location Aged: 82.3 years She inherited the duchy of Aquitaine from her father in 1137, the same year in which she was married to Louis VII of France.

She accompanied her husband on the Second Crusade to the Holy Land, where it was rumored that she committed adultery. The scandal, and the fact that she had not given the king a male heir, resulted in an annulment of their marriage in 1152 under the pretext of blood kinship between her and the king. Later that year, Eleanor married and gave her possessions to Henry Plantagenet, count of Anjou, who in 1154 became Henry II, king of England. In 1170, the queen induced her husband to invest their son Richard the Lion-Hearted with her personal dominions of Gascony, Aquitaine, and Poitou. When Richard and his brothers rebelled against their father in 1173, Eleanor, already alienated from the king because of his unfaithfulness, supported her sons. Consequently, she was placed in confinement until 1185. After her release, she secured the succession of her son Richard, who had become heir apparent at the death in 1183 of his eldest brother.

From the death of King Henry II in 1189 until Richard's return from the Third Crusade in 1194, Eleanor ruled as regent. During this time, she foiled the attempt of her son John in 1193 to conspire with France against the new king. After the return of Richard, she arranged a reconciliation between the two brothers. Eleanor continued to be prominent in public affairs until she retired to the abbey in Fontevrault, France, where she died on April 1, 1204. Children Eleanor of Aquitaine - Queen of France and Queen of England Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Aquitaine Resources Eleanor of Aquitaine Stained glass window depicting Eleanor of Aquitaine in the cathedral at Poitiers. Photo by Danielclauzier; made available through the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license This profile of Eleanor of Aquitaine is part of Who's Who in Medieval History Eleanor was also known as: Eleanor of Guyenne, Éléonore d'Aquitaine and Aliénor d'Aquitaine Eleanor was noted for: Being one of the most powerful women of High Medieval Europe.

As Countess of Poitou, Queen of France and later Queen of England, she influenced politics, sponsored the Courtly Love movement, and even went on Crusade. Occupations Died: April 1 , 1204 About Eleanor of Aquitaine: As the daughter of William X, Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitiers, Eleanor inherited a domain larger than that of the king. At age 15 she married the future Louis VII of France, still a teen himself, and a month later the adolescent couple became King and Queen upon the death of King Louis VI. As Queen, Eleanor was famous for her beauty and wit. continue reading below our video 4 Tips for Improving Test Performance During their 15-year marriage she bore Louis two daughters and exercised considerable influence over her mild husband. In 1147 she coaxed him into undertaking a Crusade, and she accompanied him to the Holy Land, where she easily stole the limelight and was rumored to have carried on an affair with her uncle, Raymond of Poitiers.

A few years after their return from the Second Crusade, the marriage of the royal couple was annulled and Eleanor regained control of her extensive lands in Aquitaine and Poitiers. Two months later, at the age of 30, she wed 18-year-old Henry Plantaganet, Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, and grandson of King Henry I of England. In 1154 Henry became King Henry II of England . Eleanor's French holdings helped make Henry's lands in France greater than that of the French king. The Plantaganets had a stormy relationship that resulted in eight children, two of whom ( Richard and John ) would later become kings of England. Eleanor was an active participant in the affairs of state in both England and France and was particularly involved in administrating Aquitaine and Poitiers. During a period of estrangement from her husband, she spent some time turning Poitiers into a center of culture, and had a hand in influencing the literary movement of Courtly Love.

In 1173, Eleanor supported her sons Henry and Richard in a revolt against their father, which failed; she was captured seeking protection from her ex-husband and imprisoned until King Henry's death in 1189. When Richard took the crown, Eleanor played a significant role in keeping England intact while the king spent years Crusading. During John's reign she had considerable success guarding his interests on the continent. Queen Eleanor died in the monastery at Fontevrault, Anjou, in April of 1204. She was 82 years old. Eleanor of Aquitaine | Article about Eleanor of Aquitaine by The Free Dictionary Eleanor of Aquitaine | Article about Eleanor of Aquitaine by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Wikipedia . Eleanor of Aquitaine (ăkwĭtān`, ăk`wĭtān), 1122?–1204, queen consort first of Louis VII Louis VII (Louis the Young), c.1120–1180, king of France (1137–80), son and successor of King Louis VI. Before his accession he married Eleanor of Aquitaine. .....

Click the link for more information. of France and then of Henry II Henry II, 1133–89, king of England (1154–89), son of Matilda, queen of England, and Geoffrey IV, count of Anjou. He was the founder of the Angevin, or Plantagenet, line in England and one of the ablest and most remarkable of the English kings. ..... Click the link for more information. of England. Daughter and heiress of William X, duke of Aquitaine, she married Louis in 1137 shortly before his accession to the throne. She accompanied him on the Second Crusade (1147–49). Eleanor bore Louis two daughters, but in 1152 their marriage was annulled. Soon afterward Eleanor married Henry, duke of Normandy and count of Anjou, uniting her vast possessions with those of her husband. Louis VII feared this powerful combination, and when Henry ascended the English throne in 1154, the stage was set for a long struggle between the English and French kings.

Eleanor bore Henry three daughters and five sons, and two of the latter, Richard I Richard I, Richard Cœur de Lion , or Richard Lion-Heart, 1157–99, king of England (1189–99); third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. ..... Click the link for more information. and John John, 1167–1216, king of England (1199–1216), son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Early Life The king's youngest son, John was left out of Henry's original division of territory among his sons and was nicknamed John Lackland. ..... Click the link for more information. , became kings of England. Because of Henry's infidelities, especially his relationship with Rosamond Rosamond (Rosamond Clifford), d. 1176, mistress of Henry II of England. She was not openly acknowledged by the king until 1174, after he had imprisoned his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. ..... Click the link for more information.

, Eleanor's relations with her husband grew strained, and in 1170 she established a court of her own at Poitiers. She supported her sons in their unsuccessful revolt against Henry in 1173 and was held in confinement by Henry until 1185. Her efforts helped Richard secure the throne in 1189. While Richard was on the Third Crusade and later held captive in Europe (1190–94), Eleanor was active in forestalling the plots against him by his brother John and in collecting the ransom for his release. She brought about a reconciliation between the two brothers, and on Richard's death in 1199 she supported John's claims to the throne over those of Arthur I Arthur I, 1187–1203?, duke of Brittany (1196–1203?), son of Geoffrey, fourth son of Henry II of England and Constance, heiress of Brittany. Arthur, a posthumous child, was proclaimed duke in 1196, and an invasion by his uncle King Richard I of England was repulsed ..... Click the link for more information. of Brittany.

Eleanor's court at Poitiers was the scene of much artistic activity and was noted for its cultivation of courtly manners and the concept of courtly love. She was the patroness of such literary figures as Wace, Benoît de Sainte-More, and Chrétien de Troyes. In literature Eleanor has appeared as the jealous murderess of the "fair Rosamond," but she was apparently innocent of this crime. She was an able and strong-minded woman. Bibliography

Question: Which English King was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine?
Answer: Henry II