Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor of Aquitaine, born around 1124 and dying on 1 April 1204, held the title of Duchess of Aquitaine for nearly seven decades, from 1137 until her death. She was also Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 through her marriage to King Louis VII, and Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II. Because she was the ruling duchess, she shared power with her husbands and later with two of her sons, Richard I and John, both kings of England. As the heir to the House of Poitiers, which held sway over much of southwestern France, she ranked among the wealthiest and most influential figures in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages.

Eleanor was the eldest child of Duke William X of Aquitaine and Aénor de Châtellerault. Upon her father’s death in 1137, she became duchess. Later that same year, she married Louis, the son of King Louis VI of France. Shortly after the wedding, her father-in-law died, making her husband king and Eleanor queen consort. The couple had two daughters, Marie and Alix. During the Second Crusade, Eleanor traveled with Louis to the Holy Land. In 1149, Pope Eugene III turned down an initial request to annul the marriage on grounds of consanguinity. After fifteen years of marriage, in 1152, the annulment was granted because Eleanor had not produced a male heir. Their daughters were kept legitimate, custody went to Louis, and Eleanor’s lands were given back to her.

That same year, Eleanor married Henry, Duke of Normandy. In 1154, Henry and Eleanor became king and queen of England. They had five sons and three daughters, but grew apart over time. Henry imprisoned Eleanor for backing a revolt against him in 1173 led by their sons Young Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey. She remained confined until 1189, when Henry II died and Richard I took the throne. As queen dowager, she served as regent while Richard was frequently away from England and France. After Richard’s death in 1199, she worked to ensure his younger brother John succeeded him. Following ongoing conflict between the French and English kings and the gradual loss of the lands she and Henry II had once controlled, she died in 1204 and was buried at Fontevraud Abbey in France.