Eleanor of aquitaine 1122 april 1, 1204 was a medieval firebrand, and no question about it. Facts and stories about eleanor of aquitaine live as. Henry ii died in 1189 and richard, thought to be eleanor s favorite among her sons, became king. Eleanor of aquitaine was one of the most powerful leaders in medieval europe. Eleanor was born in 1122 to duke william x of aquitaine.
Eleanor of aquitaine biography, life, interesting facts. Eleanor was the daughter of the duke of aquitaine, the largest and richest province of france. My guts are torn from me, my family is carried off and removed from me. Marion meade has told the story of eleanor, wild, devious, from a thoroughly historical but different point of view. The young king crown prince henry, 1183 and the count of britanny prince. From 1185, eleanor became more active in the ruling of aquitaine. Books for eleanor of aquitaine the history of england. Eleanor of aquitaine, queen of france and england posts.
Eleanor of aquitaine was one of the most important women of the european middle ages. She had a younger sister called petronilla of aquitaine. However, i was so enthralled by marion meades, page turning biography, i could barely put it down. Married to the king henry ii of england and mother to ten children, eleanor was an anomaly in her age.
She was the wife and mother of kings and a dominant political force in the europe of her time. Born in the 12th century, she married louis vii of france, divorced him and married henry ii king of england. Best historicalfiction about eleanor of aquitaine 24 books. Essay examples on eleanor of aquitaine essay example.
At fifteen eleanor married a relative soon to be king louis vii r. Meades sounds interesting, almost gossipy like her book on jazz age women. She has been depicted in numerous books, plays, television series and films. Eleanor of aquitaine was a major figure in the middle ages and a prominent figure in womens history. From 11891204 eleanor of aquitaine also was active as a ruler in poitou and gascony. On 25 july 17, eleanor and louis were married in the cathedral of saintandre in bordeaux by the archbishop of bordeaux. She later became queen of france, divorced her husband, and then became queen of england a short few months later. Here are 43 unveiled facts about the eleanor of aquitaine.
Eleanor was born in 1122, daughter of the future duke william x and aenor, who was the daughter of william ixs mistress. Eleanor of aquitaine, also known as eleanor of guyenne, was born in 1122 to william, duke of aquitaine and count of poitiers. Pitiful and pitied by no one, why have i come to the ignominy of this detestable old age, who was ruler of two kingdoms, mother of two kings. Damascus was a major wealthy trading center and was under normal circumstances a. By student laura bright a first look eleanor was a french duchess. The holdings of her father were equal to those of the french royalty, making him one of the most influential and important men in the region. Eleanor of aquitaine 11221204 was one of the most powerful and influential figures of the middle ages. The name guyenne or guienne, a corruption of aquitaine, seems to have come into use about the 10th century, and the subsequent history of aquitaine. Eleanor of england, queen leonor of castile history the. An ebook reader can be a software application for use on a computer such as microsofts free reader application, or a book sized computer that is used solely as a reading device such as nuvomedias rocket ebook. She also was a person who cared about the education of the people of aquitaine were all mostly educated and smart.
The relationship between henry and eleanor of aquitaine became difficult due to her support on their son henry against his father. She brought the province of aquitaine to england when she married henry ii of england. Eleanor suddenly became the duchess of aquitaine, a woman of major. Eleanor of aquitaine has to be on your list, perhaps in the first or second postion. The marriage of his heiress was of great importance because aquitaine was one of the largest fiefs of france. Her brother, the heir, died in 1 and thus eleanor became her fathers heir. She played a key role in richard the lionhearts reign. She inherited her fathers wealth and influence upon his death. Louis and eleanor were married in july 17, but had little time to get to know one another before louis father the king fell ill and died.
I wanted to read more about the enigmatic and mysterious eleanor. Thanks to a vast inheritance, she became one of the most powerful and wealthy women in 12th century europe. The spot was basically a retirement home for important women, and henrys family had close ties to. Had i not first read marion meades book, eleanor of aquitaine, a biography, i might not be so disappointed reading weirs. Eleanor reclining on a bed, a crown upon her head and a devotional book in her hands. Eleanor of england, queen of castile on th october 1162 1161 has also been suggested, but most sources agree on 1162 the queen of england gave birth to a 2nd daughter at domfront castle in normandy, eleanor. Upon williams death in 17 she inherited the duchy of aquitaine and in july 17 married the heir to the french throne, who succeeded his father, louis vi, the following month. When it was all said and done, she held the titles of duchess of normandy, duchess of aquitaine, countess of anjou, countess of poitou. Eleanor of aquitaine accompanied her husband louis vii on the second crusade. Immediately after the wedding, the couple were enthroned as duke and duchess of aquitaine. Eleanor of aquitaine 1122 1 april 1204 was queen consort of france 17 1152 and. Eleanor s influence on the course of history is nearly unparalleled for a woman of her time. These books about eleanor of aquitaine are historicallyaccurate testaments to this strongwilled woman of the middle ages.
Ralph turner, 2009 this is a substantial book of 394 pages, and of all the single book biographies it is probably the most authoritative and rigorous, working hard to focus on fact rather than fiction. She was the 6th child of europes most glamorous and controversial couple. Any resemblance to a boring history class is purely coincidental. She was married to louis vii of france shortly after the death of her father in april 17. Eleanor of aquitaine timeline ancient history encyclopedia. One of the most wealthy and persuasive figures in the 12th century europe eleanor. Is kellys eleanor of aquataine and the four kings a reissue of the 1950 book, or did she rewrite it. She has also written biographies of woody allen, buster keaton, eleanor of aquitaine, victoria woodhull, and madame blavatsky, as. Best historicalfiction about eleanor of aquitaine score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. A drawing of what eleanor of aquitaine might have looked like circa 1150. Marion meade has told the story of eleanor, wild, devious, from a thoroughly historical but different point of. Know about her childhood, family, life, marriages, accomplishments and death through these 10 facts. In an age known largely for the exploits of kings, princes, dukes, and their warriors, eleanor of aquitaine stood out as one of the most remarkable of women. She was queen of france and then queen of england, the mother of two kings, and an active participant in european politics into her eighties.
Eleanor was the daughter and heiress of william x, duke of aquitaine and count of poitiers, who possessed one of the largest domains in francelarger, in fact, than those held by the french king. A history of eleanor of aquitaine british heritage travel. Eleanor of aquitaine facts biography yourdictionary. Eleanor of aquitaine was one of the most important figures of the medieval era. Aquitaine, as it existed under the english kings, stretched as of old from the loire to the pyrenees, but its extent was curtailed on the southeast by the wide lands of the counts of toulouse. Eleanor s grandfather, william ix, was the duke of aquitaine and is. Eleanor of aquitaine, wife of two kings and mother of two more, was born in 1122, the daughter of william x of aquitaine, a large important duchy in southwestern france.
Frustrated with her husband in england, eleanor returned to her castle in presentday france to escape the boredom and problems of his rainy, feudal kingdom. Eleanor of aquitaine became an amazing queen to aquitaine that she continued all of the things her father created. Young eleanor of aquitaine was europes most eligible bachelorette. She was born in 1122, the eldest daughter of william, the duke of aquitaine. In this beautifully written biography, alison weir paints a v.
Though the exact year and place of birth is unknown, it is speculated that she was born on either 1122 or 1124 in poitiers, bordeaux, or nieulsurlautise. Polly schroyer brooks, the author of a nonacademic biography of eleanor, suggests that the. Eleanor is known for patronizing the arts, especially royal. In addition to being the duchess of aquitaine, france, eleanor was also for a time the queen consort of england and france. Facts and stories about eleanor of aquitaine posted on april 5, 2019 by james malcolm living eighty years, she was the wife of the king of france when she was thirteen, then at twentyeight wife of the king of england, and mother of three english kings. The eldest daughter of william, duke of aquitaine, eleanor was married to louis vii, king of france.
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