Alison weir in eleanor of aquitaine, by the wrath of god queen of england. 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. The following biography information provides basic facts and information about the life of eleanor of aquitaine a medieval queen in england during the middle ages. In 1152, eleanor had her marriage with king louis vii annulled and then married henry ii. Eleanor of aquitaine, also known as eleanor of guyenne, was born in 1122 to william, duke of aquitaine and count of poitiers.
These books about eleanor of aquitaine are historicallyaccurate testaments to this strongwilled woman of the middle ages. She was married to louis vii of france shortly after the death of her father in april 17. At a time when women were regarded as little more than chattel, eleanor managed to defy convention as she exercised power in the political sphere and crucial influence over her husbands and sons. Apr 01, 2018 eleanor of aquitaine 1122 april 1, 1204 was a medieval firebrand, and no question about it.
Eleanor of aquitaine 1122 1204 eleanor of aquitaine became queen of france when she married king louis vii. From the solar system to the world economy to educational games, fact monster has the info kids are seeking. Learn more about eleanor of aquitaine in this article. Marriage may have gotten her into positions of power, but what eleanor did with that power was her own special gift. She was the first female in 200 years to rule over her land of aquitaine brooks 1. Renowned in her time for being the most beautiful woman in europe, the wife of two kings and mother of three, eleanor of aquitaine was one of the great heroines of the middle ages. Jan 19, 2017 eleanor of aquitaine was a duchess of the biggest duchy in france, queen of france, queen of england and a leader of the crusade. 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. The english medieval queens and princesses of the middle ages cover the periods from 1066 1485. Eleanor of aquitaine simple english wikipedia, the free. Eleanor of aquitaine lived a long life of many contrasts, of splendor and desolation, power and peril, and in this stunning narrative, weir captures the woman and the queenin all her glory. She was married first to the french king louis vii and then to the english king henry ii, a marriage that produced the two english kings richard the lionheart and john. Blanche 1188 1252, married louis viii of france, who had been originally betrothed to blanches older sister urraca before eleanor of aquitaine met the sisters and decided blanche was a more appropriate queen of france. Eleanor of aquitaine audiobook by charles river editors.
She was perhaps the most powerful woman in 12thcentury europe. Eleanor, exceptionally beautiful at fifteen, had matured into a saucy, hotblooded damsel, and perhaps he her father feared that, unproperly chaperoned, she might grant excessive courtesies to some ardent knight. We use your linkedin profile and activity data to personalize ads and to show you more relevant ads. Eleanor loved to flirt with boys and make them fall in love with her eleanor got to learn how to read,write,and talk in latin something not everyone got to do. The royal couple had 8 children, five sons, and three daughters. At fifteen eleanor married a relative soon to be king louis vii r. As a teenager she received an impressive inheritance when her father and older brother died in the same year. The eldest daughter of william, duke of aquitaine, eleanor was married to louis vii, king of france. See more ideas about eleanor of aquitaine, aquitaine and plantagenet. Eleanor was the daughter of the duke of aquitaine, the largest and richest province of france. See more ideas about history, history facts and interesting history. Eleanor of aquitaine 171152 was one of the most powerful and influential figures of the middle ages. As daughter of the duke of aquitaine, eleanor was one of the besteducated women in europe. One of the most wealthy and persuasive figures in the 12th century europe.
Thanks to a vast inheritance, she became one of the most powerful and wealthy women in 12th century europe. Eleanor of aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in europe during twelfth century ad who served as both queen of france and queen of england through her two marriages. As if being the queen of both france and england wasnt enough, she also led a crusade to the holy land. Weir offers a full portrait of eleanor from both the primary sources and the myths surrounding the queen consort and, like schiff, does so in a biography that is storybased, richly. She was held under house arrest by both husbands for behaving improperly meaning she acted of her own will and defied their commands. Marion meade has told the story of eleanor, wild, devious, from a thoroughly historical but different point of view. She was queen consort of both france and england in her lifetime. As a region, it encompassed the southwestern departements of dordogne, gironde, landes, lotetgaronne, and pyreneesatlantiques. Like a window into their daytoday life, eleanor of aquitaine census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Eleanor of aquitaine 1122 april 1, 1204 was a medieval firebrand, and no question about it. Eleanor of aquitaine 1122 april 1, 1204 was a medieval firebrand, and. After richard died eleanor s other son john became king of england. Eleanor s son, richard, went on the third crusade and died by cause of an arrow being shot to his shoulder. She took part as a military leader during the second crusade traveling to constantinople and jerusalem. Outside of her political work, eleanor wrote several books about her life and experiences, including this is my story 1937, this i remember 1949, on my own 1958 and autobiography 1961. She brought the province of aquitaine to england when she married henry ii of england. Her year of birth is also not known with certainty. Best historicalfiction about eleanor of aquitaine 24 books. 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. She had a younger sister called petronilla of aquitaine.
Famously, eleanor crossed the pyrenees with her granddaughter in 1200, when eleanor would have been in her 70s, to bring blanche to france to marry the grandson of. The life and legacy of medieval europes most famous queen attempts to provide an unbiased look at eleanors life by exploring the achievements and trials of the duchessqueen and deconstructing the black legends and other compelling tales that continue to envelop her to this day. When her father died, she became the richest heiress in all of western europe brooks. Eleanor was born in what is now southwestern france, likely in poitiers, bordeaux or nieulsurlautise. She was queen consort of both france and england in her lifetime biography. It is more likely that she had red or auburn hair since a mural in the church of sainte radegonde in chinon which almost certainly depicts eleanor and was painted during her lifetime in a region in which she was well known, shows a woman with reddishbrown hair. Is kellys eleanor of aquataine and the four kings a reissue of the 1950 book, or did she rewrite it. E leanor of aquitaine was a rare individual indeed.
Eleanor had an uncle that she felt more than family love towards him and his name was raymond eleanor went to a church and said she wanted to go to the second crusade with 15 other. Young eleanor of aquitaine was europes most eligible bachelorette. Polly schroyer brooks, the author of a nonacademic biography of eleanor, suggests that the. Remarkably, her thcentury effigy tomb survives, depicting eleanor reclining on a bed, a crown upon her head and a devotional book in her hands. Eleanor of aquitaine biography childhood, life achievements. What are some really good, interesting facts about eleanor of aquitaine. As wife of louis vii, she ruled france, only to divorce her husband and marry henry of anjou, who would later make her queen of england. She has also written biographies of woody allen, buster keaton, eleanor of aquitaine, victoria woodhull, and madame blavatsky, as. Eleanor of aquitaine 1122 1 april 1204 was queen consort of france 171152 and england 11541189 and duchess of aquitaine in her own right 171204. Eleanor of aquitaine reads like a really upmarket historical novel and that is a compliment. Eleanor of aquitaine was one of the most powerful leaders in medieval europe. In 2016 the aquitaine region was joined with the regions of poitoucharentes and limousin to form the new administrative entity of nouvelleaquitaine. Eleanor of aquitaine was a duchess of the biggest duchy in france, queen of france, queen of england and a leader of the crusade. Eleanor of aquitaine was the consort of louis vii of france, then of henry ii of england, and two of her sons richard and john went on to become kings of england.
Eleanor with her youngest son, king john duchess of aquitaine. Eleanor of aquitaine 1122 1 april 1204 was queen consort of france 17 1152 and. As a member of the ramnulfids house of poitiers rulers in southwestern france, she was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in western europe during the high middle ages. Apr 23, 2020 eleanor of aquitaine was a major figure in the middle ages and a prominent figure in womens history. So what do we need to know about this remarkable woman. 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. Eleanor went against her husband, henry, because she wanted to rule aquitaine all by herself with her oldest son, richard. These books about eleanor of aquitaine are historicallyaccurate.
A history of eleanor of aquitaine british heritage. Apr 27, 2009 we use your linkedin profile and activity data to personalize ads and to show you more relevant ads. With astonishing historic detail, mesmerizing pageantry, and irresistible accounts of royal scandal and intrigue, she recreates not only a remarkable. Aquitaine came into the control of england when eleanor of aquitaine married henry ii of england in 1152.
In this beautifully written biography, alison weir paints a v. Eleanor of aquitaine, queen consort of both louis vii of france 1752 and henry ii of england 11521204 and mother of richard i the lionheart and john of england. She has also written biographies of woody allen, buster keaton, eleanor of aquitaine, victoria woodhull, and madame blavatsky, as well as two novels about medieval france. The departments in aquitaine are dordogne, gironde, landes, lotetgaronne, and pyreneesatlantiques. 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. Twelfth century folk did not jot down every passing thought. Eleanor of aquitaine outlived all but 2 of her children with the deaths of richard i and his sister joanna in 1199, only eleanor in castile and her baby brother john, now king of england, remained of the once large brood of 4 boys and 3 girls who had survived infancy. 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. Living the history eleanor of aquitaines appearance or. What are some really good, interesting facts about eleanor.
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