Eleanor Of Aquitaine: Queen Of Middle Age Europe
"She enhanced the grandeur of her birth by the honesty of her life, the purity of her morals, the flower of her virtues; and in the conduct of her blameless life, she surpassed almost all the queens of the world (Kelly 387)." This is a description of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor of Aquitaine is a captivating woman who defied her time; she is more successful than any ruler of her time. Her influence is significant in both her own era and today. Eleanor of Aquitaine had a long life until the age of 82, where she out-lived her siblings, her husbands, almost all of her children, most of the son/daughter-in-laws, and some of her grandchildren. Not only did she successfully ruled as Queen three times, but Eleanor of Aquitaine brought culture to France and England, traveled, influenced literature, and had successful children, some who became Kings and Queens. She is considered to be the most powerful woman and the most successful queen of Middle Age Europe.
Biography
The Artsy Duchess: 1122-1137 …show more content…
In the country of Aquitaine (now France), William X’s father, William IX, was a warrior and a troubadour, who focused on leading Aquitaine in culture, including the arts, music, and literature.
However, in 1227, William X’s father, William IX, died due to illness and William X became the Duke of Aquitaine. Six years earlier, William X of Aquitaine, and Aenor of Chatellerault married; then only a year after, Eleanor of Aquitaine in Bordeaux was born. Eleanor was the oldest of William X’s three children; she had a younger sister, Petronilla, and a younger brother, William Aigret; additionally, she had half-brother named William. William X continued his father’s focus on leading Aquitaine in culture, including the arts, music, and literature. William X ensured that all of his children received the best education, which included learning Latin, art, music, literature, riding, hawking, and hunting; Eleanor of Aquitaine loved poetry
(Horton).
Merely three years after William X became Duke, Aenor of Chatellerault and William Aigret died and at the same time, the Church broke off relations with William X and Aquitaine due to the arts and luxury, which was incompatible with the Church’s message. Now, the widower William X faced a dilemma, with no male heir, and two female successors to his throne, he had to choose: William X chose Eleanor of Aquitaine to be his heir; it was a wise decision, as Eleanor of Aquitaine would live a long life with many achievements to die at 82 in 1204. In 1137, William X died from food poisoning, during a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (now Spain), while trying to reconnect with the Church (Weir). Eleanor became the Duchesses of Aquitaine and the most eligible bachelorette in Europe. William X foreseeing a potential kidnapping dictated in his will that King Louis VI of France would be Eleanor’s protector and keeper of the lands of Aquitaine until Eleanor was married. Louis VI the Fat offered his son Louis VII the Younger, age 17, to marry Eleanor thus bringing Aquitaine under the control of the French crown and making France more powerful; unbeknownst to Louis VI, the land would remain independent until Eleanor’s male son became the King of France and Duke of Aquiline (Weir).
The Warrior Queen:1137-1152
On July 25, 1137, less than three months after William X’s death, the Archbishop of Bordeaux married Eleanor of Aquitaine and Louis VII in the Cathedral of Saint-André in Bordeaux, France (Meade). While touring France, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Louis VII received a message that King Louis VI died of dysentery and Louis VII attended his father’s funerary mass. On December 25, 1137, they were anointed and crowned King and Queen of France. King Louis VII and Queen Eleanor had many similarities such as the love of poetry and tournaments. When, Queen Eleanor arrived in Paris, France, her new home, she found Paris was boring and plain, unlike Aquitaine. She transformed the city of Paris into a city of art and culture. Then she and her husband would hold court in different cities and towns. This did not last very long.
In 1141, after the Archbishop of Bourges became vacant, and King Louis VII offered one of his chancellor, Cadurc, and vetoing, Pierre de la Chatre. Pope Innocent II blamed Queen Eleanor for the Kings behavior; as a result, King Louis VII bolted the gates of Bourge. After Theobald II the Great gave the new Archbishop refuge in Champagne, King Louis VII started a war with him. King Louis VII the Younger allowed his first cousin, once removed, Raoul I, Count of Vermandois to divorce his wife Eléonore of Blois, sister of the reigning King Stephen of England and brother of Theobald II the Great, and marries Petronilla of Aquitaine, Eleanor 's sister. The war from 1142-1144, resulted in occupation of Champagne by royal forces and the excommunication of Raoul I and Petronilla by Pope Innocent II (Wheeler). In 1144, King Louis VII the Younger made peace with Theobald II the Great. In 1145, King Louis VII and Queen Eleanor had a daughter, Marie, and Raoul I and Petronilla, had a son, Raoul.
In December 1144, Edessa (Modern Turkey) fell to the Saracens, and Bernard of Clairvaux preached support for a second crusade (Peters). Years earlier, King Louis’s older brother, Phillip, dreamed of visiting Jerusalem and the tomb of Christ, but he died in 1130, falling of a horse. This is partially the reason, Louis VII the Younger, was motivated to join the Crusades. Another reason, Eleanor of Aquitaine’s uncle Raymond, Prince of Antioch needed help from the crown. The German King Conrad III and his troops agreed to join Louis VII in the Crusades. The Germans arrived in Constantinople before the French, and they sought to go through Dorylaeum at Asia Minor/Anatolia where they was defeated by the Seljuk Turks and what was left of them return to Nicaea. Once Louis VII and Queen Eleanor reached Nicaea, they sought the German King Conrad III’s help.
The King chose to cross the Phrygian mountains on Mount Cadmos to reach Raymond, Prince of Antioch quicker. However, Queen Eleanor’s army commander Geoffrey de Rancon and Louis 's uncle, Amadeus III, Count of Savoy chose to disobey orders and chose to march further than the spot chosen by the King for camp, because it made a better camp. As a result, the army was split and disorganized, and the Turks successfully ambushed them. The King narrowly escaped, and the blame for the massacre fell on Rancon, thus Queen Eleanor. Once they reached Antioch, Raymond, who was cultured and handsome, unlike Louis, charmed Queen Eleanor. Queen Eleanor suggested staying with Raymond and a divorce, but Louis forced her to come with him. Once in Jerusalem, King Louis VII the Younger and an army, fortified by King Conrad and Baldwin III of Jerusalem, tried to capture Damascus, a major trading center. Ultimately, King Louis VII failed. The King and Queen returned to Paris on separate ships.
After escaping capture by the Byzantium Empire, Queen Eleanor made a trip to Palermo and Calabria, in Italy, where her husband was. Eleanor was brought the news that her uncle, Raymond, had been killed in battle. Queen Eleanor turned to Pope Eugenius III for advice on marriage. He did not grant an annulment and suggested they share a bed again. In 1150, King Louis VII and Queen Eleanor had a daughter, Alix. With no male heir to the throne, rumors of infidelity, the unpopularity of Queen Eleanor, and Eleanor’s want for divorce, in 1152, four archbishops, with the approval of Pope Eugene, granted an annulment as they were third cousins, restored Eleanor of Aquitaine’s lands, and gave custody to King Louis VII (Kelly).
The Queen Mother: 1152-1168
Less than two months after her marriage ended, Eleanor of Aquitaine, age 29, married Duke Henry of Normandy, age 18. Henry gave Eleanor love and male children, which Louis could not. Louis VII was uninformed of their marriage. Shortly after Eleanor of Aquitaine married Duke Henry of Normandy, King Stephen of England named Henry his heir, and their son, William IX, Count of Poitiers was born in 1153. After King Stephen of England died of a stomach disease in 1154, Henry II became King of England and Eleanor Queen. King Henry II inherited the throne and a rocky England, previous civil war (1139-1154) and unruly barons, who built illegal castles. King Henry II tore down these castles and set up courts/magistrates with written laws (Archer). Henry named Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, which caused anger in many people, but Queen Eleanor mediated. As she previously did with Paris, Queen Eleanor set to refine England through culture.
For thirteen years, Eleanor bore five sons: (William died at the age of three), Henry, Richard, Geoffrey and John, and three daughters: Matilda, Eleanor, and Joanna. Her second son, Henry the Young King, is born in 1155. Then her first daughter, Matilda, is born in 1156, around the same time William, her oldest child, dies of a seizure. A year later, her third son, Richard was born. Then in 1158, her fourth son, Geoffrey II, was born. In 1162, her second daughter, Eleanor, was born. Louis VII the Younger’s third wife, Adèle of Champagne, produced a male heir, Phillip II in Augustus in 1165, around the same time Queen Eleanor had her third daughter, Joan. Finally, her fifth son, John was born in 1166.
However, after, Queen Eleanor could no longer have children; her marriage to King Henry II fell apart. The King was unfaithful, due to his affair with Rosemond Clifford. Queen Eleanor went with her daughter, Matilda to France; the King and Queen separated. Nevertheless, Henry II and his army escorted her to Pointou, and he left Earl Patrick of Salisbury, as her protector. Rebel barons killed Earl Patrick and his nephew, William Marshal, was captured. Queen Eleanor raised money for his ransom, as he was known for his bravery and he played in her tournaments. In Poitiou, Queen Eleanor set-up court, unlike any before. Most courts were meant to teach manners, not tournaments, and culture. Queen Eleanor’s daughters from King Louis VII the Younger, Marie and Alix, joined her there. Together they influenced a new type of literature, chivalry love.
The Rebellious Queen:1168-1189
On, December 29, 1170, Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered. Thomas Beckett excommunicated his opponents in order to achieve greater power. When King Henry heard of his actions, he became upset, and four of his magnates, Sir Hugh de Morville (Lord of Westmorland), Sir Reginald Fitzurse, Sir William II de Tracy (Lord of the Devon Manors), and Sir Richard le Breton rode to assassinate Thomas Beckett. After Beckett’s death, King Henry did not arrest them and they fled to Scotland; their only punishment was excommunication and a fourteen-year penitentiary pilgrimage by Pope Alexander III (Kelly). Queen Eleanor had already been plotting against King Henry II for years, but she saw his power was weakened.
In 1173, Eleanor and her three elder sons, Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey, rebelled against King Henry II. Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey all wanted to rule and have castles. Henry had bequeathed three castles to John for his arranged marriage to the daughter of the Count of Maurienne. Those castles belonged to Henry the Young King. With the help of King Louis VII of France, Henry the Young King was able to rebel. The rebellion failed and Robert de Beaumont (3rd Earl of Leicester), William I de Ferrers (3rd Earl of Derby), Hugh de Kevelioc (5th Earl of Chester), William the Lion (King of Scotland), and Queen Eleanor were captured (Kibler). For the next sixteen years, Queen Eleanor was imprisoned. During her confinement, her husband’s mistress, Rosemond Clifford died in 1176. Then her ex-husband Louis VII, died of a stroke and his son, Phillip II Augustus, became King in 1180. Three years later, her son, Henry the Young King, dies of dysentery; three years later, Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany dies failing off a horse in a tournament. Then her second, husband, Henry II died.
The Traveling Queen: 1189-1204
King Richard I was crowned King at the age of 32; however, he was elsewhere. He had his mother rule in his place. She enacted new laws, like standardizing silver and freeing prisoners. King Richard and Phillip II joined the Third Crusade. He first traveled to Sicily, where his sister Joan, was being held captive. King Richard signed a treaty that gave Joan compensation for her land lost, named Arthur I, Duke of Brittany, his heir, and arranged to marry Arthur to King Tancred I of Sicily’s daughter (Wheeler). After brief trip to Cyprus, in Cyprus, King Richard and Joan met Queen Eleanor and Richard’s new bride, Berengaria of Navarre. They became King and Queen of England and Cyprus. Queen Eleanor returned to England, but not before seeing the new pope, Celestine III elected.
With Richard gone, John, Eleanor’s youngest son, and King Phillip II, were plotting against King Richard. King Phillip offered John his half-sister as his wife, but Queen Eleanor prevented them from taking Richard’s lands and thrones. In 1192, Leopold V, Duke of Austria, captured King Richard and had him ransomed (Peters). Pope Celestine II wouldn’t raise the ransom, so Queen Eleanor raised his ransom. John left to King Phillip II, where they offered more money to keep Richard imprisoned. King Henry of Germany agreed with John and Philip until other nobles pushed for Richard’s release. After Richard’s release, he forgave John and gave back his land, and John remained loyal until Richard’s death.
Otto IV of Brunswick, Eleanor’s grandson, became the King of Germany in 1198. As a result, Richard was able to defeat Phillip II. However, the Aquitanian nobles revolted in 1199, and King Richard fought them, but was hit by a crossbow, which became infected. Richard died in Queen Eleanor’s arms. After his death, Queen Eleanor claimed John was king instead of Arthur, Duke of Brittany, who was originally named Richard’s heir in the Treaty between England, France, and Sicily (Peters). King Phillip and Constance, Arthur’s mother, invaded Normandy. Eleanor secured all of her land for John by paying homage to King Phillip. In the 1199 truce, Louis VIII would be married to one of John’s nieces of Castile.
Queen Eleanor retired to Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, a royal abbey, in France. Eleanor became ill and John visited her. Then in 1201, she became ill again. In mid-1202, Arthur attacked Poitou where Eleanor was staying; within two days, John arrived and captured everyone; Arthur and his sister, were captured and imprisoned (Meade). Later, Queen Eleanor returned to Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, where she fell ill and died in 1204.
Analysis
The Artsy Queen
Eleanor of Aquiline was described a beautiful even at a young age, but her focus was the arts. Because her father, William X, focused on her learning Latin, art, music, literature, riding, hawking, and hunting, she was able to connect with both women and men. Her love of the arts, music, and learning influenced France and England. Paris was launched into Gothic Art and Architecture Period during the 1140’s, which spread in Europe until the Renaissance (Hinkle). She transformed the city of Paris into a city of art and culture. “To the devout city, Eleanor introduced customs from Aquitaine such as its language, respect for women, and fashion … Eleanor immediately developed a taste for Byzantine clothing and probably bought back to France some of the eastern fashions (Naranjo).” After, she left her husband, Louis VII she transformed England in arts. In England, she fixed castles and universities to fit in with her views on the importance of art and education. Finally, after leaving Henry II, she influenced France again with courts that held tournaments and cultural events. Her favorite Chretien de Troyes, told stories like Lancelot and Guinevere, of clever women at the mercy of men. These stories of chivalry love and courtly lasted well into the late Middle Ages (14th and 15th centuries) and were later revived in the early 19th century.
The Warrior/Rebellious Queen
Queen Eleanor brought her skills in hunting to the Crusades. Unlike her husband, Louis VII, Eleanor, was not a foolish military leader; she could make logical tactical decisions. When she sided with her uncle in the Crusades, Eleanor was choosing what she thought was best for the troops. “When Raymond decided that the best strategic objective of the Crusade would be to recapture Edessa, thus protecting the Western presence in the Holy Land, Eleanor sided with his view. Louis, however, was fixated on reaching Jerusalem, a less sound goal (Reese).” Additionally, when she married Henry II, she married him, because he could provide her with love and children, which was a tactical. Finally, when she joined her sons in rebellion with Henry II, she was attempting to retrieve the land of Aquiline, which was taken from her. Every move Queen Eleanor made was to achieve a greater status and protect herself from being taken advantage of.
The Queen Mother
Queen Eleanor’s second marriage is important. Because she failed to tell Louis VII and get his blessing: “But when Louis VII found out it was too late: the pattern of western European diplomacy and warfare had been set for the next four centuries (Weir 2).” Additionally, Eleanor bore five sons: William, Henry, Richard, Geoffrey and John, and three daughters: Matilda, Eleanor, and Joanna. Queen Eleanor arranged the marriages of her children, Henry and Matilda. Henry the Young King and Margaret of France, eldest daughter of Louis VII of France and Constance of Castile, were betrothed, since they were three and five, in order to keep King Louis VII happy. Then Matilda was married to Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and of Bavaria in 1168. Additionally, she helped arranged marriages of her grandchildren. These marriages guaranteed that her children and grandchildren would be successful. Two daughters would eventually become Queens and three sons would become Kings.
The Traveling Queen
Even at an old age of 78, Queen Eleanor still traveled. In 1200, Eleanor chose Blanche for Louis; Queen Eleanor helped with arranging marriage for King Phillip II’s son. Hugh IX of Lusignan captured her, and she paid the ransom. After leaving with Blanche, her protector, Mercadier was killed and the Queen entrusted Blanche to the Archbishop of Bordeaux. In her old age, Eleanor, after seeing so much violence and death retired, but still travelled. She died in Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, a royal abbey, in France, where she found peace.
She defied common expectations for women and became successful ruler and cultural influence. Queen Eleanor is still popular today. She is portrayed in movies, plays, and TV shows based on Ivanhoe and Robinhood fictions. The most famous portrayal of Eleanor of Aquitaine was by Katherine Hepburn in 1968’s The Lion In Winter. Most recently, In 2013, a novel about the life of Queen Eleanor, called The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick was released. Eleanor of Aquitaine is the most powerful woman and the most successful queen of Middle Age Europe, because she is still remembered today.
Works Cited
• Archer, Thomas A. Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Lioness in Winter. Shamrock Eden, 2011. Print.
• "Eleanor of Aquitaine." Eleanor of Aquitaine. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. .
• Hinkle, William M. "Gothic Art and Architecture." Gothic Art and Architecture. University of Colorado-Boulder. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. .
• Horton, Rosalind, and Simmons, Sally. Women Who Changed the World: Fifty Inspirational Women Who Shaped History. London: Quercus, 2006. Print.
• Kelly, Amy Ruth. Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1950. Print.
• Kibler, William W. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Patron and Politician. Austin: University of Texas, 1976. Print.
• Meade, Marion. Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography. Penguin, 1991. Print.
• Naranjo, Roberto. "Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen." Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen. Ed. Roberto Naranjo. Ohio State University-EHistory, 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. .
• Peters, Edward. Europe and the Middle Ages. 4th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003. Print.
• Reese, Lyn. "Eleanor of Aquitaine." Female Hero: (Women in World History Curriculum). Women in World History Curriculum, 1996. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. .
• Weir, Alison. Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England. London: Jonathan Cape, 1999. Print.
• Wheeler, Bonnie, and Parsons, John C.. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Lord and Lady. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. Print.
Biography
The Artsy Duchess: 1122-1137 …show more content…
In the country of Aquitaine (now France), William X’s father, William IX, was a warrior and a troubadour, who focused on leading Aquitaine in culture, including the arts, music, and literature.
However, in 1227, William X’s father, William IX, died due to illness and William X became the Duke of Aquitaine. Six years earlier, William X of Aquitaine, and Aenor of Chatellerault married; then only a year after, Eleanor of Aquitaine in Bordeaux was born. Eleanor was the oldest of William X’s three children; she had a younger sister, Petronilla, and a younger brother, William Aigret; additionally, she had half-brother named William. William X continued his father’s focus on leading Aquitaine in culture, including the arts, music, and literature. William X ensured that all of his children received the best education, which included learning Latin, art, music, literature, riding, hawking, and hunting; Eleanor of Aquitaine loved poetry
(Horton).
Merely three years after William X became Duke, Aenor of Chatellerault and William Aigret died and at the same time, the Church broke off relations with William X and Aquitaine due to the arts and luxury, which was incompatible with the Church’s message. Now, the widower William X faced a dilemma, with no male heir, and two female successors to his throne, he had to choose: William X chose Eleanor of Aquitaine to be his heir; it was a wise decision, as Eleanor of Aquitaine would live a long life with many achievements to die at 82 in 1204. In 1137, William X died from food poisoning, during a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (now Spain), while trying to reconnect with the Church (Weir). Eleanor became the Duchesses of Aquitaine and the most eligible bachelorette in Europe. William X foreseeing a potential kidnapping dictated in his will that King Louis VI of France would be Eleanor’s protector and keeper of the lands of Aquitaine until Eleanor was married. Louis VI the Fat offered his son Louis VII the Younger, age 17, to marry Eleanor thus bringing Aquitaine under the control of the French crown and making France more powerful; unbeknownst to Louis VI, the land would remain independent until Eleanor’s male son became the King of France and Duke of Aquiline (Weir).
The Warrior Queen:1137-1152
On July 25, 1137, less than three months after William X’s death, the Archbishop of Bordeaux married Eleanor of Aquitaine and Louis VII in the Cathedral of Saint-André in Bordeaux, France (Meade). While touring France, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Louis VII received a message that King Louis VI died of dysentery and Louis VII attended his father’s funerary mass. On December 25, 1137, they were anointed and crowned King and Queen of France. King Louis VII and Queen Eleanor had many similarities such as the love of poetry and tournaments. When, Queen Eleanor arrived in Paris, France, her new home, she found Paris was boring and plain, unlike Aquitaine. She transformed the city of Paris into a city of art and culture. Then she and her husband would hold court in different cities and towns. This did not last very long.
In 1141, after the Archbishop of Bourges became vacant, and King Louis VII offered one of his chancellor, Cadurc, and vetoing, Pierre de la Chatre. Pope Innocent II blamed Queen Eleanor for the Kings behavior; as a result, King Louis VII bolted the gates of Bourge. After Theobald II the Great gave the new Archbishop refuge in Champagne, King Louis VII started a war with him. King Louis VII the Younger allowed his first cousin, once removed, Raoul I, Count of Vermandois to divorce his wife Eléonore of Blois, sister of the reigning King Stephen of England and brother of Theobald II the Great, and marries Petronilla of Aquitaine, Eleanor 's sister. The war from 1142-1144, resulted in occupation of Champagne by royal forces and the excommunication of Raoul I and Petronilla by Pope Innocent II (Wheeler). In 1144, King Louis VII the Younger made peace with Theobald II the Great. In 1145, King Louis VII and Queen Eleanor had a daughter, Marie, and Raoul I and Petronilla, had a son, Raoul.
In December 1144, Edessa (Modern Turkey) fell to the Saracens, and Bernard of Clairvaux preached support for a second crusade (Peters). Years earlier, King Louis’s older brother, Phillip, dreamed of visiting Jerusalem and the tomb of Christ, but he died in 1130, falling of a horse. This is partially the reason, Louis VII the Younger, was motivated to join the Crusades. Another reason, Eleanor of Aquitaine’s uncle Raymond, Prince of Antioch needed help from the crown. The German King Conrad III and his troops agreed to join Louis VII in the Crusades. The Germans arrived in Constantinople before the French, and they sought to go through Dorylaeum at Asia Minor/Anatolia where they was defeated by the Seljuk Turks and what was left of them return to Nicaea. Once Louis VII and Queen Eleanor reached Nicaea, they sought the German King Conrad III’s help.
The King chose to cross the Phrygian mountains on Mount Cadmos to reach Raymond, Prince of Antioch quicker. However, Queen Eleanor’s army commander Geoffrey de Rancon and Louis 's uncle, Amadeus III, Count of Savoy chose to disobey orders and chose to march further than the spot chosen by the King for camp, because it made a better camp. As a result, the army was split and disorganized, and the Turks successfully ambushed them. The King narrowly escaped, and the blame for the massacre fell on Rancon, thus Queen Eleanor. Once they reached Antioch, Raymond, who was cultured and handsome, unlike Louis, charmed Queen Eleanor. Queen Eleanor suggested staying with Raymond and a divorce, but Louis forced her to come with him. Once in Jerusalem, King Louis VII the Younger and an army, fortified by King Conrad and Baldwin III of Jerusalem, tried to capture Damascus, a major trading center. Ultimately, King Louis VII failed. The King and Queen returned to Paris on separate ships.
After escaping capture by the Byzantium Empire, Queen Eleanor made a trip to Palermo and Calabria, in Italy, where her husband was. Eleanor was brought the news that her uncle, Raymond, had been killed in battle. Queen Eleanor turned to Pope Eugenius III for advice on marriage. He did not grant an annulment and suggested they share a bed again. In 1150, King Louis VII and Queen Eleanor had a daughter, Alix. With no male heir to the throne, rumors of infidelity, the unpopularity of Queen Eleanor, and Eleanor’s want for divorce, in 1152, four archbishops, with the approval of Pope Eugene, granted an annulment as they were third cousins, restored Eleanor of Aquitaine’s lands, and gave custody to King Louis VII (Kelly).
The Queen Mother: 1152-1168
Less than two months after her marriage ended, Eleanor of Aquitaine, age 29, married Duke Henry of Normandy, age 18. Henry gave Eleanor love and male children, which Louis could not. Louis VII was uninformed of their marriage. Shortly after Eleanor of Aquitaine married Duke Henry of Normandy, King Stephen of England named Henry his heir, and their son, William IX, Count of Poitiers was born in 1153. After King Stephen of England died of a stomach disease in 1154, Henry II became King of England and Eleanor Queen. King Henry II inherited the throne and a rocky England, previous civil war (1139-1154) and unruly barons, who built illegal castles. King Henry II tore down these castles and set up courts/magistrates with written laws (Archer). Henry named Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, which caused anger in many people, but Queen Eleanor mediated. As she previously did with Paris, Queen Eleanor set to refine England through culture.
For thirteen years, Eleanor bore five sons: (William died at the age of three), Henry, Richard, Geoffrey and John, and three daughters: Matilda, Eleanor, and Joanna. Her second son, Henry the Young King, is born in 1155. Then her first daughter, Matilda, is born in 1156, around the same time William, her oldest child, dies of a seizure. A year later, her third son, Richard was born. Then in 1158, her fourth son, Geoffrey II, was born. In 1162, her second daughter, Eleanor, was born. Louis VII the Younger’s third wife, Adèle of Champagne, produced a male heir, Phillip II in Augustus in 1165, around the same time Queen Eleanor had her third daughter, Joan. Finally, her fifth son, John was born in 1166.
However, after, Queen Eleanor could no longer have children; her marriage to King Henry II fell apart. The King was unfaithful, due to his affair with Rosemond Clifford. Queen Eleanor went with her daughter, Matilda to France; the King and Queen separated. Nevertheless, Henry II and his army escorted her to Pointou, and he left Earl Patrick of Salisbury, as her protector. Rebel barons killed Earl Patrick and his nephew, William Marshal, was captured. Queen Eleanor raised money for his ransom, as he was known for his bravery and he played in her tournaments. In Poitiou, Queen Eleanor set-up court, unlike any before. Most courts were meant to teach manners, not tournaments, and culture. Queen Eleanor’s daughters from King Louis VII the Younger, Marie and Alix, joined her there. Together they influenced a new type of literature, chivalry love.
The Rebellious Queen:1168-1189
On, December 29, 1170, Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered. Thomas Beckett excommunicated his opponents in order to achieve greater power. When King Henry heard of his actions, he became upset, and four of his magnates, Sir Hugh de Morville (Lord of Westmorland), Sir Reginald Fitzurse, Sir William II de Tracy (Lord of the Devon Manors), and Sir Richard le Breton rode to assassinate Thomas Beckett. After Beckett’s death, King Henry did not arrest them and they fled to Scotland; their only punishment was excommunication and a fourteen-year penitentiary pilgrimage by Pope Alexander III (Kelly). Queen Eleanor had already been plotting against King Henry II for years, but she saw his power was weakened.
In 1173, Eleanor and her three elder sons, Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey, rebelled against King Henry II. Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey all wanted to rule and have castles. Henry had bequeathed three castles to John for his arranged marriage to the daughter of the Count of Maurienne. Those castles belonged to Henry the Young King. With the help of King Louis VII of France, Henry the Young King was able to rebel. The rebellion failed and Robert de Beaumont (3rd Earl of Leicester), William I de Ferrers (3rd Earl of Derby), Hugh de Kevelioc (5th Earl of Chester), William the Lion (King of Scotland), and Queen Eleanor were captured (Kibler). For the next sixteen years, Queen Eleanor was imprisoned. During her confinement, her husband’s mistress, Rosemond Clifford died in 1176. Then her ex-husband Louis VII, died of a stroke and his son, Phillip II Augustus, became King in 1180. Three years later, her son, Henry the Young King, dies of dysentery; three years later, Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany dies failing off a horse in a tournament. Then her second, husband, Henry II died.
The Traveling Queen: 1189-1204
King Richard I was crowned King at the age of 32; however, he was elsewhere. He had his mother rule in his place. She enacted new laws, like standardizing silver and freeing prisoners. King Richard and Phillip II joined the Third Crusade. He first traveled to Sicily, where his sister Joan, was being held captive. King Richard signed a treaty that gave Joan compensation for her land lost, named Arthur I, Duke of Brittany, his heir, and arranged to marry Arthur to King Tancred I of Sicily’s daughter (Wheeler). After brief trip to Cyprus, in Cyprus, King Richard and Joan met Queen Eleanor and Richard’s new bride, Berengaria of Navarre. They became King and Queen of England and Cyprus. Queen Eleanor returned to England, but not before seeing the new pope, Celestine III elected.
With Richard gone, John, Eleanor’s youngest son, and King Phillip II, were plotting against King Richard. King Phillip offered John his half-sister as his wife, but Queen Eleanor prevented them from taking Richard’s lands and thrones. In 1192, Leopold V, Duke of Austria, captured King Richard and had him ransomed (Peters). Pope Celestine II wouldn’t raise the ransom, so Queen Eleanor raised his ransom. John left to King Phillip II, where they offered more money to keep Richard imprisoned. King Henry of Germany agreed with John and Philip until other nobles pushed for Richard’s release. After Richard’s release, he forgave John and gave back his land, and John remained loyal until Richard’s death.
Otto IV of Brunswick, Eleanor’s grandson, became the King of Germany in 1198. As a result, Richard was able to defeat Phillip II. However, the Aquitanian nobles revolted in 1199, and King Richard fought them, but was hit by a crossbow, which became infected. Richard died in Queen Eleanor’s arms. After his death, Queen Eleanor claimed John was king instead of Arthur, Duke of Brittany, who was originally named Richard’s heir in the Treaty between England, France, and Sicily (Peters). King Phillip and Constance, Arthur’s mother, invaded Normandy. Eleanor secured all of her land for John by paying homage to King Phillip. In the 1199 truce, Louis VIII would be married to one of John’s nieces of Castile.
Queen Eleanor retired to Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, a royal abbey, in France. Eleanor became ill and John visited her. Then in 1201, she became ill again. In mid-1202, Arthur attacked Poitou where Eleanor was staying; within two days, John arrived and captured everyone; Arthur and his sister, were captured and imprisoned (Meade). Later, Queen Eleanor returned to Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, where she fell ill and died in 1204.
Analysis
The Artsy Queen
Eleanor of Aquiline was described a beautiful even at a young age, but her focus was the arts. Because her father, William X, focused on her learning Latin, art, music, literature, riding, hawking, and hunting, she was able to connect with both women and men. Her love of the arts, music, and learning influenced France and England. Paris was launched into Gothic Art and Architecture Period during the 1140’s, which spread in Europe until the Renaissance (Hinkle). She transformed the city of Paris into a city of art and culture. “To the devout city, Eleanor introduced customs from Aquitaine such as its language, respect for women, and fashion … Eleanor immediately developed a taste for Byzantine clothing and probably bought back to France some of the eastern fashions (Naranjo).” After, she left her husband, Louis VII she transformed England in arts. In England, she fixed castles and universities to fit in with her views on the importance of art and education. Finally, after leaving Henry II, she influenced France again with courts that held tournaments and cultural events. Her favorite Chretien de Troyes, told stories like Lancelot and Guinevere, of clever women at the mercy of men. These stories of chivalry love and courtly lasted well into the late Middle Ages (14th and 15th centuries) and were later revived in the early 19th century.
The Warrior/Rebellious Queen
Queen Eleanor brought her skills in hunting to the Crusades. Unlike her husband, Louis VII, Eleanor, was not a foolish military leader; she could make logical tactical decisions. When she sided with her uncle in the Crusades, Eleanor was choosing what she thought was best for the troops. “When Raymond decided that the best strategic objective of the Crusade would be to recapture Edessa, thus protecting the Western presence in the Holy Land, Eleanor sided with his view. Louis, however, was fixated on reaching Jerusalem, a less sound goal (Reese).” Additionally, when she married Henry II, she married him, because he could provide her with love and children, which was a tactical. Finally, when she joined her sons in rebellion with Henry II, she was attempting to retrieve the land of Aquiline, which was taken from her. Every move Queen Eleanor made was to achieve a greater status and protect herself from being taken advantage of.
The Queen Mother
Queen Eleanor’s second marriage is important. Because she failed to tell Louis VII and get his blessing: “But when Louis VII found out it was too late: the pattern of western European diplomacy and warfare had been set for the next four centuries (Weir 2).” Additionally, Eleanor bore five sons: William, Henry, Richard, Geoffrey and John, and three daughters: Matilda, Eleanor, and Joanna. Queen Eleanor arranged the marriages of her children, Henry and Matilda. Henry the Young King and Margaret of France, eldest daughter of Louis VII of France and Constance of Castile, were betrothed, since they were three and five, in order to keep King Louis VII happy. Then Matilda was married to Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and of Bavaria in 1168. Additionally, she helped arranged marriages of her grandchildren. These marriages guaranteed that her children and grandchildren would be successful. Two daughters would eventually become Queens and three sons would become Kings.
The Traveling Queen
Even at an old age of 78, Queen Eleanor still traveled. In 1200, Eleanor chose Blanche for Louis; Queen Eleanor helped with arranging marriage for King Phillip II’s son. Hugh IX of Lusignan captured her, and she paid the ransom. After leaving with Blanche, her protector, Mercadier was killed and the Queen entrusted Blanche to the Archbishop of Bordeaux. In her old age, Eleanor, after seeing so much violence and death retired, but still travelled. She died in Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, a royal abbey, in France, where she found peace.
She defied common expectations for women and became successful ruler and cultural influence. Queen Eleanor is still popular today. She is portrayed in movies, plays, and TV shows based on Ivanhoe and Robinhood fictions. The most famous portrayal of Eleanor of Aquitaine was by Katherine Hepburn in 1968’s The Lion In Winter. Most recently, In 2013, a novel about the life of Queen Eleanor, called The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick was released. Eleanor of Aquitaine is the most powerful woman and the most successful queen of Middle Age Europe, because she is still remembered today.
Works Cited
• Archer, Thomas A. Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Lioness in Winter. Shamrock Eden, 2011. Print.
• "Eleanor of Aquitaine." Eleanor of Aquitaine. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. .
• Hinkle, William M. "Gothic Art and Architecture." Gothic Art and Architecture. University of Colorado-Boulder. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. .
• Horton, Rosalind, and Simmons, Sally. Women Who Changed the World: Fifty Inspirational Women Who Shaped History. London: Quercus, 2006. Print.
• Kelly, Amy Ruth. Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1950. Print.
• Kibler, William W. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Patron and Politician. Austin: University of Texas, 1976. Print.
• Meade, Marion. Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography. Penguin, 1991. Print.
• Naranjo, Roberto. "Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen." Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen. Ed. Roberto Naranjo. Ohio State University-EHistory, 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. .
• Peters, Edward. Europe and the Middle Ages. 4th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003. Print.
• Reese, Lyn. "Eleanor of Aquitaine." Female Hero: (Women in World History Curriculum). Women in World History Curriculum, 1996. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. .
• Weir, Alison. Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England. London: Jonathan Cape, 1999. Print.
• Wheeler, Bonnie, and Parsons, John C.. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Lord and Lady. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. Print.