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Eleanor of Aquitaine 1122-1204
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Image Above
Katherine Hepburn
as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter
(1968)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. |
Eleanor of Aquitaine is said to have been smart and
beautiful. She was also called Eleanor of Guyenne.
Financially
Comfortable
Eleanor's father was
William X from
whom she inherited more land than the French king possessed. Then she married the French king.
Just to be on the
safe side.
A
Brave Lady
And courageous the woman was. Together with husband
Louis, she went on
 Crusade
from 1147 - 1149.
Eleanor's Family
Eleanor of Aquitaine was married to
Louis VII
of France from 1137 until 1152 and to
Henry II of England
from 1152 until 1204.
Together with Louis, Eleanor had two daughters.
Her eight children with Henry were, and in
this order:
William
(born August 1153, died December 1156)
Henry Jr.
(also called Henry the Young King, born in London
on February 28, 1155. He would marry Margaret, daughter of Louis VII,
the king of France and Constanza of Castile.)
Matilda
(born in 1156, who would marry Henry the Lion, the duke
of Saxony, in 1168)
Richard I the Lionheart
(born at Oxford in September 1157)
Geoffrey IV
(born on September 23, 1158)
Eleanor Jr.
(born at Domfront in 1161,
who would marry Alfonso, the king of Castile)
Joan
(born in October 1165)
John
(born around December 1167, probably at Oxford)
Eleanor's
Politics
Eleanor supported her sons in a revolt
against husband Henry.
She might or might not have even initiated the revolt.
In any event, as a result of her involvement, she was captured by Henry while seeking
refuge under her ex-husband's wings.
See also
the Anglo-Norman Rebellion of 1173
Interestingly, Henry died soon after
taking her prisoner. Eleanor was free to go and became more
powerful, active, and successful in
politics than ever.
[Eight hundred years later, David Jacobs realized
that this family saga was in no way inferior to the one he had just made
up.]
Eleanor was full of life and highly
energetic, even in old age.
And here is the map.
1152-1327 England and France
Go here to see more
About
Aquitaine
And maybe here for more about
The Lion in Winter
More History
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