Origins:
Eleanor of Aquitaine was born into the House of Ramulfids and is mainly of French descent from her mother and father. Her maternal grandmother, Dangereuse de L’ Isle Bouchard, had become the mistress of her paternal grandfather, William IX of Aquitaine, after being abducted by him. Her mother married her father, the son of her mother’s lover, in 1121.
Early Life:
The exact birth date of Eleanor remains unknown. She was the daughter of William X, Duke of Aquitaine and Aenor de Chatellerault. Her brother, William, was heir to her father’s duchy however, after his death Eleanor became the heiress of the duchy of Aquitaine followed by her sister, Petronilla. This was on the condition that her father wouldn’t have another son and he didn’t, Eleanor inherited the duchy on his death in 1137. As the Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, Eleanor became a desirable bride across Europe and was eventually married to Louis, heir to the throne of France in 1137.
Queen of France:
As Queen of France, Eleanor’s role was to create an heir however, she failed to do this. Her first child, Marie was born in 1145 and her second child was born in 1150. The marriage between Louis and Eleanor was strained so two years later they were divorced, one of the reasons for the divorce was that Eleanor hadn’t produced an heir.
Queen of England & Widowhood:
Just two months after her divorce from Louis, Eleanor married Henry who was heir to the throne of England. She became Queen in 1154 and together, Eleanor and Henry had five sons and three daughters. Eleanor was imprisoned in 1173 for being involved in a plot against her husband with her two sons. She was eventually released in 1189 when her son became king as Richard I. During Richard’s reign, Eleanor was influential in England’s affairs and was even regent in 1190 while her son was away. However, when her youngest son, John, became King in 1199 she was no longer involved in England’s affairs so she went to govern Aquitaine instead.
Death & Legacy:
Eleanor died on 31st August 1201 and was buried in the abbey church at Fonteverault next to her husband, Henry.
Three of Eleanor’s five sons had become kings of England and the dynasty was carried on by her youngest son, John when his son became Henry III of England. She was known as the ‘Grandmother of Europe’ during her time as her descendants included royalty in England, Denmark, Castile, Sicily and other kingdoms. Most notably, two of her granddaughters through John became Queen of Scotland and Holy Roman Empress.
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