Eleanor of Aquitaine
| Eleanor of Aquitaine | |
|---|---|
| Queen consort of France Queen consort of England |
|
 |
|
| Eleanor with her youngest son, King John | |
| Duchess of Aquitaine; Countess of Poitiers | |
| Reign | 9 April 1137 – 1 April 1204 |
| Predecessor | William X |
| Successor | John |
| Spouse | Louis VII, King of the Franks m. 1137; ann. 1152 Henry II Curtmantle, King of the English m. 1152; wid. 1189 |
| Issue | |
| Marie, Countess of Champagne Alix, Countess of Blois William IX, Count of Poitiers Henry the Young King Matilda, Duchess of Saxony Richard I the Lionheart, King of the English Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany Leonora, Queen of Castile Joan, Queen of Sicily John Lackland, King of England |
|
| House | House of Poitiers |
| Father | William X, Duke of Aquitaine |
| Mother | Aenor de Châtellerault |
| Born | 1124 Belin Castle, Aquitaine |
| Died | 1 April 1204 (aged c. 81/82) Fontevraud Abbey, Fontevraud |
| Burial | Fontevraud Abbey |
Eleanor of Aquitaine (c. 1122 – March 31, 1204) was the daughter of William X of Aquitaine. She had a younger sister called Petronilla of Aquitaine. She brought the province of Aquitaine to England when she married Henry II of England. It stayed under English control for 300 years.
Eleanor inherited land in France at the age of 15. She married Louis VII of France on July 22, 1137, and had two daughters:
The marriage was later annulled, as there were no male children.
Eleanor then married Henry II of England on May 18, 1152, and had eight children, including:
- Guilhem who died at the age of 3.
- Henry the Young King
- Richard I of England
- John I of England
- Matilda of England
- Joan/Joanna of England
- Eleanor of England
Eleanor was also greatly known for her work in the Second Crusade, for she inspired many people to join. So many extra people decided to join that St. Bernard ran out of crosses to give out, therefore he had to start to rip off pieces of his robe.[source?]
Eleanor supported a revolt by her children against their father's rule in 1173. This revolt was unsuccessful, and King Henry II was so furious that he locked her away in a prison. In 1189, after King Henry II died and her son, Richard, came to be the king, Eleanor was freed. Shortly after, Richard died so she supported her son John to take the English throne against the claim of her grandson Arthur of Brittany. In 1202 during the campaign at Mairebeau, she continued to thwart Arthur. Emerging triumphant, Eleanor retired to a monastery. She died there on April 1, 1204. [1][2][3]
[change] References
- ↑ "Eleanor of Aquitaine." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography In Context. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
- ↑ "Eleanor of Aquitaine." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
- ↑ "Eleanor of Aquitaine." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
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