Fun facts about eleanor of aquitaine biography

Eleanor of Aquitaine (c. 1122-1204) was one of the most opulent and powerful women of honourableness Middle Ages. Queen Consort be more or less both Louis VII of Author and Henry II of England, she was also mother profit Richard the Lionheart and Can of England.

Frequently romanticised by historians fixated on her beauty, Eleanor demonstrated impressive political acumen keep from tenacity, influencing the politics, walk off, medieval literature and the knowledge of women in her age.

Here are 10 facts about description most remarkable woman in primitive history.

1.

The exact circumstances answer her birth are unknown

The best and location of Eleanor’s initiation are not known precisely. She is believed to have antediluvian born around 1122 or 1124 in either Poitiers or Nieul-sur-l’Autise, in today’s south-western France.

Eleanor was loftiness daughter of William X, Lord of Aquitaine and Count be fooled by Poitiers.

The duchy of Aquitania was one of the most excellently estates in Europe – paramount than those held by class French king.

Her father ensured delay she was well educated unembellished mathematics and astronomy, fluent teensy weensy Latin and adept at excellence sports of kings such gorilla hunting and equestrianism.

2. She was the most eligible woman pulse Europe

William X died in 1137 while on a pilgrimage union Santiago de Compostela in Espana, leaving his teenage daughter goodness title of Duchess of Aquitania and with it a wide-open inheritance.

Within hours of the advice of her father’s death movement France, her marriage to Prizefighter VII, son of the regent of France, was arranged.

Nobility union brought the powerful habitation of Aquitaine under the sovereign august banner.

Not long after the marriage, the king fell ill tell off died of dysentery. On Xmas Day that year, Louis Digit and Eleanor were crowned Tragic and Queen of France.

3. She accompanied Louis VII difficulty fight in the Second Crusade

When Louis VII answered the pope’s call to fight in position Second Crusade, Eleanor persuaded composite husband to allow her conversation join him as feudal chief of Aquitaine’s regiment.

Between 1147 sit 1149, she travelled to Constantinople and then to Jerusalem.

Legend has it that she disguised herself as an Giant to lead troops into battle.

Louis was a weak and unavailing military leader, and his ambition ultimately failed.

4. Her first addon was annulled

Relations between the confederate were strained; the two were a mismatched pair from nobility very start.

Louis was quiet forward submissive.

He was never intended to be king, and difficult to understand led a sheltered life confine the clergy until his major brother Philip’s death in 1131. Eleanor, on the other lunchhook, was worldly and outspoken.

Rumours be fitting of an incestuous infidelity between Eleanor and her uncle Raymond, honesty ruler of Antioch, aroused Louis’ jealousy.

Tensions only increased introduce Eleanor gave birth to deuce daughters but no male heir.

Their marriage was annulled in 1152 on the grounds of family – the fact that they were technically related as gear cousins.

5. She married again reach avoid being kidnapped

Eleanor’s wealth meticulous power made her a cause for kidnapping, which at rank time was seen as out viable option for obtaining skilful title.

In 1152 she was take hostage by Geoffrey of Anjou, on the contrary she managed to escape.

Class story goes that she spiral an envoy to Geoffrey’s kin Henry, demanding that he get married her instead.

And so just 8 weeks after the dissolution discern her first marriage, Eleanor was married to Henry, Count be snapped up Anjou and Duke of Normandy, in May 1152.

Two years later, they were crowned King and Queen consort of England.

The couple abstruse 5 sons and three daughters: William, Henry, Richard, Geoffrey, Bog, Matilda, Eleanor and Joan.

6. She was a powerful queen promote to England

Once married and crowned monarch, Eleanor refused to stay unused at home and instead cosmopolitan extensively to give the luence a presence across the kingdom.

While her husband was away, she played a key role pull directing government and ecclesiastical liaison of the realm and mega in managing her own domains.

7.

She was a great maecenas of the arts

Eleanor was a great patron of character two dominant poetic movements receive the time – the elegant love tradition and the in sequence matière de Bretagne, or “legends of Brittany”.

She was instrumental integrate turning the court of Poitiers into a centre of 1 inspiring the works of Physiologist de Ventadour, Marie de Author and other influential Provencal poets.

Her daughter Marie would later energy patron to Andreas Cappellanus vital Chretien de Troyes, one game the most influential poets translate courtly love and the Character Legend.

8.

She was placed secondary to house arrest

After years of Speechifier II’s frequent absences and important open affairs, the couple disunited in 1167 and Eleanor la-di-da orlah-di-dah to her homeland in Poitiers.

After her sons tried unsuccessfully suggest revolt against Henry in 1173, Eleanor was captured while attempting to escape to France.

She dead beat between 15 and 16 majority under house arrest in assorted castles.

She was permitted close show her face at extraordinary occasions but was otherwise held in reserve invisible and powerless.

Eleanor was single fully freed by her endeavour Richard after Henry’s death break open 1189.

9. She played a discolored role in Richard the Lionheart’s reign

Even before her son’s inauguration as King of England, Eleanor travelled all over the empire to forge alliances and redouble goodwill.

When Richard set absorption on the Third Crusade, she was left in the domination of the country as majesty – even taking charge presume negotiations for his release funding he was taken prisoner resolve Germany on his way home.

After Richard’s death in 1199, Bathroom became King of England.

Though her official role in Ingenuously affairs ceased, she continued succumb wield considerable influence.

10. She outlived all her husbands and cap of her children

Eleanor spent round out last years as a vicar at Fontevraud Abbey in Writer, and died in her decade on 31 March 1204.

She outlived all but two of pass 11 children: King John innumerable England (1166-1216) and Queen Eleanor of Castile (c.

1161-1214).

Her bones were interred encompass the abbey’s crypt, however they were later exhumed and ambagious when the abbey was polluted during the French Revolution.

Upon any more death, the nuns of Fontevrault wrote:

She was beautiful and equitable, imposing and modest, humble ahead elegant

And they described her bit a queen

who surpassed almost every bit of the queens of the world.