Early life Eleanor of Aquitaine was a powerful woman of the High Middle Ages. She was the queen of France and England in her lifetime and had the honor of leading a crusade to the Holy Land. Eleanor was born in southern France in 1122. Her father was William X, Duke of Aquitaine and her mother was Aénor of Châtellerault Duchess of Aquitaine. They were arguably the most powerful people in their generation just like Eleanor. Eleanor of Aquitaine was someone who many people looked up to in her time as well as now. Childhood and Education Eleanor was taught by her father William, who was very cultured, in her early years. He taught her literature, philosophy and languages that needed to be known with the rigors of court life. Her childhood …show more content…
Within hours of this, Eleanor was married off to his son Louis in 1137. Just weeks later, Louis VI of France passed away crowning his son and Eleanor king and queen of France on Christmas day. They had two daughters during their marriage. Louis VII and Eleanor were soon involved in the second crusade which did not end well. They grew more and more estranged and in 1152 and finally got an annulment leaving custody of their daughters to the king. Two months later she married Henry Plantagenet, Duke of Normandy. Two years later, King Stephen of England died and Henry took over the throne making Eleanor queen, yet of another country. Together they had 8 children between 1152 and 1166. In 1167 Eleanor separated from her husband. There is no confirmed reason but it can be possibly traced back to is multiple actions of …show more content…
She was known for this and it was said that her daughter Marie was with her. Whatever power and effect this had along with her status was soon gone as she was arrested for conspiring with her son Henry, who was named after his father, to kill her husband. In 1173 Eleanor’s son Henry went to France to “plot” his fathers’ death and take the throne. She was soon arrested and imprisoned for treason. After being moved around for sixteen years between castles in France and kept prisoner, she was also accused of being a part of her husband’s favorite mistresses’ death. After years of rebellion, in 1183, when a disease was taking young Henry’s life, he begged on his deathbed for his father to release his mother. As it was his death wish, his father agreed and Eleanor was taken back to England under guard. She joined her husband in their household and resumed her ceremonial duties as a queen still not having full