The most modern woman of Medieval Europe was a queen by birth, a warrior and murderer by legend
Eleanor of Aquitaine was not to be trifled with
Much of what we know, or think we know, about Eleanor of Aquitaine is legend—but what a legend she is.
Arguably the most powerful heiress of the Middle Ages, who reigned as both queen of France and queen of England, Eleanor not only outlived all but two of her eleven children, she also fought in the Crusades — perhaps dressed as a bare-breasted Amazon warrior queen. Years later, she probably poisoned her husband’s mistress.
In truth, for all her stature and longevity, Eleanor remains puzzling to historians. What is known about her has mostly been gleaned from her proximity to powerful men. But tales of her beauty and power, though vague and often paradoxical, spread far. Sometimes meek, sometimes conniving, once a lady, once a harlot, Eleanor was, if not consistent, certainly complex. Shakespeare called her a “canker’d grandam” and a “monstrous injurer of heaven and earth.” But even that was a guess.
She was born noble in 1122 to the Duke and Duchess of Aquitaine, the wealthiest province in France. Her father, William X, ensured Eleanor was well-educated in astronomy, mathematics, equestrianism, and more. By all accounts, she was a curious and outspoken young woman. After her brother died and she was heir apparent of her family’s vast lands, her ability to navigate the world would come in handy — especially when she became the most eligible woman in Europe.
Her father died when Eleanor was age 15. Within hours, her appointed guardian, King Louis VI, arranged for her marriage to his own son and successor, Louis VII. The union brought the powerful house of Aquitaine under the royal banner. Five days after they were married, on August 1, 1137, Louis VI died. Louis VII and Eleanor became king and queen.
Louis VII was a weak-willed ruler, however. According to popular lore, he cried often and fell asleep under trees. Early in his reign, he opposed the pope’s appointment of an archbishop, and thus made a powerful enemy. Years later, in a sign of submission to the church, he volunteered French troops to fight in the Second Crusades. Eleanor joined him as feudal leader of Aquitaine’s regiment. Legend has it she disguised herself as an Amazon to lead troops into battle, though more likely, she simply outshone her inept husband, who was as limp in war as he was on the throne.
Back home, their estrangement grew. Eleanor was purportedly involved with her uncle Raymond, who at one point discussed plans to “abduct” his royal mistress with her consent but never followed through. And Eleanor had yet to bear Louis a son, which the pair attempted to negotiate as grounds for divorce. Pope Eugene III refused. In fact, he sequestered the couple in a special bedroom to reinforce their marriage. Soon after, a second daughter was born, but their hatred only festered. Finally, in March 1152, the church oversaw their annulment, on grounds of consanguinity, the fact that king and queen were third cousins, once removed.
After the separation, Eleanor remarked to a group of barons, “Look at me, gentlemen. Is not my body beautiful? The king thought I was the devil,” according to French writer Philippe Mouskes.
Eight weeks later, on May 18, 1152, she wed Henry II, her third cousin and 11 years her junior. The two were even more closely related, but the match tipped the European power struggle in England’s favor. Henry became king after two years, despite rumors that Eleanor had romanced his father as well. Their marriage would also prove tempestuous but ultimately tolerable. Over time, the pair had nine children (including one which died in infancy), and five boys total. One of whom was Richard the Lionheart.
Eventually, the royal couple separated. Henry had made little effort to conceal his own affairs, but Eleanor paid little mind. She simply craved independence. In 1167, Henry sent a fleet to escort her to Poitiers, her homeland.
As a prominent figure, Eleanor had a major influence on medieval culture, particularly during this period of her life. Specifically, she is credited for establishing the knightly tradition of chivalry, a custom that took hold in literature and inspired troubadour poetry. With her daughter, she reportedly oversaw a council called the “court of love,” where she listened to couples’ spats and dispensed relationship advice. In one instance, a woman asked Eleanor if she believed true love can exist in marriage. The queen decided it “was not at all likely.”
In the early 1170s, Eleanor’s son Henry came to his mother in secrecy with a plan to overthrow his father, the king. With Richard in tow, Eleanor agreed to the revolt and promised to encourage the lords of her land to join. But soon, the king learned of his family’s betrayal and sent guards to arrest his wife, aged 52. So began her 16-year imprisonment.
Not altogether uncomfortable in captivity, Eleanor was guarded in small English castles and was occasionally invited to accompany King Louis during special events. At Christmastime, she was temporarily released but watched carefully by a chaperone. Finally she found time to dwell on Henry’s indiscretions, specifically a woman named Rosamund Clifford, who Henry professed was his greatest love and made little effort to hide from courtly society. With the terms of her imprisonment relatively lax, Eleanor reportedly directed a maid to capture Rosamund in a bathtub and cut her arms. Others claimed the queen cornered her husband’s mistress and forced her to choose between two deaths, a dagger or poison. Rosamund chose poison and met her death.
When Henry died and their son Richard ascended the throne, the latter immediately released his mother. Soon he left to fight in the Crusades, and Eleanor took up significant responsibility in the affairs of state, as regent. Meanwhile, she watched over Prince John but could not prevent him from attempting an unsuccessful rebellion while Richard was away.
Regardless, after Richard returned and died in 1199, John ascended to the crown. During one of their mother’s trips as official envoy to France, she was taken captive by her grandson, Arthur, who planned to overtake the throne. John came to his mother’s rescue and returned her to Fontevraud. There, she lived the rest of her life as a nun and died in 1204, aged 82. In their necrology, her fellow nuns wrote, “She was beautiful and just, imposing and modest, humble and elegant.” Even they weren’t exactly sure what to make of this regal woman, who they nonetheless declared “surpassed almost all the queens in the world.”
