Eleanor of AquitaineEleanor of Aquitaine

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Who was she?Who was she?

• Eleanor of Aquitaine lived from 1122- 1204• Her father was Duke William X of

Aquitaine and her mother was Aenor• She inherited Aquitaine after her father’s

death • She married both King Louis VII of France

and then King Henry II of England• Mother of ten children including Kings

Richard and John

Eleanor’s ChildhoodEleanor’s Childhood

The Castle of Poitiers

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• Eleanor spent most of her childhood at the Castle of Poitiers in Aquitaine

• She traveled around Aquitaine with her father and inherited many of his great ruling skills

• The court at Poitiers was a center of culture and she became accustomed to a lively court with jesters, acrobats, poets, troubadours and more

• Eleanor was educated which was unusual for the timehttp://www.laguire.com/images/scans/600/

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A Fifteen Year Old QueenA Fifteen Year Old Queen

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Becoming Queen of FranceBecoming Queen of France

• When her father died, Eleanor was fifteen

• She inherited Aquitaine which was more land then what the king of France had control over

• She married the heir to the French throne, who became King Louis VII in two months

• She was crowned Queen of France on Christmas day 1137

Here, Eleanor and Louis are getting married. This image is found in the

Bayeux Tapestry.

Here, Eleanor and Louis are getting married. This image is found in the

Bayeux Tapestry.

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Crusading QueenCrusading Queen

• In 1146, the second crusade was announced• Louis lead the holy war• Eleanor decided to join• They came back to France in separate ships after many

quarrels and defeated

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This is the route that This is the route that Eleanor took on the Eleanor took on the second crusadesecond crusade

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A New CountryA New Country

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Queen of EnglandQueen of England

• In 1152 Louis and Eleanor decided on an annulment of their marriage

• She then married Duke Henry of Normandy• Two years after their marriage, Henry became

King Henry II of England• Together, they united Normandy, Anjou,

England, and Aquiaine known as the Angevin empire

Mother of EightMother of Eight

• With Henry, Eleanor gave birth to eight children

• Two of Eleanor’s daughters became queens, and three of her sons became kings

• Among them was King Richard and King John

• She made marriages for her children for political reasons

Bye-Bye HenryBye-Bye Henry

• In 1168, Eleanor and Henry’s marriage was in trouble, and Eleanor moved back to Aquitaine

• Henry and Eleanor were still officially married, but never lived together again

• Her children lived with her in the court of Poitiers

PrisonerPrisoner

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The RebellionThe Rebellion

• In 1173, Eleanor and her three oldest sons; Henry, Richard, and Geoffery plotted against their father

• In May 1173, war broke out

• Eleanor was captured by Henry’s men and taken prisoner

Old Sarum CastleOld Sarum Castle

• Eleanor taken prisoner in Old Sarum Castle in Salisbury, England

• She was not locked up in a dungeon, but was guarded and not allowed to leave the castle or get visitors

• Meanwhile, Henry made up with his sons but they continued to plot against their father

• She was held prisoner until 1189 when Henry died

ChallengesChallenges

• Eleanor faced the challenge of being a woman in Medieval Times

• This gave her less rights

• She was treated like her husband’s property, but did not allow this

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AccomplishmentsAccomplishments

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A Start to Woman’s RightsA Start to Woman’s Rights

• Eleanor of Aquitaine started the idea of women being respected and gentle

• The idea of “women goes first”

• Also, opening the door for women

• Before, women were lawfully their husband’s property, and treated as it

Courtly LoveCourtly Love

• Eleanor was the one who spred the idea of courtly love into medieval courts

• Courtly love refers to the idea of women in dresses and knights in shining armor

• Eleanor believd that this could save women

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The Code of LoveThe Code of Love

• A book that Eleanor wrote

• It is based on courtly love

• It contains 31 rules for men to obey when dealing with women

Unique EleanorUnique Eleanor

Her compared to Noble WomenHer compared to Noble Women

• She was disobedient

• She did not allow herself to be bossed by men

• Eleanor ruled which was a big shock and step towards woman’s rights

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