Essay - Eleanor of Aquitaine Introduction Eleanor of Aquitaine Served as Both...

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Introduction

Eleanor of Aquitaine served as both Queen ***** France and Engl*****, bore children to kings of both countries, and was the mother ***** two future kings of England, Richard and John. Eventually, Eleanor became known as "Eleanor the Eagle," because she had fulfilled a prophesy that went: "The eagle of ***** broken bond shall rejoice in the third nestl*****g." ***** image of the eagle represented Eleanor's arms, which like wings spread out over two kingdoms. The broken bond referred ***** her dissolved marriages to Louis VII ***** Henry II, and her rise to prominence stemmed from the efforts ***** her ***** son, John. Despite the license often taken with depicting historical figures in popular media, popular film depictions of Eleanor of Aquitaine are quite similar to actual history. This analysis will discuss the similarities of Eleanor of *****, as portrayed by historians ***** biograp*****s and in the popular film ***** Lion in Winter.

Body

Eleanor of Aquitaine became the Duchess of Aquitaine at the age of fifteen, after her bro*****r and mother died within a short span ***** each other. Her father's death necessitated a crisis of rule of *****. In France, King Louis the Fat ***** given basically parental rights over Eleanor by her father, Duke William X. ***** the *****, having lost his eldest ***** and heir to the throne, promptly arranged for the marriage of Eleanor ***** his younger son, who in short order would become King Louis VII. As the Queen of France, Eleanor involved herself in political affairs, fighting her husb***** ***** policy issues and engaging in ***** Crusades. She provided Louis with ***** surviving children, both daughters. By all accounts an atypical 12th century medieval woman, Eleanor was not content to play mother or stay at home. She offered 1000 of her Aquitaine vassals to the cause of the Crusades, while mounting a nursing unit of 300 of her ladies-in-waiting to tend to the wounded.

***** all ***** the Queen of France was "high-spirited and strong-willed." Her husband, King Louis VII, was trained ***** his f*****her for the highest clerical position in *****. Only unexpectedly did his ascension include the highest temporal position in society. As K*****g, he ***** much less forceful than Eleanor. He maintained a high level of religiosity and *****ten turned to his wife for ***** advice. ***** one biographer of Eleanor notes; "To ***** dismay ***** others, the new king respected ***** wife's intelligence ***** consulted her frequently on matters of state."

The King and ***** of France clashed on matters of state ***** respect to the Sec*****d Crusade. During the Second Crusade, Eleanor supported the strategy ***** her much more intelligent and handsomer uncle, Raymond, Prince of Antioch. Raymond sought ***** recapture Edessa, thereby bolstering Western presence in the Holy Land. Louis, in contrast, sought to invade Jerusalem. When Louis refused to allow ***** to follow Raymond ***** Jerusalem, Eleanor created a pretense on which she could seek divorce: "Eleanor, furious, announced to ***** and