| Notes |
- Eleanor was the divorced wife of Louis VII, King of France.
Source for the following excerpt: http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=aquitaine_fredericksburg_04
"She became a queen at age fifteen in the year 1137 when her father died and she married Prince Louis of France, who became king less than a month after their marriage . . . This marriage, though considered perfect in state because of the joining of the two estates, was extremely ill-matched in personality. Eleanor was out-spoken, loved color, and did things on the spur-of-the-moment. Louis, who had been brought up to become an officer in the church, was a weak, dull, grave, and pious man (Sam Behling) who only inherited the throne when his older brother died. Even though they did have two children together (both girls), they were so poorly matched that they divorced when Eleanor was twenty-nine after a major falling out on the Second Crusade, on which both traveled. Although it was extremely unconventional for women to go on crusade, Eleanor did, along with three hundred of her ladies . . . Only eight months after returning from the Second Crusade, Eleanor remarried -- this time to Prince Henry of France who was eleven years her junior, who made her queen about two years after their marriage in 1154. Throughout this marriage, Eleanor was constantly pregnant, and produced eight children (five sons and three daughters), three of which were eventually kings, themselves."
Much more is available online about this colorful woman.
From Wikipedia:
"Eleanor's father ensured that she had the best possible education. Although her native tongue was Poitevin, she was taught to read and speak Latin, was well versed in music and literature, and schooled in riding, hawking, and hunting. Eleanor was extroverted, lively, intelligent, and strong willed."
"On 25 October 1154, Eleanor's second husband became King of the English. Eleanor was crowned Queen of the English by the Arcbishop of Canterbury on 19 December 1154."
Also see: http://www.alicemariebeard.com/law/eleanor.htm
|
1122 - 1204 (82 years)