Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France, Queen of England

Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France, Queen of England

Eleanor of Aquitaine’s extraordinary life seems more likely to be found in the pages of fiction. Proud daughter of a distinguished French dynasty, she married the king of France, Louis VII, then the king of England, Henry II, and gave birth to two sons who rose to take the English throne—Richard the Lionheart and John. Renowned for her beauty, hungry for power, headstrong, and unconventional, Eleanor traveled on crusades, acted as regent for Henry II and later for Richard, incited rebellion, endured a fifteen-year imprisonment, and as an elderly widow still wielded political power with energy and enthusiasm. This gripping biography is the definitive account of the most important queen of the Middle Ages. Ralph Turner, a leading historian of the twelfth century, strips away the myths that have accumulated around Eleanor—the “black legend” of her sexual appetite, for example—and challenges the accounts that relegate her to the shadows of the kings she married and bore. Turner focuses on a wealth of primary sources, including a collection of Eleanor’s own documents not previously accessible to scholars, and portrays a woman who sought control of her own destiny in the face of forceful resistance. A queen of unparalleled appeal, Eleanor of Aquitaine retains her power to fascinate even 800 years after her death. Eleanor of Aquitaine comes into her own in Turner’s measured, meticulously researched biography of a queen more often associated with scandal and frivolity than with intelligence and power. Married first to Louis VII of France and then to Henry II of England, the mother of three English kings was a renowned beauty and the daughter of a distinguished French dynasty. During the course of her exceptionally long (1124–1204) and eventful life, she broke a host of gender-based barriers, including accompanying Philip on the Second Crusade, acting as Henry’s regent during his long absences, and becoming actively involved in the political intrigue surrounding the power struggle for the English throne. Imprisoned by Henry for 15 years after plotting against him, Eleanor emerged from her enforced confinement stronger and more determined than ever, eventually becoming the power behind the throne of her two sons, kings Richard I and John. Firmly grounding his subject into historical context, Turner provides a portrait of a passionately ambitious and extremely intelligent twelfth-century queen who transcended societal limitations and expectations. --Margaret Flanagan Chosen as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2009 by Choice Magazine ( Choice 2010-01-01) Ralph V. Turner is emeritus professor of history, Florida State University. He is the author of King John and The Reign of Richard Lionheart , among many other publications on European medieval history. He lives in Tallahassee.