When it was all said and done, she held the titles of duchess of normandy, duchess of aquitaine, countess of anjou, countess of poitou. Marion meade has told the story of eleanor, wild, devious. But marriage reemphasized her sex which, in the medieval scheme of genderpower relations relegated her to the position of lady in relation to her lordly husbands. Best historicalfiction about eleanor of aquitaine 24 books. Is kellys eleanor of aquataine and the four kings a reissue of the 1950 book, or did she rewrite it. By the wrath of god, queen of england by weir, alison isbn. Her second marriage, which brought southwestern france to the english king, affected the relations of france and england for almost 300 years. By student laura bright a first look eleanor was a french duchess. Queen eleanor, independent spirit of the medieval world. Marion meade has told the story of eleanor, wild, devious, from a thoroughly historical but different point of view. Eleanor, duchess of aquitaine was one of the leading personalities of the middle ages adn also one of the most controversial.
See the complete eleanor of aquitaine series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. Eleanor of aquitaine, queen consort of both louis vii of france 1752 and henry ii of england 11521204 and mother of richard i the lionheart and john of england. It was the winner of the good book guide award for the best biography of 1999, as voted for by readers in 100 countries. The novel begins with eleanors marriage at thirteen years old to the future king of france and follows her eventful life as she matures through political and marital upheavals and becomes a force to be reckoned with. As a member of the ramnulfids house of poitiers rulers in southwestern france, she was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in western europe during the high middle ages. This is a substantial book of 394 pages, and of all the single. Henry ii died in 1189 and richard, thought to be eleanors favorite among her sons, became king. Eleanor of aquitaine has been listed as a level4 vital article in people. Enhance her reading skills with a short comprehension quiz. Weir offers a full portrait of eleanor from both the primary sources and the myths surrounding the queen consort and, like schiff, does so in a biography that is storybased, richly. Eleanor held her christmas court at angers while henry was at oxford. The awardwinning film, lion in winter, katherine hepburn shows eleanors inner life during her captivity. At age 15 she married louis vii, king of france, bringing into the union her vast possessions from the river loire to the pyrenees. Eleanor of aquitaine, like cleopatra, played a pivotal role in her era, often pitted against powerful men and holding a driving agenda and ambition of her own.
Twelfth century folk did not jot down every passing thought. Of course, the life of a monarch is never a simple one and no marriage is without its hiccups. Learn more about eleanor of aquitaine in this article. This is inevitable, however, owing to scant records on this former queen of england and queen of france. So she has used a lot of imagination but as the story of a truly remarkable woman, it works. I have read many books on eleanor of the aquitaine, including eleanor of the aquitaine and the four kings this article rather debunks some of what was written there. Eleanor of aquitaine trilogy the summer queen, the first of three ground breaking linked but standalone novels detailing the life of eleanor aquitaine. About eleanor of aquitaine in this beautifully written biography, alison weir paints a vibrant portrait of a truly exceptional woman and provides new insights into her intimate world. From 11891204 eleanor of aquitaine also was active as a ruler in poitou and gascony. Read eleanor of aquitaine patron and politician by available from rakuten kobo. She later became queen of france, divorced her husband, and then became queen of england a short few months later.
She was perhaps the most powerful woman in 12thcentury europe. The captive queen follows eleanor from her marriage to henry ii to his death, with an epilogue that breezes through eleanors last years. Eleanor of aquitaine was one of the most powerful and fascinating personalities of feudal europe. Eleanor of aquitaine peoplecharacters librarything. Louis and eleanor were married in july 17, but had little time to get to know one another before louis father the king fell ill. From 1185, eleanor became more active in the ruling of aquitaine. We use your linkedin profile and activity data to personalize ads and to show you more relevant ads. She ostensibly chronicles the life of eleanor, though the book also provides a tableau of 12thcentury europe. The author of a number of other books on the medieval period life of. Her novel, the dress lodger, was published as part of the ballantine readers circle in january 2001. The next 15 years of eleanors life were split between england, normandy and her beloved aquitaine. Henry had a tendency to be constantly on the move and it was unusual for him to be so immobile, which has led to suspicions that this was when his love affair with rosamund began.
These books about eleanor of aquitaine are historicallyaccurate testaments to this strongwilled woman of the middle ages. Queen and legend is the book for readers who want their eleanor, beauty, warts and all, but shorn of celebrity fluff. Eleanor of aquitaine wk 3 if your kid is crazy for castles and knights, have her read eleanors biography in this worksheet. Eleanor of aquitaine was the wife of two kings, louis vii of france and henry ii plantagenet of england, and the mother. One of marion meades problems, as she freely admits, was lack of sources. Renowned in her time for being the most beautiful woman in europe, the wife of two kings and mother of three, eleanor of aquitaine was one of the great heroines of the middle ages. Why we should not forget the medieval era when searching for our most powerful queens. Eleanor of aquitaine lived a long life of many contrasts, of splendor and desolation, power and peril, and in this stunning narrative, weir captures the woman and the queenin all her glory.
She had a younger sister called petronilla of aquitaine. The tall candle that had been left to burn all night was almost a stub, and even through the closed shutters she could hear the cockerels on roosts, walls, and. A novel of eleanor of aquitaine by alison weir, eleanor of aquitaine. Eleanor of aquitaine 11221204 queen consort of louis vii of france, queen consort of henry ii of england, mother of king richard i of england and king john of england. In that sense it complements bonnie wheelers and john parsons eleanor of aquitaine. Eleanor of aquitaine simple english wikipedia, the free. Eleanor was born in 1122 in aquitaine a huge swath of southwestern, modernday france andwas the first daughter of william x, duke of aquitaine and his wife aenor. Eleanor of aquitaine by alison weir overdrive rakuten. Eleanor of aquitaine 1122 1 april 1204 was queen consort of france 171152 and england 11541189 and duchess of aquitaine in her own right 171204. Eleanor of aquitaine and the four kings by amy kelly who provides an excellent lifeandtimes approach, and eleanor of aquitaine by marion meade who gives a feminist interpretation. A life 1999 eleanor of aquitaine is my bestselling book to date. Eleanor of aquitaine by alison weir book cover, description, publication history. A novel of eleanor of aquitainealienor woke at dawn.
Award winning educational materials like worksheets, games, lesson plans and activities designed to help kids succeed. Deconstructing the story of eleanor of aquitaine the. September 17, 2015 on the 9 th september, queen elizabeth ii surpassed queen victoria as the longest reigning british monarch. Eleanors patrilineal descent, from a lineage already prestigious enough to have produced an empress in the eleventh century, gave her the lordship of aquitaine. Though the exact year and place of birth is unknown, it is speculated that she was born on either 1122 or 1124 in poitiers, bordeaux, or nieulsurlautise. Eleanors a fascinating figure, and makes a great character in historical fiction, but its damned hard to write a biography about her. She was sole heiress to the largest, wealthiest region of what is now france. A sister, aelith called the more pronounceable, petronilla and a brother, william, would follow in short order. The one person who matches every one of these traits was a duchess of the aquitaine, wife of two kings, mother of two others, and though not at the same time queen of both france and england. Eleanor of aquitaine women in world history curriculum link to more information.
As daughter of the duke of aquitaine, eleanor was one of the besteducated women. This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the eleanor of aquitaine article. Eleanor of aquitaine 1122 april 1, 1204 was a medieval firebrand, and no question about it. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new. At a time when women were regarded as little more than chattel, eleanor managed to defy convention as she exercised power in the political sphere and crucial influence over her husbands and sons. With astonishing historic detail, mesmerizing pageantry, and irresistible accounts of royal scandal and intrigue, she recreates not only a remarkable personality but a magnificent past era. She has also written biographies of woody allen, buster keaton, eleanor of aquitaine, victoria woodhull, and madame blavatsky, as well as two novels about medieval france. Eleanor of aquitaine ebook by 9781477300244 rakuten kobo. Eleanor of aquitaine article about eleanor of aquitaine. Books for eleanor of aquitaine the history of england. Eleanor of aquitaine is remembered for being herself. During this time she produced another seven children, acted as regent when henry was away from england and played an active part in political negotiations. She was queen of france and then queen of england, the mother of two kings, and an active participant in european politics into her eighties. Eleanor of aquitaine by alison weir fantastic fiction.
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