Eleanor+of+Aquitaine

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=__ Eleanor of Aquitaine __=

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Eleanor of Aquitaine, a woman who had everything when women had nothing. Known as one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Europe, she provided women with a sense of power and pride in the Middle Ages. She married several men, each giving her more power, but gave birth to two more rulers. Loved by many, persecuted by few, she empowered the minority of women. (The Divine Feminine)====== ==

=__The Rise of Her Power__=

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In 1099, William IX, the Duke of Aquitaine, and Phillipa of Toulouse gave birth to William X in Toulouse during the brief time that they ruled there. Later, on February 26, 1126, William IX died. This event made William X the Duke of Aquitaine as he inherited his father's land. William X then married Aenor de Chatellerault. The two then gave birth to their only daughter, Eleanor, in 1122. In 1137, William X joined the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, but died during the journey. (William X) While dying, he wished to speak with King Louis VI of France and asked him to be a protector of his daughter, and to also find her a husband. Eleanor inherited the duchy of Aquitaine at 15 years old, and married[| Louis VII], the King's son, three months later. King Louis VI died 7 days later, giving France to his son and his new wife, Eleanor.======

=__**Life With King Louis VII**__= Marrying King Louis VII not only made Eleanor Queen of France, but it made Louis VII Duke of Aquitaine. When Louis VII decided that he wanted to lead the Second Crusade, Eleanor gave him full support. She began to show signs of wanting to go accompany them along the journey to the Holy Land. She proceeded to speak with Abbe Bernard of Clairvaux about her decision. She provided many ships for the Crusaders to use during battle and after much thought and hesitation, he gave in and let her go along on the [|Second Crusade] with her husband and the crusaders. The accompaniment of Eleanor during the Crusade, led Louis to doubt her fidelity. (Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings) Due to this, and the lack of a male heir to the throne after 15 years of marriage, the two had an annulment to their marriage on March 11, 1152.

=__Times of Change; Life With Henry II, King of England__= When Louis VII and Eleanor divorced, the title of "Queen" was stripped from her. Shortly after this, Eleanor met and fell in love with Henry Plantagenet of Anjou. (Henry II of England) Henry II inherited Anjou in 1151 and shortly afterwards married Eleanor, also making him Duke of Aquitaine. The two lived together for two years before Henry was crowned King of England in 1154 in Westminster Abbey. Eleanor had been crowned Queen once more through marriage. Eleanor and Henry had eight children; 5 male and 3 female. They named them Richard, John, Henry, Geoffrey, William, Mathilda, Joan, and Eleanor. As time went on, Eleanor became more discontent with Henry and his actions. So much at to where she inspired four of her sons to revolt against him. After the revolt failed in 1173, Henry imprisoned Eleanor. Eleanor was released in 1189 when King Henry II of England passed away.

=__Life After King Henry II__= After the death of Henry II, Eleanor's son, Richard, took over. Richard ruled with his mother supporting him throughout his reign. A vast majority of the time that he ruled, he fought in the [|Third Crusade.] In fact, one of his victories in battle brought him the name, "Richard the Lionhearted." (Richard I of England) Sadly, death preceded him in a small battle in Normandy. His brother John took over the throne. Having much experience from the time that Richard spent in battle, John succeeded in his reign. Eleanor stood beside her son throughout his reign and gave him full support just as she had done during Richard's reign. Eleanor of Aquitaine died in 1240 at age eighty-two. Her body rests in Normandy by her second husband, King Henry II. (Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)

=__The Legacy of Eleanor of Aquitaine__= During the reign of Eleanor and Henry, many things changed politically. The couple completely reshaped the law system. Two of these things are still in act today. Eleanor and Henry introduced [|trial by jury] and clerks to record the court rulings. The trial by jury meant that criminals who committed crimes in the area were not tried by combat. Instead a group of witnesses tried them and decided if the criminal should be proclaimed guilty. The jury then consults the judge and they make the final decision. The clerks in court made sure that there had always been a fair ruling in the court. The punishment of any case being recorded by the clerk was constantly being reviewed in similar cases to make sure that the defendant received the same punishment. (Jury Trial) Eleanor also taught her knights to respect and honor women, something that men had not normally done during this time. Eleanor of Aquitaine was and forever will be a woman of divine power. (//Eleanor of Aquitaine)//

=Works Cited=

HIstory.com, Staff. "Eleanor of Aquitaine." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 13 Apr. 2009. Web. 26 Jan. 2017.

Youtube Channel, Paris19able. "The Divine Feminine - Eleanor of Aquitaine." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Nov. 2012. Web. 26 Jan. 2017.

“World Book E 2001.” Eleanor of Aquitaine. Chicago, IL: World Book, 2001. 158. Print.

"Louis VI of France." //Wikipedia //. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

Authors, Wikipedia. "Eleanor of Aquitaine." //Wikipedia //. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

Authors, Wikipedia. "Henry II of England." //Wikipedia //. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 July 2009. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

Authors, Wikipedia. "Richard I of England." //Wikipedia //. Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Mar. 2012. Web. 06 Feb. 2017

Authors, Wikipedia. "Jury Trial." //<span style="background-color: #f1f4f5; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',HelveticaNeue,'TeX Gyre Heros',TeXGyreHeros,FreeSans,'Nimbus Sans L','Liberation Sans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Wikipedia //<span style="background-color: #f1f4f5; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',HelveticaNeue,'TeX Gyre Heros',TeXGyreHeros,FreeSans,'Nimbus Sans L','Liberation Sans',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Dec. 2014. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

Kelly, Amy, Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings (1950); Kibler, W., Eleanor of Aquitaine: Patron and Politician(1976); Meade, Marion, Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography (1977)

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"William X, Duke of Aquitaine." //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Wikipedia //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2017.

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