History Meme

Since I’ve already been tagged twice for this meme, I’d better get to it.

I actually have two favorite historical figures. Since Elizabeth I is too obvious a choice (albeit a fascinating character), I will focus on her predecessor, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor, who was born sometime around 1122, lived a long life and died in 1204.

Her many exploits and accomplishments include the following:

1. She was Queen consort of both King Louis VII of France and King Henry II of England. She married Henry (she was about 29, he was 18) shortly after her first marriage was annulled on grounds of consanguinity. Oddly, she was actually slightly more closely related to Henry than to Louis. Eleanor and Louis were not well-suited for each other temperamentally – he was no match for her in either personality or intelligence. She and Henry, in contrast, were well matched.

2. Her wedding gift to Louis, a rock crystal vase, is on display in the Louvre.

3. She accompanied Louis VII on his unsuccessful adventure in the Holy Land as a leader of the Second Crusade. She was accompanied by a court that included several ladies in waiting and more than 300 non-noble vassals.

4. She was the mother of two English kings: Richard I (the Lionhearted) and John. Richard was her favorite child and John was Henry’s favorite (She had a total of ten children, two with Louis and eight with Henry). She served as Queen Regent of Richard’s kingdom during his adventures in the Holy Land on the Third Crusade. Richard spent less than one year in England during his ten-year reign. Consequently, Eleanor was truly the ruler of the realm throughout his tenure. After Richard died and John ascended to the throne, the new king sent Eleanor (in her late 70s by this time) to France to find a bride for him.

5. Upon her estrangement from Henry, Eleanor assisted his sons in their attempts to overthrow their father and usurp his throne. This led to her eventual arrest and fifteen year imprisonment. She was released from prison upon Henry’s death in 1189.

6. Upon her retirement from public life, Eleanor took holy orders and lived as a nun at Fontrevault for the last three years of her life.

7. Eleanor’s native language was Poitevin (a regional French dialect), and she also spoke and wrote in Latin. She was well versed in music and literature and was an avid equestrian, hawker and hunter. She played a pivotal role in establishing the norms of “courtly love” that spread across Europe in the Middle Ages and kept a very literate, artistic court.

Additional note (but not #8 – after all, I can’t break the rules!): Eleanor and Henry’s relationship was memorialized in a 1996 stage play called The Lion in Winter. A film version starring Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn appeared in 1968 and a second made-for-TV movie starring Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close was produced in 2003 (all had the same title). I’ve got to see those films, especially the one with Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor. I bet that’s a treat!

I am tagging the following people:

(((Billy))): the (parenthetical) atheist.
EnoNomi: maybe this will cure your burnout.
Lifeguard: this should be right up your alley.
Plonkee: I bet you’ll have something interesting to add.
JP: perhaps a change of pace?
Sacred Slut: this ought to be good!
Disgustipated, the Altoona Atheist: I’m looking forward to your take on this.

— the chaplain