The Power Of Eleanor Of Aquitaine

Eleanor of Aquitaine was an outstanding woman who lived from 1122 to 1204, contributing greatly to politics and the arts. She was a queen who influenced the face of England and France for centuries to come. Few women of her time were able to maintain control over their personal choices, especially the wealthy, as they were often married off as teenagers. Women were a means for men to achieve greater control over more land. However, Eleanor of Aquitaine had power over her life and decisions because she exercised her independence wisely, was not afraid to stand up to her husbands, and was the only one who could make peace and hold her kingdom together.
Women in medieval times had few rights and little control over their own lives; however,

Eleanor of Aquitaine defied these social norms. One of the most important decisions in a medieval woman’s lifetime was whom she married, because marriage created important connections and brought wealth into a family. Rarely were women allowed to make this choice, yet they were most affected by it (Hallam 144). However, Eleanor of Aquitaine, free of any man’s influence, chose to marry King Henry II of England on May 18th, 1152 (Kelly 81). She saw an opportunity to gain authority, so she seized it. Both of them became more powerful through the marriage (Hallam 81, 117). In marriages, women were expected to obey their husbands and allow them to manage all property (Peter of Blois). Rather than let Henry II give her land to their children as dowries and inheritances, Eleanor fought to maintain control of Aquitaine so she could govern it as she pleased (Hallam 117; Kelly 15). In fact, Eleanor refused so much to be like the women of her time that Peter of Blois, a cleric of the Archbishop of Rouen, felt threatened by her, begging her to be more submissive, as a woman should be “subject to [her husband’s] power,” instead of having her own (Peter of Blois). Through her denial to conform to convention, Eleanor of Aquitaine maintained self-governance over her life.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was a powerful woman who refused to submit to her husbands’ wishes, which gave her control over her life. She married Louis specifically because he would protect Aquitaine, not because he was the only option for her family (Kelly 1-6; Jones 31). Also, Queen Eleanor was also very intelligent, which, in addition to her wealth, made her most desirable to King Louis. Her marriage to Louis VII was unstable because she stood up for what she believed in, which was considered a violation of “the condition of nature” (Peter of Blois). For example, while Louis was agonizing over his attack on Vitry in 1142, Eleanor continued to push him to allow her younger sister, Petronilla, to be married. The Queen was more concerned with her family’s advancement than with his internal moral conflict; she achieved her goal through persistence (Kelly 27). In addition, King Louis needed her help ruling France (Kelly 1-6), since she had been ruling Aquitaine since age fifteen, making her an experienced leader, unlike him (Jones 30). Louis was jealous of Eleanor’s political strength and influence over Aquitaine (Hallam 81), and she compelled him to engage in some questionable political decisions (Jones 32). These things created tension between them. The conflicts between Eleanor and Louis grew so large that Eleanor insisted that they divorce, which occurred in 1151. Divorce was strongly discouraged at that time, especially among Catholics (Peter of Blois), but the couple went through with it. King Louis lost all of Aquitaine from the divorce, but Eleanor was so obstinate in her refusal to comply with his wishes that the loss was worthwhile (Jones 34, Hallam 79). Eleanor’s marriage to and divorce from Louis VII display her authority over her own decisions through interactions with others in her life.
Eleanor’s participation in the Second Crusade in 1144 also demonstrates her freedom, because both she and Louis VII went, but they made their journeys separately (Hallam 78-79). Queen Eleanor had found most of her duties to be dreary, so she took initiative and decided to crusade (Kelly 31-32). Although Louis went too, Eleanor and her troops traveled ahead of him because she did not need his protection (Kelly 37). King Louis wanted his wife to remain home, but she was more popular than he and Louis needed soldiers. Only Eleanor could provide the Aquitainian and Poitevin troops that he desired (Kelly 33), because she had made herself admired among her subjects. She had a travelling literary and arts court where she brought many cultures together, which gained her the support of the people (Hallam 79). In addition to this, Eleanor gathered a group of female soldiers who dressed and fought like men, which showed how influential she was (Kelly 38-39). Eleanor strategized with her uncle Raymond about the best course to take to be successful, which led to false rumors of an affair between them. Louis did not trust their ideas, though their plan was superior. Because of Louis’ ignorance, the crusade failed (Hallam 79, Jones 32). Louis was jealous of Eleanor’s intellect and of her alleged affair, which created tension between them since she had more supporters than him (Hallam 79). Eleanor’s participation in the Second Crusade was an expression of her free will. She was able to spark unease in Louis, even though, as a man, he should have been the one in control.
Eleanor also maintained command of her life through her marriage to King Henry II of England. She chose to marry him after leaving Louis VII because she believed he would be her “surest guarantee of safety” (Peter of Blois). Henry would not refuse, because he gained desirable land from the marriage and he needed an experienced ruler to help him (Jones 30, 33; Hallam 81). The Queen ruled in his absence and had the administrative power to make political decisions (Hallam 117). Queen Eleanor was unafraid to exercise her ability to lead, both when acting as regent for Henry and when he was home. Eleanor fought to be the sole ruler of Aquitaine, and was successful. She did this because Henry II had taken her out of the public eye, and she was growing frustrated. She wanted to be independently strong (Hallam 117). Even after the revolt against him in 1173, Henry could not divorce her because he could not afford to lose the duchy of Aquitaine, which she controlled (Hallam 117). Due to the fact Eleanor continued to ensure that she had political influence and was able to make major decisions that were in her own interests, she was powerful.
Another example of Eleanor fighting for her rights to authority was in the revolt of 1173. She plotted against Henry II with the aid of her three eldest children and of Louis VII (Hallam 117; Jones 76, 78). When her son Henry the Young King felt that he, too, was losing what was rightfully his (Jones 77), he, Geoffrey, and Richard worked with their mother to develop a plan to revolt (Hallam 117). The revolt caused so much disruption that if it had not been put down, it could have caused “widespread disaster” through war (Peter of Blois), because Eleanor sought help from Henry’s enemy, Louis VII (Jones 78). Eleanor was upset because Henry had been giving away parts of Aquitaine to his children, wrongly thinking that it was his. Rather, Aquitaine was where Eleanor had the greatest influence and she was determined not to lose hold of it (Jones 77-78). Queen Eleanor wanted to keep Aquitaine both so that she could have power and so that Richard could inherit it from her and continue her legacy (Jones 78). Even though Henry imprisoned Eleanor after the Revolt, she kept Aquitaine and was called upon to solve conflicts during that time (Hallam 117, Jones 84). The revolt was a display of Eleanor’s power, because she caused political chaos, which was something very few women have ever done.
Eleanor had more control over her sons than Henry did, and was the only person able to pacify them.

She was also so smart that she was the only one deemed able enough to teach Richard how to lead peacefully (Jones 93). The Queen was released from prison in 1189, and she immediately began to work in the government (Hallam 195). Richard’s younger brother John felt deprived of power because his brother was king, and Eleanor was the only one able to stop him from allying and rebelling against Richard (Jones 119; Hallam 227). She made sure that each of her sons had the power he craved, effectively avoiding conflict (Jones 133). The two brothers to forgave each other at Eleanor’s coercion; no one else had been able to make them do so until this point (Jones 125). When Richard was unable to put down his brother’s rebellion or make peace, Eleanor did it for him, because she was the only one intelligent enough to know how (Jones 119). Richard gave her a place in the English government, and she ruled as regent when he was away (Hallam 195). When acting as regent for Richard, who was on the Third Crusade, Eleanor maintained peaceful relations with everyone and tried to form unlikely alliances (Hallam 226). Few other rulers had attempted to do the same. Richard honored his mother’s wishes, being generous and protecting the forests at her request (Hallam 198), and all of the princes in his kingdom were subject to her, demonstrating her influence (Hallam 195). Eleanor had widespread

authority under the reign of her third son, Richard, which allowed her to show her strength and act as she pleased.
Eleanor of Aquitaine knew that John, her fourth son, was not a very talented leader; however, she knew that she would have power if he was king, but not if Geoffrey’s son Arthur, Richard’s other potential heir, became king (Hallam 277).

Eleanor herself led an army against Arthur to secure John’s leadership (Jones 135). She used her authority to persuade Poitiers not to rebel against John and acquired Aquitaine’s support, even though Anjou, Maine, and Touraine, three other major duchies, were for Arthur (Hallam 277). When Arthur tried to claim Plantagenet lands to become more powerful, Eleanor swayed the people to support John, and Arthur was unable to conquer any land (Hallam 262). Without Eleanor, John would not have been able to be king, and Aquitaine and Poitiers would have fallen to their enemy. When the Queen died, John lost his popularity and his most valuable, brightest advisor (Hallam 278). Poitou, Anjou, Maine, and Touraine rebelled against John, because Eleanor, the sole strength behind him, was gone (Hallam 275). Areas under Eleanor’s protection became extremely vulnerable, and John lost control of Eleanor’s most beloved place: Aquitaine (Hallam 275, 277-278). By the end of her life, Eleanor was the only person holding the Angevin empire in place, and no one else was strong enough to rule it without

her.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most competent rulers that the medieval era produced. She was intelligent and persuasive, yet did not conform to the expectations of women in her time. This was beneficial to her, because it made her unafraid to fight for what she believed in. Queen Eleanor gained leadership experience, and grew popular among her subjects. She presented herself as equal to her husbands, as she was equally capable of ruling, and always maintained her claim to power. In addition, she kept her kingdom strong, safe, and stable, both when dealing with familial affairs and external affairs. For these reasons, Eleanor of Aquitaine was a resilient woman who controlled her own life, which few women in history have been able to do.