A Lady of Remarkable Beauty and Intrigue

One of the most prominent characters of French and English history, Eleanor of Aquitaine is a legendary figure weaved into the history of her domain. Famed for her wealth and power she came to control much of southern France during the 12th and 13th centuries. At the apogee of her influence, she married King Louis VII of France and participated in the Second Crusade as Queen Consort. Soon after their return, she requested a divorce which was eventually granted. At 30 years of age, she became engaged to her third cousin Henry, the duke of Normandy and count of Anjou, and upon their marriage ceremony, they were declared King and Queen of England, inaugurating the polity that would be later known as the Angevin Empire. Through expert statecraft and masterful manipulation of nobles and rulers alike, she carved her name in the books of history for the centuries to come, a shining example of a most capable queen.