Great Women in History: Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor of Aquitaine, also known as the Duchess of Aquitaine and Gascony and the Countess of Poitou, was born in 1122 in France. Her father was William X, the Duke of Aquitaine, and her mother was Aenor de Chatellerault, the daughter of the Vicomte of Chatellerault.

The young Eleanor was raised in what was considered one of Europe's most cultured courts. Her father made certain that she had the best education possible for a woman of her era and even though her native language was Poitevin, she was able to speak and read Latin. Eleanor of Aquitaine was highly appreciative of art and literature, but also enjoyed outdoor pursuits like riding, hawking and hunting.

Eleanor was regarded as being a very stubborn child, a trait that worked well for her in the future. She was considered to be quite beautiful according to those around her and even though we don't know exactly what she looked like, it is widely assumed that she had red hair and brown eyes.

After the death of her mother and siblings, she became heiress to Aquitaine and 7 other countries. But it was in 1137 that her destiny was to change forever. Her father died of suspected food poisoning while on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, and at the age of just fifteen Eleanor of Aquitaine became the Duchess of Aquitaine.

Eleanor's father had explicitly instructed in his Will that King Louis VI, or King Louis the Fat, as he was also called, was to look after Eleanor and her lands and find a suitable husband for her. King Louis was very ill himself when he was informed of William's death, and he swiftly decided to marry Eleanor to his son, Prince Louis.

Prince Louis was sent to Bordeaux with 500 knights. He arrived there on July 11th, and the next day Eleanor and Prince Louis were married. King Louis had of course altered the arrangements ever so slightly; her land would remain independent of France, and Eleanor's future eldest son would be King of France and Duke of Aquitaine. Eleanor's wedding present to her husband was a rock crystal vase, which can now be seen on display at the Louvre.