Eleanor of Aquitaine & Louis VII: The Medieval Annulment That Reshaped Europe

What Happened

Eleanor of Aquitaine was the wealthiest and most powerful woman in 12th-century Europe. She inherited the vast Duchy of Aquitaine — covering most of southwestern France — at age 15, making her one of the most desirable marriage prospects on the continent. She married the devout and serious Louis VII of France in 1137 when she was approximately 15 years old. The marriage was politically advantageous but personally miserable: Eleanor was vivacious, cultured, and politically ambitious, while Louis was pious and indecisive.

Eleanor accompanied Louis on the Second Crusade (1147-1149), where rumors of an affair with her uncle Raymond of Antioch scandalized the French court. More importantly, the marriage produced only two daughters — no male heir. By 1152, both parties wanted out. On March 21, 1152, at the royal castle of Beaugency, four archbishops granted an annulment on grounds of consanguinity within the fourth degree (Eleanor and Louis were third cousins once removed). Critically, Eleanor retained full control of her vast Aquitaine lands.

Just eight weeks later, on May 18, 1152, Eleanor married Henry Plantagenet, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou — who in 1154 became King Henry II of England. The marriage transferred Aquitaine from French to English control, creating the Angevin Empire that stretched from Scotland to the Pyrenees. King Louis was reportedly furious that neither party had asked his consent. The geopolitical consequences lasted for three centuries, contributing to the Hundred Years' War.

Eleanor's marriage to Henry II was itself tumultuous. They had eight children, including two future kings (Richard the Lionheart and King John), but Eleanor eventually supported their sons' rebellion against Henry. He imprisoned her for sixteen years (1173-1189). She was freed only after Henry's death and went on to serve as regent for Richard during his absence on the Third Crusade. She died in 1204 at approximately 82 — having been queen of two countries and one of the most influential figures of the medieval world.

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