Scandalous Women in Fiction: TO BE QUEEN

Title: TO BE QUEEN
Author:  Christy English
Publisher:  NAL
Pub Date:  April 5, 2011

From the back cover:  Taught by her father, the Duke of Aquitaine, how to be powerful in the midst of ruthless politics of the court, Eleanor learned at an early age to inspire love and loyalty in the people around her.  Those lessons serve the fifteen-year-old well when - after her father's sudden death - she is crowned Duchess of Aquitaine and becomes the most eligible, sought-after woman in France.
Enamored of the young and beautiful Eleanor, King Louis VII claims her as his own, but the newly crowned monarch is easily manipulated by the Church and therefore bound to a way of life Eleanor does not believe in.  Trapped in a loveless marriage and met with opposition at every turn, Eleanor fights to dissolve her estranged union with Louis and return to Aquitaine. But Eleanor is soon charmed by the English upstart Henry of Normandy.  If she can find the strength to leave her homeland behind, she may finally win the passion she has longed for and the means to fulfill her legacy as queen.

My thoughts:  Eleanor of Aquitaine has long been a heroine of mine, I find her endlessly fascinating, even after years of reading biographies and novels about her.  I had the privilege of reading Christy English's debut novel, THE QUEEN'S PAWN last year, where she skillfully interwove the story of Eleanor's later years with the story of Alais, the French princess who was meant to be Richard the Lionheart's bride, but ended up the last love of Henry II instead. That novel was compelling look at the love not just between an old man for a young woman, but the love between a mother and a daughter, for Alais in many ways was more a daughter to Eleanor than her own children.

So I was beyond excited when I received my copy of English's newest novel, TO BE QUEEN from NAL in the mail.  At the same time I was anxious.  Would this second novel live up to the promise of the first? Well, I'm happy to report that TO BE QUEEN is an even better, more accomplished novel. For most of us our first memory of Eleanor of Aquitaine was a woman in her twilight years in THE LION IN WINTER.  English gives us the young Alienor (as she was known then), starting at the age of 10, as she learns the ways of statecraft from her beloved father, William Duke of Aquitaine.  By the age of 10, Alienor has already lost her mother and her younger brother who was heir to the throne. Although their deaths were tragic, Alienor has learned at a young age to supress her emotions, at least in front of those who might use them against her, seeing them as a weakness.

The relationship between Alienor and her father is so lovingly depicted that it made me long for my own father (who passed away 11 years ago).  William recognizes in his daughter that she has the temperment and inherent skills necessary to be the Duchess of Aquitaine.  Instead of remarrying so that he can have a son to inherit the duchy, William is content to leave it in the hands of his daughter. The two plot to make Eleanor not just Duchess of Aquitaine but Queen of France.  Unfortunately Eleanor's father dies before the plans are fully in place.  Eleanor, however is ambitious, and she manages to achieve her dream only to find that all that glitters is not gold.  She pays a high price for her ambition, marriage to a man who is more monk than saint.

It is a credit to English's skill as a novelist that while we not only feel for Eleanor, we also sympathize with Louis, who is ill-prepared to deal with a woman who has twice the balls that he does. We feel Eleanor's frustrations as Louis spends more time on his knees praying than he does in her bed getting a son.  "I had been a better woman, a soft-hearted woman like my sister, I would have pitied him. As it was, as I listened to his tears, and to the weakness that no prayers would free him from, I began to hate.' How trying it must have been to be married to a saint.

Although I know the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine by heart, English was still able to surprise me with some of the twists and turns of the narrative. I don't want to put up any spoilers but I was surprised at a plot twist that occured 3/4 of the way through the novel that was a game changer for Eleanor and Louis.  Even a story that I knew well, about an incident that happened while the couple were on Crusade in what would be known modern day Turkey, English managed to add nuances and details that took the story to a whole other level. She manages to keep the dramatic tension taught throughout the novel, never letting it slip once, keeping the reader turning the pages to find out just what is going to happen to Eleanor next, will she succeed in getting an annulment, will she and Louis reconcile and have a son? What about the young Henry of Anjou?

Her prose is gorgeous but not ornate or flowery. Eleanor's sister Petra is described in one scene as 'She was fifteen and as beautiful as a summer morning that has not yet felt the heat of noon.' Or this line after Eleanor explains to her young daughter Marie that she is leaving to go on Crusade with Louis. 'One must cut out one's heart to be queen.'

The novel ends on a high note, Eleanor has achieved her goal of being free, as she makes her way back to the greatest love of her life, not Henry II or Richard the Lionheart but to the Aquitaine. I was very happy with the ending, although it left me wanting more. What adventures await Eleanor next? That to me is the mark of a satisfying story.

My verdict:  A highly enjoyable, thoroughly satisfying journey through the early years of Eleanor of Aquitaine's life.

Scandalous Book Review and Giveaway: The Queen's Pawn by Christy English

Yesterday in 1204, Eleanor of Aquitaine passed away, so it's fitting that I'm reviewing Christy English's debut novel THE QUEEN'S PAWN, since Eleanor of Aquitaine is a major character.

What it's about: At only nine, Princess Alais of France is sent to live in England until she is of age to wed Prince Richard, son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Alais is an innocent pawn on the chessboard of dynastic marriage, her betrothal intended to broker an uneasy truce between the nations.

Estranged from her husband, Eleanor sees a kindred spirit in this determined young girl. She embraces Alais as a daughter, teaching the princess what it takes to be a woman of power in a world of men. But as Alais grows to maturity and develops ambitions of her own, Eleanor begins to see her as a threat-and their love for each other becomes overshadowed by their bitter rivalry, dark betrayals, conflicting passions, and a battle for revenge over the throne of England itself.

Set in the years 1169-1173, the book is told in alternate chapters between the two women, starting with King Louis of France informing Alais of her betrothal to Prince Richard. Alais is naturally treptidatious, she's heard rumors that King Henry II of England is the devil, and that his children are the devil's spawn. When she arrives in England, she and Eleanor showly come to know each other. In Eleanor, Alais finds the mother that she never knew, and for Eleanor, Alais is more like her daughter than the daughters of her own blood. When Eleanor brings Alais home from the convent where she has gone until she's old enough to marry, Alais and Richard fall in love at first sight, but Henry also wants Alais. When Alais has her illusions shattered by Eleanor and Richard, she makes a choice that has devastating consquences.
 
It's no secret that Eleanor of Aquitaine is one of my favorite historical women, and English captures her perfectly. Eleanor is a loving mother, but also a shrewd political operator, moving people around like pieces on her chessboard (lovely scene where Eleanor teaches Alais how to play chess). Eleanor has some regrets for her actions, but would still do the same again. But the real revelation in the book is English depiction of Alais. In her hands, Alais is a complicated, headstrong, loving beauiful young girl, who is at once a mature woman and at the same time a child in many ways. Some of the loveliest scenes are when Alais meets Henry for the first time in the stables where she has gone to play with the puppies. Because of the way he is dressed, she thinks he's a stablehand not the King of England. The alternating chapters work so that just as you find yourself learning towards one woman or the other, you read the next chapter and your point of view on the situation changes. 
 
English's take on Richard is intriguing. On the surface, he's the same Richard that we know and love from THE LION IN WINTER and other novels, devoted to God and war, but English shows a softer side to him in his relationship with Alais. Historians are divided on whether or not Richard was gay, bisexual, or neither and English has come down squarely on the straight side.  I totally bought her version of Richard.

English bumps up Alais' age for the novel and moves the dates of her affair with Henry a few years earlier to coincide with the final rift between Eleanor and Henry, and the start of the conflict with his older sons. According to Wikipedia, she was born in 1160 which would have made her only twelve at this time. In the novel, Alais is older when she starts her affair with Henry. Still there was a part of me that was a bit queasy at the idea of a 14 year old sleeping with a man who was almost 40. I had to remind myself that this was not unusual at the time. Henry VII's mother, Margaret Beaufort gave birth to him when she was 13, after being married to Edmond Tudor who was in his 30's.

I highly reccomend this book. English deftly brings to life one of the most intriguing women in history, and her times to life. It will be hard for readers not to sympathize with both women, particularly Alais. As I was reading the book, I couldn't help casting the movie version. I see Toby Stephens as Henry, Saoirse Ronan as Alais or Romola Garai, and Harriet Walter as Eleanor. Perhaps Rupert Grint, who played Ron in the Harry Potter films, as Richard.

I'm giving away a copy of Christy's book to one lucky winner. Just leave a comment along with your email address between now and April 7th to win. This giveaway is only to readers in the United States.

Everything Eleanor - New Novels about Eleanor of Aquitaine

Recently I was putting together an appendix for Scandalous Women of all the films and fiction adaptations that have been done, when I discovered that at least 4 new historical fiction novels are coming out within the next five months featuring Eleanor of Aquitaine as a major character.

One of the first new books is called The Queen's Pawn by Christy English. This is Christy's first book and it looks like an interesting one. Here's a sneak peek:

At only nine, Princess Alais of France is sent to live in England until she is of age to wed Prince Richard, son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Alais is an innocent pawn on the chessboard of dynastic marriage, her betrothal intended to broker an uneasy truce between the nations. Estranged from her husband, Eleanor sees a kindred spirit in this determined young girl. She embraces Alais as a daughter, teaching the princess what it takes to be a woman of power in a world of men. But as Alais grows to maturity and develops ambitions of her own, Eleanor begins to see her as a threat-and their love for each other becomes overshadowed by their bitter rivalry, dark betrayals, conflicting passions, and a battle for revenge over the throne of England itself.

Sounds good no? I'm really interested in reading it.

 

Touchstone Books is reprinting Norah Lofts Eleanor The Queen in April with a smashing new cover. And Alison Weir, author of a highly acclaimed biography of Eleanor, has a new historical novel out in July called The Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine from Ballantine, and Cecelia Holland has a novel coming out in August from Berkley called The Second Eleanor which from the brief description seems to be dealing with the early years of Eleanor's marriage to Henry II, starting with their relationship when she was still married to Louis.

 

Even after 800 years, Eleanor still holds a great deal of allure for readers. She's long been a heroine of mine, and I love reading other writers interpretations of her. So, is anyone else looking forward to any of these books besides me?

Sunday Book Review and Giveaway: The Lute Player by Nora Lofts

Recently I received a copy of the reissue of Nora Lofts 1951 historical novel The Lute Player from the good folks at Simon &Schuster.

From the back cover:

One of the most renowned figures in medieval history, Richard the Lionhearted, inspired by a vision of the Holy Land, led his knights onto the battlefirelds of the Third Crusade.  During the years of fighting and intrigue, Richard's life was intertwined with the lives of two, strong, vibrant, and drastically different women who loved him - Berengaria, princess of Navarre, and his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine.  While his marriage to Berengaria was ill-fated, Eleanor loved her son with a frantic, possessive pride. But it is Blondel, the king's lute player, who here steps forward from the shadows to tell this tale of romance, war, and betrayal.

I've been a reader and lover of historical fiction since grade school but this is the first time that I've read a Nora Lofts novel, and it won't be the last. The back cover is a little misleading because the book really involves the lives of three women, Berengaria, Eleanor and Berengaria's half-sister Anna of Apieta, not just two.  Anna is not only illegitmate but she is also a hunchback which means that she has no hope of ever marrying or having a family.  The events detailed in the novel are actually set off by a single action of hers, hiring Blondel, who she meets in the market place.  Anna falls in love with him, although she knows it is hopeless, Blondel in turn falls in love with the beautiful Berengaria who is out of his league. Berengaria falls in love with Richard the Lionheart at first sight and is determined to be his wife or no one's, while Richard only loves war and other men.

For Berengaria's sake, Blondel follows Richard on the ill-fated Third Crusade, and then is the only one who can locate him when he is imprisoned in Austria. The novel is told through his eyes, Eleanor of Aquitaine's and Anna's. Lofts was unafraid to reveal her characters to be flawed, three-dimensional human beings, you love them and hate them as you get to know them through the course of the novel. Lofts also deftly portrays the hard lot of women in the Middle Ages, no matter their status. Both Eleanor and Anna are intelligent women, something that was not particularly prized in the Middle Ages when women were seen as either angels or whores, and they suffer because of it. Women who are often at the mercy at the hands of the men in their lives. Lofts is also not afraid to show the more unsavory side of life at the time either.  Although Lofts manages to give a true and accurate portrait of the horrors of war, this was actually the least interesting part of the book for me.  I also wish that we could have been privy to Berengaria's thoughts as opposed to seeing her from other's view points. Her story is a classic example of 'Be Careful What You Wish For."

Berengaria generally gets short shrift in the life of Richard the Lionhearted.  Although they were married, they spent very little time together. The reader can't help but feel for this beautiful woman whose only wish is for her husband to, if not love her, at least show her the respect that she deserves. Watching her disallusionment with Richard is one of the most painful parts of the book. It was also enjoyable to watch Anna and Berengaria forge a real relationship as the book progresses.

I confess that the only thing I knew about Blondel was gleaned from the Tim Rice/Stephen Oliver musical of the 80's, who portrays him as a blonde Medieval pop-star in the making, trying to craft a song for Richard (He comes up with the ditty "I'm a Monarchist"), along with his back up singers, The Blondettes. Lofts crafts the story of a young man who is thrust into a world that he has no idea who to deal with and who tries to mute pain and the horror that he has seen. He forges a friendship with Richard but also with Anna, which hopefully will save him in the end.

This was an exhilirating and rich novel, filled with details that make the age come alive for the reader. A real triumph. Simon & Schuster will be re-releasing Nora Loft's novel on Eleanor of Aquitaine in Spring 2010, and I will certainly be in the bookstore buying a copy!

Verdict: Highly Recommended.

Since I enjoyed this book so much I'm giving away a copy.
Note this giveaway is only available to my American and Canadian readers. Here are the rules:
1) Just leave a comment with your email address at the end of this post
2) The contest ends December 17th 2009 at 12:00 p.m. and will be announced on December 18th.

Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen and Rebel, Part II

Eleanor and Henry proceeded to produce 7 more children over the next 14 years, four boys and three girls, Henry (the young King), Richard, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joanna, Matilda, and the last John in 1166, a remarkable feat during the Middle Ages when infant mortality was extremely high. Unfortunately, their first son William died at the age of 3 from an unknown illness.

Although Eleanor loved her children, Richard especially, she was a woman who loved power and wanted to exercise her intelligence doing more than just hanging around the nursery or supervising her ladies in waiting. Henry, however, wasn't about to share his power with a co-ruler. Although he allowed Eleanor to act as regent during his absences from court, but it was little more than her signing her name to the authority of his ministers, who had the real power.

Henry meanwhile, was also busy, in between ruling his vast kingdom, with other women. At first this didn't bother Eleanor over much, but she soon began to resent it, and his interference in her reign over Aquitaine, which she returned to in 1168. Eventually the two grew apart, the 12 year age difference increasing as the years went by. Although Henry had been discreet with his mistresses at first, that all changed when he fell in love with Rosamond Clifford, the daughter of one of his knights, Walter Clifford. Very little is known about Rosamond except that she was beautiful and Henry loved her above all women. Rumors circulated that Henry would annul his marriage to Eleanor and marry Rosamond, an act that Henry wasn't about to do. Annuling his marriage to Eleanor would mean that Aquitaine and Poitou would no longer be under his control. And Eleanor would once again be bait for his many enemies, seeking to control her vast inheritance. After Rosamond's death in 1176, another rumor spread that Eleanor had either had her murdered or poisoned her directly, despite the fact that Eleanor had been imprisoned at the time. Henry later became involved with Richard's betrothed, Alais, a princess of France and daughter of Eleanor's ex-husband. Needless to say, Richard never married Alais.

Henry allowed Eleanor to return to her court in Poitiers in an attempt to control the unruly barons in Aquitaine. For five years, Eleanor had a certain measure of autonomy from Henry's dominance. It was in Poitiers that Eleanor started to hold the "Courts of Love' where troubadours and poets flocked and the idea of courtly love was practiced, a code comprising 31 articles or The Rules of the 12th Century. The romantic legend of King Arthur took shape at this time, capturing the imaginations of the poets. It was around this time that the idea of the round table, and the love affair betweenGuinevere and Lancelot joined with the earlier versions of the story, through the writings of Chretien de Troyes, who served at the court of Eleanor's daughter, Marie Countess of Champagne. Chrétien also has the distinction of being the first writer to mention the Holy Grail (Perceval).

She even established a tribunal of women where men could come to ask questions. How cool is that? Eleanor of Aquitaine as a medieval Dr. Phil. In Poitiers, Eleanor was also reunited with her two daughters by Louis VII, Marie of Champagne and Alix of Blois. While Henry was the ruler of Aquitaine, Eleanor made sure that her lords knew that their loyalty was to her and not to the King.

The you know what hit the fan in 1173. Their eldest son Henry had been crowned King of England, but was anxious for a little power as were Henry's other two sons Richard and Geoffrey. Although Geoffrey had been made Duke of Brittany through marriage, but Henry didn't allow him to rule, nor did he allow Richard, any who was heir to Aquitaine and Poitou, any influence in the duchy. The sons chafed under their father's iron fist and revolted with their mother's support.

Henry was enraged that his sons would dare to rebel against him and that Eleanor would lend her support. The plan failed and all three sons fled to France. Eleanor was not so lucky, she was caught trying to flee dressed like a man. She was sent back to England and imprisoned for the next 15 years in various royal residences around the country. Very little is known about Eleanor's life during this time. On brief occasions, she was let out of her prison, mainly for Christmas celebrations at the court (The Lion in Winter is set during one such holiday), and to see Richard installed as Duke of Aquitaine after Eleanor renounced her title. Occasionally she was allowed to have family members as visitors, but Henry never let her forget that she was his prisoner.

Meanwhile his sons continued to rebel against him, hooking up with Louis VII's son, Philip Augustus, who proved to be a more formidable enemy than his father. However, the young King Henry died of dysentery in 1183, awaiting his father's forgiveness. Although Henry didn't come in person, he did send his son a sapphire ring as a token of reconciliation. Then Geoffrey took a fatal fall in 1186, leaving his son Arthur who was born 7 months after his death. That left Richard and John as Henry's only heirs. Eventually even John also known as John Lackland for his lack of inherited titles and land, Henry's favorite son joined in. Henry didn't know what his favorite son had done until he lay on his deathbed after a terrible defeat.

Henry died in 1189 and Eleanor was finally free to rule England through Richard. After his coronation, Richard obliged her by taking off on the Third Crusade, to rescue the beseiged city of Jerusalem from Saladin. Eleanor was completey against it, as far as she was concerned, Richard's job was to continue the Plantagenet dynasty by marrying and siring an heir, not to mention the business of affairs of state. She did manage to get him married to Berengaria of Navarre, who although Queen of England, never set foot in the kingdom. The getting of an heir was another story.

Richard was gone for 5 years, in fact during his reign, he spent only 10 months in England, leaving Eleanor plenty of room to rule as administator of the realm, while simultaneously keeping John's greedy fingers off the throne in his brother's absence (apparently Disney's depiction of him in Robin Hood is not far off the mark). In the meantime, Richard managed to get himself captured on his way back from Crusade by the Duke of Austria who held him for ransom.

Not only did Eleanor manage to raise the money to ransom Richard, but she went all the way to Austria to bring back, this while in her seventies. On this return, she even effected a reconciliation between the two brothers. Richard died in 1199 after ten years on the throne, without an heir. This was before the days when the line of succession was clearly demarcated. So there were two heirs, Geoffrey's son Arthur and John. Eleanor threw her weight behind John's claim. Arthur's mother Constance was just as formidable a woman as Eleanor, and she knew that she would have no power if Arthur were King.

Arthur had the power and weight of the French King behind him, but Eleanor managed to help John hold Aquitaine and Poitou against him. John eventually managed to capture him and his sister Eleanor. Arthur died mysteriously while imprisoned which didn't help John's cause. Luckily for him he had his mother to advise and guide him as she had done for Richard. In a savy move, she had her granddaughter Blanche of Castile betrothed to Philip's son, uniting the Plantagents and the Capets. And she personally escorted her granddaughter from Castile, at the age of 80, to her bridegroom.

Eventually Eleanor retired in 1202 to Fontrevault Abbey where she spent her remaining two years of life, match-making for her relatives, seeking advantageous matches for them. She died at the age of 82, a remarkable age in a remarkable life, outliving most of her children, apart from John and her daughter Eleanor. She is buried beside her husband at the Abbey.

In the years following her death, historians judged her harshly for her youthful indiscretions and willful personality, ignoring her later years. But current historians are kinder to Eleanor, emphasizing her political wisdom and her role in the development of Courtly Love.

Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen and Rebel- Part I

I confess that I have been fascinated with the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine ever since I saw the movie The Lion in Winter in high school. Who was this woman who taunted Henry II, who got under his skin? It was more than just Katherine Hepburn's portrayal, although she was fabulous. I immediately wanted to know more about this woman. Apparently I'm not the only one who is fascinated with her. Countless books have been written over the centuries. Google her name and you'll find thousands of articles as well.

Why this fascination with a long ago Queen? Well, she was the most powerful woman in Medieval Europe, wife to two Kings and the mother of two Kings, founding a dynasty that would rule England for the next 330 years. In her lifetime, she was the subject of scandalous rumors, that she rode bare-breasted on crusade, that she slept with her uncle, murdered her husband's mistress. She was a warrior who helped her sons revolt against their father, and served as regent while Richard the Lionheart went on crusade. She died at the relatively advanced age of 82, in an age when the average life span was probably about 40.

Eleanor was born Alienor of Aquitaine around 1122. Her grandfather William IX was a musician, poet, acknowledged as the first troubadour. He was also no stranger to love or to scandal. After divorcing his first wife, he married a widow who gave him two sons, William (Eleanor's father) and Raymond (who became Prince of Antioch). When his second wife bored him, she was sent to a nunnery where she lived until her death. Instead of remarrying, William decided to abduct a married woman (shades of Uther Pendragon) named Dangereuse (what an absolutely delicious name) who became his mistress.

In time, William decided that Dangereuse's daughter Aenor should marry his son William against his son's wishes. They were married in 1121, with Alienor (Eleanor) following nine months later. Two more children followed, Petronella and William Aigret. Both Eleanor's mother and William Aigret died young, leaving Eleanor the sole heiress to the duchy of Aquitaine.

At the this time, France was not the size that it is now. The duchy of Aquitaine while swearing fealty to the French King, was 1/3 the size of modern France. It was a prize, and whoever married Eleanor would be incredibly powerful. Eleanor and her father were incredibly close. Like his father before him, William X was a patron of the troubadours and storytellers who flocked to the court. Proud of having such a beautiful, lively and intelligent daughter, William made sure that she was highly educated. She traveled with him throughout the duchy, preparing for her role as Duchess.

When she was just15, her life changed forever with the death of her beloved father from food poisoning while they were on pilgrimage. In order to protect Eleanor from being kidnapped for her inheritance after he was gone, on his deathbed, William dictated a will making her a ward of Louis the Fat, King of France. Coveting the duchy of Aquitaine, Louis married Eleanor off to his son, the future Louis VII on August 1, 1137. There was only one tiny catch. Aquitaine would remain independent of France for the moment, but if the union was blessed by a son, he would be both King of France and Duke of Aquitaine.

Like another mis-matched King and Queen, Marie-Antoinette and Louis XIV, Eleanor and her new husband had absolutely nothing in common. While Eleanor was willful and high-spirited, Louis was quiet and pious, regarded by some as a saint (in fact, he was later made a saint after his death). No one, however, would ever mistake Eleanor for being a saint. Before Eleanor could adjust to being a wife, she became a Queen when her new father-in-law died a few days after the wedding.

Never one to sit around doing needlework, Eleanor threw herself enthusiastically into her new role as Queen of France. She got off on the wrong foot immediately with the French court. Even Louis' own mother thought her flighty and a bad influence. Her conduct was constantly criticized by church elders, but it didn't matter to Louis, who was madly in love with his new wife. He consulted her often on matters of state much to the chagrin of his ministers. Eleanor also frequently visited Aquitaine, where she was much loved by her people.

The only fly in the ointment was their lack of a child. Bernard of Clairvaux (who was also a thorn in Abelard's side) insisted that Eleanor was childless because she was wicked. Eventually, Eleanor gave birth to a daughter, Marie in 1145, eight years after her marriage at the relatively advanced age of 23. However, having a child didn't make Eleanor settle down. When Louis decided to go on the Second Crusade, Eleanor announced that she was joining him. Along with a company of 300 women (you can imagine how much luggage they brought). Louis advisors were completely against it until Eleanor also offered the services of a 1000men from Aquitaine.

Eleanor insisted on leading the soldiers from Aquitaine herself. However, the rumor that she and her women dressed as Amazons with one breast bare has been disputed by historians. She did however, launch her crusade from Vezelay, the rumored location of Mary Magadelene's burial. The crusade itself was a disaster. Louis didn't have the first clue on how to lead an army. By the time they reached Asia Minor, things went from merely bad to worse. A group of French soldiers lead by Geoffrey de Rancon, a vassal of Eleanor, were slaughtered by the Turks when they ignored the King's orders to make camp for the night. Eleanor was blamed, since Geoffrey was her vassal, it was assumed that she had given the order to continue to the next plateau. Her reputation was sullied and went down hill even further with the rumors of an affair with her uncle, Raymond who had married Constance of Antioch. Although Raymond had a reputation for being a faithful husband, he paid special attention to his beautiful, flirtatious niece.

Louis and Eleanor had been growing apart, and the Crusade just emphasized how incompatible they were. When Raymond pleaded for Louis's help in defending Antioch, Eleanor took his side. When Louis refused to assist Raymond, Eleanor declared that she wanted a divorce. Louis, who adored his wife, was angry and hurt. When Eleanor refused to accompany him to Jerusalem, insisting on staying in Antioch with her uncle, Louis had her brought out by force. She never saw her uncle again. In 1149 he was killed in a battle against the Muslims. His severed head was sent to the caliph in Baghdad.After a disasterous trip to Jerusalem, Louis and Eleanor returned to Europe by seperate ships. They were both persumed lost for months until Eleanor ended up in Sicily and Louis in Calabria. They reunited in Rome, when the Pope Eugenius III maneuvered events so that the estranged couple ended up sharing a bed. Their daughter Alix was born 9 months later, but it was too late to save the marriage.

Although Louis adored his wife, he was willing to let Eleanor go. He had the future of the throne to think about. After 15 years of marriage, they had only 2 daughters and no sons. Eleanor, of course, countered that it wasn't her fault, in order to have an heir, he had to sleep with her. On March 11, 1152, the marriage was dissolved, on the grounds of consaguinity. This was ludicrous since the close relationship between the two (they were third cousins) had been known before they got married. Their two daughters were declared legitimate and the King was given custody. Eleanor's lands of Aquitaine and Poitou were returned to her.

But Eleanor was not to be alone for long. Two months later, she married the Henry , Count of Anjou and Normandy, son of Matilda, and grandson of Henry I of England, shocking everyone. Not only was Henry, at 18, 11 years younger than Eleanor, but it had been rumored that Eleanor had slept with his father prior to her relationshiop with Henry. According to contemporary chronicler, Gerald of Wales, "Count Geoffrey of Anjou when he was seneschal of France took advantage of Queen Eleanor; for which reason he often warned his son Henry, telling him above all not to touch her, they say, both because she was his lord's wife, and because he had known her himself." But, ignoring his father's advice, Henry "presumed to sleep adulterously with the said queen of France, taking her from his own lord and marrying her himself. How could anything fortunate, I ask, emerge from these copulations?"

Whether or not she slept with his father, Eleanor and Henry were well-matched. They shared similar backgrounds, both were highly intelligent and strong-willed. His physical courage and keen political mind meshed well with her ambition for power. And they were powerfully attacted to one another. They had met while Eleanor was still married to Louis, when Henry had arrived at the French court to conduct peace talks between Anjou and France. Some historians believe that Eleanor and Henry made plans then to marry once her divorce went through. Ironically, they were just as related as Eleanor and Louis were. And his father warned him against marrying Eleanor. His warnings fell on deaf ears.

War broke out between Henry and Louis when the news of the marriage hit Paris. Louis was outraged by his ex-wife's conduct. As his vassal, she could not marry without his permission. Henry won the war quickly, leaving Louis to scurry home to lick his wounded pride. To add insult to injury, Eleanor and Henry also had a son, William, a year after their wedding.

Two years after their marriage, Henry of Anjou was King of England and Eleanor was now Queen of a kingdom that stretched from the Pyrnees to the Cheviots.


Stay tuned tomorrow for more on Eleanor of Aquitaine.