King Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine
First Plantagenet Rulers
Henry and Eleanor were the first King and Queen from the House of Plantagenet. There marriage caused scandal across Europe but at the beginning it seemed like a match made in heaven which soon turned out to be union formed in hell.
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| Eleanor of Aquitaine |
Eleanor was the eldest child of William X of Aquitaine and Aénor of Châtellerault and on the death of her younger brother, William, she became the sole heiress of the duchy of Aquitaine. She was given a good education of reading and writing, dancing and learning all the arts of Aquitaine.
Henry was the eldest son and child of Geoffrey V of Anjou and Matilda of England. Through his mother he was the heir to the kingdom of England and Normandy and Anjou through his father.
His parents probably never cared for each other and most of the time fought like cat and dog. Matilda was fighting her cousin Stephen for the crown and most of his early childhood was spent in his mother's household until he was seven when he was sent to live with his father. In 1142 Henry was sent to his uncle Robert in Bristol so he could learn the skills that he would need in the future; politics, jousting, courtly love, chivalry etc.
When Eleanor's father died in 1137 she was left in the care of Louis VI of France and to secure her new lands for France Louis married his eldest son and heir, Louis, to Eleanor. Most of the lords of Aquitaine did not like the French King "calling the shots" and marrying his son to their duchess. The young couple married on 25 July at Bordeux but the celebrations were cut short when the plans of an attack to kidnap Eleanor were revealed. Louis and Eleanor escaped to Taillebourg where one week after their union they were told them some news that would change their lives forever; King Louis had died and on Christmas Day they were finally crowned King and Queen of France.
Eleanor was not loved by her new subjects. Paris was a horrible place, the complete opposite of Aquitaine. Louis' mother, Adelaide of Savoy, thought her new daughter was flighty and a bad influence while she slandered by the church by Abbot Sugar. Louis was madly in love with Eleanor and granted her every desire which included making the palace more comfortable for her.
Eleanor was the victim of vicious rumours which accused her as an adulteress. She was accused of having an affair with Geoffrey of Anjou, Henry's father, while he was a vassal for the French King.
Louis and Eleanor had two daughters, Marie and Alix, but they never had a son and heir for France and Aquitaine. They were not happy any more and Eleanor begged her husband for an annulment. Maybe it had something to do with a new face at court: Henry Plantagenet? On 11 March 1152 the marriage was dissolved at Beaugency Castle on the grounds of Consanguinity (being close in blood). Louis was given custody of their two young daughters while Eleanor returned to Aquitaine.
On the 18 May, Eleanor and Henry married after only eight weeks after Eleanor's annulment "without the pomb and ceremony that befitted their rank".
On the 25 October 1154 King Stephen died leaving Henry as King of England. By the time Henry and Eleanor set sail for their their new kingdom, Eleanor was pregnant with their second son. The pair were crowned together on 19 December at Westminster Abbey in a lavish ceremony.
A son was born on the 28 January 1155 who was christened Henry. Henry and Eleanor's eldest
son, William, died in April 1156. More children would soon follow in later years: Matilda (1156 - 1189), Richard (1157 - 1199), Geoffrey (1158 - 1186), Eleanor (1162 - 1212), Joan (1165 - 1199) and John (1166 - 1216).
Like I mentioned earlier on the marriage soon became hell. It all started with Thomas Beckett who became a close advisor to the King and Eleanor felt neglected. In short, Beckett took young Henry into his household which angered Henry. Thomas was murder on the alter of Canterbury Abbey on the 29 December 1170 by four of Henry's knights.
But the rift between husband and wife began in late 1170 when Henry began an affair with Rosamund Clifford. Then came the rift between father and sons in the early 1170s. In1173 with the support of France, Scotland and Flanders, Henry's eldest sons, Henry, Richard and Geoffrey, rebelled against their father. Henry the Younger was unhappy that even though he was King in name but he had no real authority in government as a King should have.
The Duke of Brittany had died in 1171, but Geoffrey and the Duke's daughter Constance were not married, leaving Geoffrey without his own lands. Richard was encouraged to join his brothers as well by Eleanor, he never got on with his father and had a strong, special bond with his mother instead.
The final straw was Henry's decision to give his youngest son John three major castles that belonged to Young Henry, who protested and then fled to to his father-in-law Louis in Paris, followed by his brothers Richard and Geoffrey; Eleanor attempted to join them but was captured by Henry's forces in November.Louis supported Young Henry and war became imminent.
Soon the boys agreed to a treaty with their father. Young Henry agreed to the give the disputed castles to John, but in exchange the elder Henry agreed to give the younger Henry two castles in Normandy and 15,000 Angevin pounds; Richard was made Duke of Aquitane in 1179 and Geoffrey became Duke of Brittany in July 1181 when he married Constance at last.
Eleanor and Henry were never united as Henry had her kept prisoner until his death.
By the late 1180s Richard was rebelling against his father over his mother's imprisonment and Richard knew he was making good progress as it was obvious that Henry was dying and that Richard would be the next king, Young Henry had died in June 1183. Henry and Richard met at Ballan, where Henry agreed to a complete surrender: he would give up the Lady Alice to a guardian and she would marry Richard at the end of the coming crusade and he would recognise Richard as his heir.
Henry was carried back to Chinon on a litter, where he was informed that John had publicly sided with Richard in the conflict and this desertion proved the final shock and he finally collapsed into a fever, only coming to for a few moments during which he gave confession. Henry II died on 6 July 1189 at the age of 56 and was buried at Fontevraud Abbey.
Was Henry a good King? Maybe. He had his faults but what English King hasn't. He defiantly wasn't a great father as his sons uprose against him (and won). Was Eleanor a good wife? Maybe. She did give Henry 8 children but on the other hand she did go against Henry and she apparently had affairs.
They had a complicated and intriguing relationship which started with love and passion and ended in hate.
Eleanor was not loved by her new subjects. Paris was a horrible place, the complete opposite of Aquitaine. Louis' mother, Adelaide of Savoy, thought her new daughter was flighty and a bad influence while she slandered by the church by Abbot Sugar. Louis was madly in love with Eleanor and granted her every desire which included making the palace more comfortable for her.
Eleanor was the victim of vicious rumours which accused her as an adulteress. She was accused of having an affair with Geoffrey of Anjou, Henry's father, while he was a vassal for the French King.
Louis and Eleanor had two daughters, Marie and Alix, but they never had a son and heir for France and Aquitaine. They were not happy any more and Eleanor begged her husband for an annulment. Maybe it had something to do with a new face at court: Henry Plantagenet? On 11 March 1152 the marriage was dissolved at Beaugency Castle on the grounds of Consanguinity (being close in blood). Louis was given custody of their two young daughters while Eleanor returned to Aquitaine.
On the 18 May, Eleanor and Henry married after only eight weeks after Eleanor's annulment "without the pomb and ceremony that befitted their rank".
On the 25 October 1154 King Stephen died leaving Henry as King of England. By the time Henry and Eleanor set sail for their their new kingdom, Eleanor was pregnant with their second son. The pair were crowned together on 19 December at Westminster Abbey in a lavish ceremony.
A son was born on the 28 January 1155 who was christened Henry. Henry and Eleanor's eldest
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| 12th-century depiction of Henry and Eleanor holding court |
Like I mentioned earlier on the marriage soon became hell. It all started with Thomas Beckett who became a close advisor to the King and Eleanor felt neglected. In short, Beckett took young Henry into his household which angered Henry. Thomas was murder on the alter of Canterbury Abbey on the 29 December 1170 by four of Henry's knights.
But the rift between husband and wife began in late 1170 when Henry began an affair with Rosamund Clifford. Then came the rift between father and sons in the early 1170s. In1173 with the support of France, Scotland and Flanders, Henry's eldest sons, Henry, Richard and Geoffrey, rebelled against their father. Henry the Younger was unhappy that even though he was King in name but he had no real authority in government as a King should have.
The Duke of Brittany had died in 1171, but Geoffrey and the Duke's daughter Constance were not married, leaving Geoffrey without his own lands. Richard was encouraged to join his brothers as well by Eleanor, he never got on with his father and had a strong, special bond with his mother instead.
The final straw was Henry's decision to give his youngest son John three major castles that belonged to Young Henry, who protested and then fled to to his father-in-law Louis in Paris, followed by his brothers Richard and Geoffrey; Eleanor attempted to join them but was captured by Henry's forces in November.Louis supported Young Henry and war became imminent.
Soon the boys agreed to a treaty with their father. Young Henry agreed to the give the disputed castles to John, but in exchange the elder Henry agreed to give the younger Henry two castles in Normandy and 15,000 Angevin pounds; Richard was made Duke of Aquitane in 1179 and Geoffrey became Duke of Brittany in July 1181 when he married Constance at last.
Eleanor and Henry were never united as Henry had her kept prisoner until his death.
By the late 1180s Richard was rebelling against his father over his mother's imprisonment and Richard knew he was making good progress as it was obvious that Henry was dying and that Richard would be the next king, Young Henry had died in June 1183. Henry and Richard met at Ballan, where Henry agreed to a complete surrender: he would give up the Lady Alice to a guardian and she would marry Richard at the end of the coming crusade and he would recognise Richard as his heir.
Henry was carried back to Chinon on a litter, where he was informed that John had publicly sided with Richard in the conflict and this desertion proved the final shock and he finally collapsed into a fever, only coming to for a few moments during which he gave confession. Henry II died on 6 July 1189 at the age of 56 and was buried at Fontevraud Abbey.
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| Their final resting place |
Was Henry a good King? Maybe. He had his faults but what English King hasn't. He defiantly wasn't a great father as his sons uprose against him (and won). Was Eleanor a good wife? Maybe. She did give Henry 8 children but on the other hand she did go against Henry and she apparently had affairs.
They had a complicated and intriguing relationship which started with love and passion and ended in hate.
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