Eleanor of Aquitaine’s marriage to Louis of France has failed and she’s now free to marry Henry Plantagenet. Unlike her marriage to Louis, this marriage is based on lust, the couple are definitely in love when they married. However, their marriage is vicious and brought forth a devilish brood. Eleanor doesn’t like Henry’s friend and advisor, Thomas Becket, she has serious conflicts with her mother in law Matilda. Their sons take up arms against their father and eventually there’s conflict between Eleanor and Henry.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was a very interesting woman; she went on a crusade with Louis. When she realised that Louis lived like a monk, she was so bored with him she wanted to leave him. She did, however, two daughters with Louis, Marie & Alix. When Louis and Eleanor’s marriage was annulled, she was forced to leave her daughters behind. She adored Henry of England, their union was passionate – both love and hatred were present. Henry imprisoned her for supporting their sons in the revolt against him. Henry and Eleanor had five sons and three daughters, among which Richard the Lionheart.
This was an interesting read. I had read a book about Eleanor’s marriage to Louis and the crusade before, so it was nice to learn more about her marriage to Henry Plantagenet.
Read for the ShelfReflection Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 45: A book with a queen
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
