DE CHATELLERAULT, Aenor

Other Events and Attributes:

• Differentiator: Mother of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who arguably became the most powerful woman in Europe of her generation.
• Relation to Me: 27 GGM
• Royalty & Nobility: Duchess of Aquitaine

Notes:

Birth:
De Chatellerault, Aquitaine, France

Aenor married AQUITAINE, Guillaume X of in 1121. Guillaume (son of DE AQUITAINE, Guillaume IX and MAUDE, Philippa) was born in 1099 in Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, Midi-Pyrénées, France; died on 9 Apr 1137 in Compostela, Orense, Galicia, Spain; was buried in Santiago de Compostela, La Coruna, Galicia, Spain. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Books About: Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography
• Books About: The Autumn Throne: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Middle Ages Queen of England
• Books About: The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick
• Books About: The Winter Crown: A Medieval Tale of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England
• Differentiator: Member of the Ramnulfid dynasty of rulers in southwestern France, and one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. She led armies several times in her life, and was a leader of the Second Crusade.
• Relation to Me: 26 GGM
• Royalty & Nobility: Duchess of Acquitaine, Queen Consort of England, Queen Consort of France

Notes:

As Duchess of Aquitaine, Eleanor was the most eligible bride in Europe. Three months after she became duchess, she married King Louis VII of France, son of her guardian, King Louis VI. As Queen of France, she participated in the unsuccessful Second Crusade. Soon afterwards, Eleanor sought an annulment of her marriage,[1] but her request was rejected by Pope Eugene III.[2] However, after the birth of her second daughter Alix, Louis agreed to an annulment, as fifteen years of marriage had not produced a son.[3] The marriage was annulled on 11 March 1152 on the grounds of consanguinity within the fourth degree. Their daughters were declared legitimate and custody was awarded to Louis, while Eleanor's lands were restored to her.

As soon as the annulment was granted, Eleanor became engaged to Henry, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou, who became King Henry II of England in 1154. Henry was her third cousin (cousin of the third degree), and eleven years younger. The couple married on 18 May 1152 (Whit Sunday), eight weeks after the annulment of Eleanor's first marriage, in a cathedral in Poitiers, France. Over the next thirteen years, she bore Henry eight children: five sons, three of whom would become kings; and three daughters. However, Henry and Eleanor eventually became estranged. Henry imprisoned her in 1173 for supporting her son Henry's revolt against her husband. She was not released until 6 July 1189, when Henry died and their son ascended the English throne as Richard I.

Now queen dowager, Eleanor acted as regent while Richard went on the Third Crusade; on his return Richard was captured and held prisoner. Eleanor lived well into the reign of her youngest son, John. She outlived all her children except for John and Eleanor.

Eleanor married HENRY, II on 18 May 1152 in Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine, France. II (son of PLANTAGENET, Count of Anjou Geoffroy V and MATILDA, Empress) was born on 5 Mar 1133 in Le Mans, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France; died on 6 Jul 1189 in Chinon, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Eleanor married FRANCE, King Louis VII of in 1137 in Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine, France. King (son of FRANCE, King Louis VI of and SAVOY, Adelaide of Maurienne) was born in 1120 in Champagne, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France; died on 18 Sep 1180 in Abbey at Saint Pont, Allier, Auvergne, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Relation to Me: 26 GU
• Royalty & Nobility: King of England
• Name: Lionheart

Richard married NAVARRE, Berengaria Princess of on 12 May 1191. Berengaria was born in 1163; died on 23 Dec 1230 in Abbey of L'Esau Le Mans Sarte, Pays de la Loire, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Books About: King John Treachery and Tyranny
• Differentiator: King and signer of the Magna Carta
• Relation to Me: 25 GGF
• Name: John Lackland
• Royalty & Nobility: Between 6 Apr 1199 and 19 Oct 1216; King of England
• Magna Carta: 1215; King and signer of the Magna Carta

Notes:

John lost the Duchy of Normandy to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of most of the Angevin Empire and contributing to the subsequent growth in power of the Capetian dynasty during the 13th century. The baronial revolt at the end of John's reign led to the sealing of Magna Carta, a document sometimes considered to be an early step in the evolution of the constitution of the United Kingdom.

Contemporary chroniclers were mostly critical of John's performance as king, and his reign has since been the subject of significant debate and periodic revision by historians from the 16th century onwards. Historian Jim Bradbury has summarised the current historical opinion of John's positive qualities, observing that John is today usually considered a "hard-working administrator, an able man, an able general". Nonetheless, modern historians agree that he also had many faults as king, including what historian Ralph Turner describes as "distasteful, even dangerous personality traits", such as pettiness, spitefulness and cruelty.[3] These negative qualities provided extensive material for fiction writers in the Victorian era, and John remains a recurring character within Western popular culture, primarily as a villain in films and stories depicting the Robin Hood legends.

Died:
Newark Castle, Lincolnshire, England

Family/Spouse: DE WARENNE, Adela "Ela". Adela (daughter of DE WARENNE, Hamelin and DE WARENNE, Isabel) was born about 1170; died on 27 May 1240 in England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: ANGOULEME, Isabella of. Isabella (daughter of ANGOULEME, last Count of Angoulême of the House of Taillefer. Aymer of and COURTENAY, Alice of) was born in 1188; died on 4 Jun 1246. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Relation to Me: 26 GU
• Royalty & Nobility: King of England

Other Events and Attributes:

• Royalty & Nobility: Princess of England, Queen of Castile and Toledo

Notes:

In 1170 Eleanor married King Alfonso VIII of Castile in Burgos.[1] Her parents' purpose in arranging the marriage was to secure Aquitaine's Pyrenean border, while Alfonso was seeking an ally in his struggles with Sancho VI of Navarre. In 1177, this led to Henry overseeing arbitration of the border dispute.[8]

Around the year 1200, Alfonso began to claim that the duchy of Gascony was part of Eleanor's dowry, but there is no documented foundation for that claim. It is highly unlikely that Henry II would have parted with so significant a portion of his domains. At most, Gascony may have been pledged as security for the full payment of his daughter's dowry. Her husband went so far on this claim as to invade Gascony in her name in 1205. In 1206, her brother John granted her safe passage to visit him, perhaps to try opening peace negotiations. In 1208, Alfonso yielded on the claim.[9] Decades later, their great-grandson Alfonso X of Castile would claim the duchy on the grounds that her dowry had never been fully paid.

Of all Eleanor of Aquitaine's daughters, her namesake was the only one who was enabled, by political circumstances, to wield the kind of influence her mother had exercised.[10] In her own marriage treaty, and in the first marriage treaty for her daughter Berengaria, Eleanor was given direct control of many lands, towns, and castles throughout the kingdom.[11] She was almost as powerful as Alfonso, who specified in his will in 1204 that she was to rule alongside their son in the event of his death, including taking responsibility for paying his debts and executing his will.[12] It was she who persuaded him to marry their daughter Berengaria to Alfonso IX of León. Troubadours and sages were regularly present in Alfonso VIII's court due to Eleanor's patronage.[13]

Eleanor took particular interest in supporting religious institutions. In 1179, she took responsibility to support and maintain a shrine to St. Thomas Becket in the cathedral of Toledo. She also created and supported the Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas, which served as a refuge and tomb for her family for generations, and its affiliated hospital.[14]

When Alfonso died, Eleanor was reportedly so devastated with grief that she was unable to preside over the burial. Their eldest daughter Berengaria instead performed these honours. Eleanor then went sick and died only twenty-six days after her husband, and was buried at Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas.[15]

Family/Spouse: CASTILE, Alfonso VIII of. Alfonso (son of CASTILE, Sancho III of and NAVARRE, Blanche of) was born on 11 Nov 1155; died on 5 Oct 1214. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Title: Son of King John I with his mistress

Richard married DE DOVER, Rohese in 1207 in Chilham, Kent, England. Rohese (daughter of DE DOVER, Fulbert Robert and DEBRIWERE, Isabel) was born in 1200 in Chilham, Kent, England; died in 1265 in Chilham, Kent, England; was buried in London, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Books About: Henry III: The Great King England Never Knew It Had
• Books About: Henry III: The Rise to Power and Personal Rule, 1207-1258 (Volume 1) (The English Monarchs Series
• Books About: The Silken Rose
• Royalty & Nobility: King of England
• Name: Henry of Winchester

Family/Spouse: PROVENCE, Eleanor of. Eleanor (daughter of BERENGUER, Ramon IV and SAVOY, Beatrice of) was born in 1223; died on 24 Jun 1291. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: MARSHAL, Isabel. Isabel (daughter of MARSHAL, William and DE CLARE, Isabel) was born on 9 Oct 1200 in Pembroke Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales; died on 17 Jan 1240 in Berkhampstead Castle, Hertfordshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Books About: Ladies of the Magna Carta
• Name: Lady of Wales, Lady of Snowdon

Family/Spouse: IORWERTH, Llywelyn ap. Llywelyn (son of DRWYNDWN, Iorwerth and MADOG, Marared ferch) was born in 1173 in Aberffraw Castle, Anglesey, Wales; died on 11 Apr 1240 in Aberconwy Abbey, Nant Conwy, Arllechwedd Cantref, Gwynedd, Wales. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: FRANCE, King of France King Louis VIII of. King (son of FRANCE, King of France King Philip II Augustus and OF HAINAUT, Isabelle) was born on 5 Sep 1187; died on 8 Nov 1226. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Royalty & Nobility: Queen of Castile and Toledo; Queen consort of Leon

Family/Spouse: LEON, Alfonso IX of. Alfonso (son of LEON, Ferdinand II of and PORTUGAL, Urraca of) was born on 15 Aug 1171; died on 24 Sep 1230. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]