Eleanor of Aquitaine, << AK wih `tayn` >> (1122-1204), was the wife of King Louis VII of France and later of King Henry II of England. She was also the mother of two English kings, Richard the Lion-Hearted and John. Her control of Aquitaine, then a vast independent state next to France, made her a central figure in the struggle for power between France and England.
Eleanor was the daughter of William X, Duke of Aquitaine. In 1137, when Eleanor was 15 years old, she inherited Aquitaine. Her land came under French control when she married Louis VII later that year. Eleanor and Louis had two daughters. But the lack of a male heir contributed to unhappiness in their marriage, and they agreed to a divorce in 1152.
Within months, Eleanor married Henry Plantagenet, who became King Henry II of England in 1154. Later, Eleanor and Henry lost affection for each other, and she supported a revolt against him in 1173. The revolt failed and Henry imprisoned Eleanor. Eleanor was freed in 1189, after Henry died and Richard became king. Eleanor greatly influenced both Richard and John during their reigns. She died on April 1, 1204.
