Eleanor of Aquitaine was an incredible woman who was also quite a vangard for her time. She lived in 12th century France and became successively queen of France and then queen of England. Her blood flows today in the veins of most European royalty.

Eleanor became Duchess of Aquitaine, the most powerful duchy in an area that is now part of modern day France. She was a woman with education, who could read and write, enjoyed and promoted culture and the arts wherever she went. Back in those days, Aquitaine was much greater than what was then known as France.

Eleanor was of a great beauty and set many new standards when it came to the fashion of her day. Her first mariage was to the king of France Louis VII, with whom she didn’t lead a very happy life. She followed him during the crusades and shocked everyone by being a little too close to a family relative. As the harmony in her union with Louis wasn’t all that great, she suggested they divorced, and she remarried quickly, a few months later, to king Henry II of England, much to a general surprise.

With Henry, Eleanor had a very passionate relationship, and bore him 8 children, many of which became kings and queens throughout the known world. Her most famous son is possibly Richard Lionheart, and the most infamous one John Without Land. Eleanor lived between Aquitaine, and England, administering her own lands by herself, and not passing them on to the English crown.

She was imprisoned by Henry during 16 years, after some intrigues regarding one of his mistresses took place. It is said that she was contemplating divorce when she was forced into house arrest.

Upon the death of Henry II, Richard became the undisputed hair and Eleanor was released from her imprisonment. She ruled England on behalf of Richard, while he was away in the 3rd crusade.