Eleanor of Aquitaine: Woman, Queen and Legend

An approachable biography of medieval Europe’s most powerful (and enigmatic) queen.

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1124-1204), the legendary queen of France and later England, has captivated historians for centuries. Heiress to the Duchy of Aquitaine, wife to King Henry II, and mother to Richard the Lionheart and King John, Eleanor lived a life marked by power, influence, and myth. This concise, accessible history sheds new light on Eleanor, cutting through the hearsay and slander with a close reading of primary sources. In it, Lindy Grant highlights the family bonds that shaped Eleanor’s power and identity and demonstrates that Eleanor’s story is one of resilience.

Lindy Grant is professor emeritus of medieval history at the University of Reading and an honorary research fellow at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Her books include Blanche of Castile, Queen of France.