Wonder Woman of the Week: Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor of Aquitaine was a perfect example of what life was like for royal women in Medieval Christian Europe. She was a sought after princess for multiple kingdoms, and queen for two countries, and a regent for the throne of a son king fighting in the crusades. To get a better idea of who Eleanor was and why she was so important to her time, check out some of the videos below and learn more about the Wonder Woman of the Week.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was born into French royalty during the height of Medieval Europe and became Princess of France to Prince Louis after the prince's father demanded the most beautiful woman in France be wed to his son. Within weeks of the wedding, Eleanor became Queen of France to the newly crowned King Louis and almost immediately set off to finance the Second Crusade- as act that would define the new king's rule and the new queen's time in France.

The Second Crusade would prove devastating to both the defeated European knights and the estranged French royal couple. The two received an annulment after returning to France on the grounds that Eleanor could not produce a son. Unwilling to marry anyone beneath the rank of king, Eleanor then married into English royalty and would become the mother of England's most famous king (Richard the Lionheart) and its most infamous (King John). John and Eleanor would butt heads as son and mother because while King Richard fought in the crusades, John wanted to usurp the throne and crowned himself king of England in his brother's absence- setting the stage for the establishment of the most important legal document in England's history and the founding document for what would eventually inspire the government of the United States; the Magna Carta.

Queen Mother Eleanor of Aquitaine's support for her son Richard eventually softened and John later employed his mother as a diplomat to France. The support paid off and Eleanor actually supported her son John against a rebellion by her grandson Arthur. Eventually, Eleanor retired from the life of international politics and domestic wars to a life in the convent where she eventually died in 1204.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was an exceptional woman for her age. She embodied the ideals of a Medieval princess and championed the cause of chivalry. She married one French monarch and followed him to the Holy Land for the Second Crusade before marrying a second monarch and siring two kings whose polarizing personalities would embody Medieval English governance. Throughout her life, she would be a duchess, twice a queen, a diplomat, and finally a nun.

"Eleanor of Aquitaine." History.com. A&E Networks; nd. Web. 17 May 2017.