Eleanor Janega on Eleanor of Aquitaine: Most Powerful Medieval Queen!

Eleanor of Aquitaine: The most powerful medieval queen who shaped the Plantagenet dynasty and built the Angevin Empire. A force of nature, Eleanor was twice a queen, first of France and then England, through marriages to King Louis VII and King Henry II. She marched on the Second Crusade leading her own army and later led a rebellion against her own husband. This episode explores how her lands and political influence created a massive European empire and how she navigated the political machinations of the 12th century, ultimately leading to the rise of her sons, including Richard the Lionheart and the infamous King John.

Historian Dr. Elena Janega, host of the Gone Medieval podcast, joins the podcast to detail the life of her namesake, examining the court culture of Aquitaine, the disaster of the Second Crusade, the shocking divorce that led to her marrying the King of England, and her eventual imprisonment. The discussion covers the lives of her famous and dysfunctional sons, the young Henry, Richard the Lionheart, Geoffrey, and John, and how her political acumen was the glue that held the unwieldy Angevin Empire together until her death.

0:00 Introduction
1:09 The Duchess of Aquitaine
5:55 Marrying the King of France
9:49 The Second Crusade Disaster
14:38 Divorce and the King of England
17:47 The Massive Angevin Empire
20:44 The Plantagenet Sons and Daughters
27:24 Rebellion and Queen Eleanor's Imprisonment
39:00 The Devil is Loose: Richard's Ransom
44:30 Choosing King John
50:41 The Fall of the Empire

Produced by Mariana Des Forges, James Hickmann and McKenna Fernandez, edited by Matthew Wilson & the channel manager is Vilde Øksnes.

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