The Families of Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Female Network of Power in the Middle Ages

by J.F. Andrews

The lives of the sons of Eleanor of Aquitaine are the stuff of legend. Her daughters, however, are less well known, and the fascinating personalities of her daughters-in-law have been almost entirely overlooked, as have those of the daughters she bore Louis VII of France. The Families of Eleanor of Aquitaine redresses this balance and showcases the lives, travels and careers of these ten very different women, who formed a great international network of political alliances that linked their parents, siblings, husbands and children all across Europe and the Holy Land.

Some of these women found happiness; others endured lives of turmoil and conflict. Some of them were close; others never met. But two things linked them all: their connection to Eleanor and to the kingdoms over which she reigned – and their determination to exert authority on their own terms in a male-dominated world.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, France, Biography, Medieval, Audiobook, British Literature

272 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5, this was so good! It wasn’t just pages and pages of filler about the men (looking at you, Alison Weir…)

[Ton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting account of the lives of the women born or drawn into Eleanor of Aquitaine’s immediate circle. Covers Eleanor’s French and English daughters, and her daughters in law. Covers a period of medieval history which has gotten a lot of attention, but the novelty here is looking at this period from the perspective of the women in question. This gives us a somewhat newish reading. Hampered by the lack of interest of contemporary chroniclers in females in general, but that deficit notwithstanding gives us a good account of these women’s lives.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars Rounded up
This was well researched, well written, interesting, and easily accessible to casual readers of history.
This does presume the reader is familiar with the players of this time period.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and frequently pretty horrific... In terms of the experiences these women faced

[Julie Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Succinct review of the lives of Eleanor's 5 daughters and 5 daughters-in-law. Andrews scours the limited sources to bring these often overlooked women to life. The most important take is that while none of these woman had true control of their lives, several did succeed in carving their own lives (and Constance even managed to hold onto power in her own duchy against the powerful Plantagenet family!) Many of these women were left in charge of large duchies or even countries when their husbands went on crusade, only to be treated as mere useful pawns on a political chessboard when their spouses died. (Also over half of them died in childbirth.)

This book reinforced many of the themes - how cultural and church beliefs held women as less than 2nd class citizen, how beauty was required for queens - I recently explored in The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women's Roles in Society

About Marie, left a widow at 36, as a regent for her young son: Once again, no voice was raised against her, for it was just as normal to see a mother ruling on behalf of a son as it was to see a wife acting for her husband. Having women in positions of authority was not a problem ... so long as that female authority was acting within male constraints. That is to say, it was perfectly acceptable for a woman to exercise power on behalf of a male relative; trouble would only arise if she sought to rule in her own name.

The obvious example here is Empress Matilda ... vilified when she sought to rule in her own name .. and then appreciated once more when she ruled Normandy on behalf of her son."

I haven't done much reading on this time period yet, and somewhat thought Constance was (dare I say stupid?) for not bowing to John but this paragraph completey changed my mind:

There was, unfortunately, no possibility of simply walking away from the issue, of Arthur resigning his claims in favour of John. All the nobles in England, Normandy, Anjou, Main and Touraine, as well as in Brittany, would know that Arthur had a superior hereditary claim to John, and if ever they were dissatisfied with John's rule (which seemed likely, given his previous record), they would raise banners of rebellion in Arthur's name even if he had no wish to join them.

[historic_chronicles · Rating 5 out of 5]

"For a hundred years, these women were as much a pivotal part of the politics of the Angevin empire...as any of their husbands or brothers, and their contributions should not be underestimated."

Eleanor of Aquitaine. Twice a queen - of France and then of England. Arguably one of the most influential female figures in history, her legacy as the indefatigable matriarch is still strong in modern times as it was when she lived, yet the many female relations she was surrounded with have often suffered to be hidden in her imposing shadow.

J.F. Andrews allows Eleanor to take a supporting role in this book as the lives of her daughters and daughters-in-law are explored. A vast powerful empire was created through the network of these women during a turbulent time of conflict, marriage, motherhood and power.

The author is comprehensive and exhaustive in their research, despite how limited it is and I valued how each woman was given time to take centre stage in her own right. An engaging storyteller, you feel the author's passion for the subject and it is contagious across the pages as I too became swept up in the lives of these remarkable women.

A must-read for female history, this lesser known aspect of Eleanor of Aquitaine's life and relations is a remarkable and fascinating read of how to become influential as a woman during the Middle Ages.

My biggest thanks to @thehistorypressuk for offering this book for review!

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this on Audible and was pleased to add it to my TBR list because I read the author's name was a pseudonym for Catherine Hanley, whose works never cease to illuminate the Middle Ages wherever she chooses to shine her light. In this book, she pulls at the threads of the complex tapestry of Eleanor of Aquitaine's female family relationships. Eleanor's daughters by Louis VII, king of France, and Henry II, king of England, are both given time, as are her daughters-in-law. I found the book quite insightful into the role of royal women on the period.

[Pam Shelton-Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting focus on the daughters and daughters-in-law of Eleanor of Aquitaine. I know a great deal about Eleanor, but this is the first time I've seen a work on her family members from both marriages. It was very well researched and annotated. At times it felt like the author was infusing the subject with how he thought they might have felt, but this may be a result of being so engaged with these ladies. I, for one, found this to be very well-written and interesting.

[Lai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historycy, omawiając dzieje monarchów i ich dynastii, zwykle podążają przykładem kronikarzy i o kobietach z rodzin królewskich mówią: była matką/żoną/córką. Tyle. Jej rolą było wyjść za mąż i urodzić dziedziców.

Na szczęście coraz więcej badaczy poświęca się odkrywaniu wielu roli, jakich podejmowały się królowe, księżniczki, córki, spadkobierczynie - za życia i po śmierci swoich rodziców, małżonków czy dzieci były nie tylko regentkami, ale też pośredniczyły w negocjacjach czy wpływały na losy państwa.

Książka J. F. Andrews "Rodziny Eleonory Akwitańskiej: żeńska sieć władzy w średniowieczu" opisuje dzieje córek i synowych jednej z najbardziej rozsławionych królowych. Eleonora była w końcu jedyną kobietą ukoronowaną zarówno na królową Francji, jak i Anglii.

Poznajmy losy Marii (najstarszej córki Eleonory z Ludwikiem VII), Alicji (drugiej córki zrodzonej ze związku z francuskim monarchą), trzech córek ze związku z Henrykiem II: Matyldy, Eleonory i Joanny. Dowiadujemy się także, jak król angielski brał na wychowanie przyszłe żony swoich synów: Małgorzatę (żonę Henryka Młodego), Konstancję Bretońską, Avisę z Gloucester i pierwszą narzeczoną Ryszarda, której ostatecznie nie poślubił, oskarżając ją o romans z ojcem.

Berengaria z Nawarry została dostarczona przez Eleonorę na Sycylię, by wkrótce poślubić Ryszarda Lwie Serce. Ostatnią bohaterką książki jest Isabella z Angoulême (najmłodsza synowa Eleanory), żona Jana bez Ziemi.

Przemierzamy tysiące mil, odwiedzamy nie tylko Anglię czy Francję, ale także Hiszpanię, cesarstwo niemieckie, Sycylię, Węgry i Ziemię Święta, do której nasze bohaterki zawitały na krucjatę.

[Rob Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has only been in the past 30 years or so that much has been written about the women of the Middle Ages. This intriguing history covers the daughters and daughters-in-laws of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Much of course has been written about Eleanor, but outside of her husbands (both Kings) and her two sons who became Kings, the rest of the family is barely mentioned. This book not only fills those gaps but gives great insight into the life of high noble women at that time. Married off at a young age for political purposes without their consent, and then expected to produce children, their lives might seem utterly horrible. Yet, they did find some freedom and did often rule and hold power. Their lives illustrate this age far better than the lives of the kingly rulers. If you have any interest in the Middle Ages or of Women’s Studies, then I highly recommend this book to you.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly detailed and well researched non fiction of the lives of the women surrounding Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England. Really enjoyed how the stories and lives were weaved together, almost as a tapestry that depicted the politics of the 12th and 13th centuries. We get to see a lot about the men of history, but a lot less of women. This book sets out to show the complexities and politics of women in the medieval era, and how without these women, the backdrop would have looked very different. The outcomes certainly so. I always enjoy the championing of women, however, I do wish we had seen a but more of a person anecdotal style as it would have given the book an extra dimension. Overall very good and enjoyable.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well researched and well-written book on several women related to Eleanor of Aquitaine, many of whom were ignored or slandered in their lifetimes and since. Definitely worth a read and a great addition to anyone interested in expanding on the time period in which Eleanor and these women lived (I'd recommend reading first a book on Eleanor herself, which will help to understand more of the background of the complex relationships)

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-researched, well-written, and easily readable history of ten women in the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. The author shows that these women were not simply sitting around sewing and bearing children, but were able to wield real authority and play important roles in European history at that time.

[Maj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have welcomed if the first of the chapters was a refresher on Eleanor herself, but it was otherwise a good book. The chapters are pretty much minibiographies of the first generation of the women descended from her or related to her by marrying her sons. You have to be pretty nerdy to be interested in this, but if you are, the book delivers.

[Alannah Templon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book that explores the lives of ten women that have often been overlooked. I sincerely enjoyed the author’s discussions regarding how these women commanded power and great influence within the lives they had found themselves bound within.

[Hallie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Waste of time. To me, it read more like a series of short biographies. I would have loved to have read more about Marie, Countess of Champagne since there's a criminal lack of information about the woman who helped shape the development of the Arthurian stories.

[Idril Celebrindal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting; well researched, reasoned, and told. Proves the power, influence, and activity women (noble ones, at least) have had throughout history.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

He leído tanto este año sobre Leonor de Aquitania y su familia que empiezo a encontrar autores que se contradicen.