Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire

by Matthew Lewis

New in paperback - The powerful medieval couple who formed an empire beyond England, and whose children included Richard the Lionheart and King John.

Henry II became King of England in 1154 after twenty years of civil war. He was the first Plantagenet king, the founder of England’s most successful and longest-ruling dynasty.

But Henry did not come to the throne alone. He had married Eleanor of Aquitaine, a feisty, formidable and powerful woman ten years his senior. Eleanor had spent fifteen years married to Louis VII of France before he divorced her, only to be angered when she married his young rival. Together, they were a medieval power couple who soon added the ultimate rank of king and queen consort to their list of titles. With them, the Angevin Empire was born.

Over the decades, a wedge was driven between the king, fiercely protective of his empire, and Eleanor, who felt restrained in her husband’s shadow. Henry imprisoned his wife, fought his elder sons and pinned his hopes on his youngest, whose betrayal was the last straw. This book charts the early lives of Henry and Eleanor before they became a European power couple and examines the impact of their union on contemporaries and European politics.

It explores the birth of the Angevin Empire that spread from Northumberland to the Mediterranean, and the causes of the disintegration of that vast territory, as well as the troublesome relationships between Henry and his sons, who dragged their father to the battlefield to defend his lands from their ambitious intriguing.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Medieval History, Medieval, British Literature, European History

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2021

About the author

Matthew Lewis is the author of histories and historical fiction novels about Richard III and the Wars of the Roses. The medieval period is a particular passion of Matthew’s, a passion he hopes to share through his blog. He is dedicated to teaching and discussing this period, operating two history podcasts and providing bite-sized facts to his Twitter and Facebook following.

Lewis has degree in Law and currently lives in Shropshire.

Reviews

[Tony Riches · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I've always been fascinated by the Plantagenets, my knowledge of Eleanor of Aquitaine owes more to TV dramas than historical research. This new book from Matthew Lewis offers a picture of a surprisingly modern, resourceful and resilient woman, doing her best to deal with a troubled King Henry.

Heiress to the greatest Duchy in France, and nine years older than Henry, Eleanor had excellent preparation for her task. As Queen of France she'd survived her first marriage, to the hapless King Louis, scandal and the dangers of his ill-advised crusade to the Holy Lands.

Henry II might have raised an eyebrow when he read Eleanor's letter proposing marriage ("if he was interested") but she 'ticked all the boxes', as she had two daughters, her own fortune and Aquitaine lands. The fact they were related to the same degree of consanguinity which enabled her divorce from the King of France didn't seem to bother either of them.

Matthew Lewis brings the story of Henry and Eleanor to life with a wealth of intriguing stories, fascinating details, and well-researched context. Highly recommended.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent work, balanced and fair particularly with regard to Eleanor, who still manages to be maligned for much! Highly recommend

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you go to Fontevrault Abbey in France, you will find two rather extraordinary tombs. These tombs belong to King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, the first King, Queen of the Plantagenet Dynasty, and the Angevin Empire. Their effigies tell us a lot about the couple that was buried side by side. The husband was restless; his model shows him ready to take action at any moment, with his crown upon his head and a scepter in his hand. His queen lays beside him, reading an unknown book. They seem to be prepared to watch over their kingdom and their family even beyond the grave. Those who know English history recognize their names and understand the family drama behind the scenes. We think we know the truth about Henry and Eleanor, but is there more to their story and their feuding family? In Matthew Lewis’s latest dual biography, “Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire,” he explores the relationship between this dynamic king and queen and how it shaped European and English history forever.

I want to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed Matthew Lewis’s previous books, and when I heard about this one, I was pleasantly surprised. There is just something so intriguing about the lives of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and I could not wait to see how he would approach this famous couple.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was a grand heiress of France who attracted the young French King Louis VII; they would eventually marry and take on the monumental task of protecting French territories and embark on the 2nd Crusade. Eleanor showed her strength and resilience during the Crusade as rumors tried hard to tarnish her good name. Unfortunately, her marriage did not last long as the couple realized that they would never have a male heir.

As soon as they divorced, Eleanor fell in love with a young noble who was the son of Empress Matilda and Geoffrey Duke of Anjou, Henry Plantagenet. Empress Matilda fought hard against her cousin King Stephen for Henry to become Stephen’s heir during The Anarchy. Henry and Matilda would prevail, allowing Henry and Eleanor to become King and Queen of England after Stephen’s death.

It was when Henry became a father when troubles began to arise. His sons, Henry the Younger, Geoffrey Duke of Brittany, Richard, and John, would be a thorn at his side as they fought against each other and Henry for power. Eleanor was woefully caught in the middle as she strived to do what was best for her sons, even if it pitted her against her beloved husband. To top it all off, Henry had to deal with a man who he felt was right to help him reign in the power of the Church; Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. The disastrous end to their friendship would be the lowest point in Henry’s reign.
Lewis gives his readers a brand new perspective on the relationship between Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Although I knew this story rather well before reading this biography, I still found myself entranced by Lewis’s narrative with scrupulous attention to detail. I thought I knew the nature of their relationship, but I was wrong. If you want a biography that is elegant while it challenges your views on the first Plantaganet couple, I highly suggest you read “Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire” by Matthew Lewis.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine were the 12th century’s version of a power couple. Henry, the great grandson of William the Conqueror, became the first in the line of Angevin (Plantagenet) kings following the death of Stephen and the 15 year civil war known as the Anarchy. Doggedly determined to restore the holdings of his grandfather, Henry I, at his peak Henry II ruled territory stretching from the Scottish border to the Pyrenees Mountains, covering all of England, about half of France and parts of Ireland.

But it was through his marriage to the powerful and influential Eleanor of Aquitaine that the vast lands of Aquitaine and other French territory came under Henry’s control. He married Eleanor after her marriage to the French king Louis VII was annulled. She gave birth to eight children with Henry including two future kinds of England, Richard I and John.

Lewis provides a detailed dual biography of Henry and Eleanor, offering a straightforward history alongside his own insights and interpretations. A repeated theme is the singular importance of religion in the Middle Ages, which he describes as the very heartbeat of medieval life. Lewis suggests that clerics writing contemporaneous accounts were influenced by their biases and attitudes about women that colored the way in which Eleanor has been perceived. He also expands on the intense power struggles between Henry and the Church which played out personally in the clash between Henry and Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, ending in Becket’s tragic and shocking murder.

A very interesting and well-paced exploration of Henry and Eleanor, their turbulent times and their political and personal partnership, although with much of the emphasis on Henry.

[Julie Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. From the description of Eleanor's first marriage to Louis, (especially a brief but very informative discussion of their part in the Crusade), to a succinct treatment of the Anarchy, to the many possible reasons for their sons repeated rebellions.

Especially loved:
+ Eleanor as a rational woman making bold choices for her homeland of Aquitaine.
++ One of the best short descriptions of the Becket controversy I've ever read.
+ the (possibly controversial?) idea that Eleanor was not in league with her sons to rebel, but may have been trying to talk sense into them; and further the proof the Henry relaxed Eleanor's captivity in later years to again help him rule.
+ disregarding the idea that Eleanor lost all her political sense over a mistress, which I have a hard time believing

A side note; Didn't agree with his treatment of Henry the Young King. Henry II may have given power to Richard and Geoffrey over Aquitaine and Brittney (which were not part of his grandfather's domains) - but at no point did he ever give Kingly power to Richard for Normandy, even when Richard rebelled for that power.



The king left his queen as regent in England, a strong indication of the faith he had in Eleanor and of his need, and ability, to have people he trusted represent him in his regions. Empress Matilda oversaw Normandy, and now Eleanor was given authority in England. The women in his life offered a perfect solution to the problem of spreading himself too thin. They were family, as motivated by maintaining Henry’s power and prestige as the king was, but they were also women. Henry could safely delegate his power to them as his personal representatives but without blurring lines of authority in the way installing a man as a rival to his power might.

Eleanor latched onto Richard as the new future of Aquitaine. Her plan for an independent Aquitaine, never to be wrapped up with her husband’s other possessions to become a mere part of a parcel, could be restored in him. Conceived in her homeland, he represented the renewal of a lost dream. She mourned William’s loss still but was given new hope in Richard. The relationship between mother, son and duchy would become one of the most pivotal of Henry’s reign and Richard’s life, forging the man into which he would grow.

Still Becket was reluctant and fearful of conflict with the king. The concern suggests hindsight, but by now he was well aware that Henry wanted him there to facilitate increased state control of the Church, which would be in direct conflict with the obligations of the office he was being asked to take. His fears may well have been real and based on what he knew of Henry’s plans.

Becket’s protestations at the election that he would be driven into conflict with the king suggest he understood the resistance he would be required to offer to what he knew Henry wanted. Becket had got where he was by excelling at any job he was given. Shining in this new role would demand the defiance of the king. Giving Henry what he wanted now would require failure on his part.

To suggest there was acrimony in the relationship at this point is to apply a great deal of hindsight. Both Henry and Eleanor were benefitting from the arrangement. It meant no more separation than their relationship had always entailed and was little more than the recognition of an alteration in the circumstances brought about by the passage of time.

Eleanor had, for a while now, been in effective retirement, at least as Henry’s wife. There should be no acrimony read into the arrangement. As Eleanor moved beyond childbearing age and Henry’s governmental machinery tightened his grip in all corners of his territories, she was afforded freedom from the duties that had kept her busy and frequently pregnant for almost two decades. The return to her beloved Aquitaine, with Richard at her side as the next Count of Poitou and Duke of Aquitaine, and an arrangement that guaranteed Aquitaine’s future independence from England and France, was surely a reward that represented just about everything she had wanted from her marriage to Henry. Even Toulouse was now safely back under Aquitaine’s wing after decades of struggles to reabsorb it. The notion that Eleanor felt shunned and disaffected at this stage is unlikely and not supported by evidence available to this point.

It is feasible that Eleanor, rather than fostering dissent within her own family that would threaten Aquitaine every bit as much as everything else, including her sons’ lives, sought to bring an end to it. If Ralph had followed Henry the Younger, Richard and Geoffrey to Paris, it might have been to pass on their mother’s demand that they return home and obey their father.

The Young King was twenty-seven and had been crowned twelve years earlier, yet still Henry refused to give him authority of his own. Traditionally this has been viewed as an inability in the old king to delegate, to relax his grip or hand over any authority. This was demonstrably untrue. Richard had, for years, been Count of Poitou and in effective control of Aquitaine, left to manage affairs there as he saw fit and supported by his father when necessary. Geoffrey, now twenty-three, had married Constance of Brittany formally in 1181 and was now Duke of Brittany, though he preferred to spend much of his time on the same tournament circuit as his oldest brother. At eighteen, John was not yet of the age of majority, usually reached at twenty-one, but was titular Lord of Ireland when he came of age. Henry’s real unwillingness to hand over any authority was restricted to his oldest son and heir, and strongly suggests that he viewed the young man as unsuited to power.

If Henry saw some defect in his oldest son that made him unsuitable for what awaited, then it was the doting hand of a father that kept power from him, not the greedy fist of a jealous tyrant. Many contemporary commentators felt Henry the Younger was petulant, immature and unready for authority. He was suited to the tournament, to the mock battles that made him rich and famous, alongside William Marshal, but not the complexities and subtleties of diplomacy that Henry had been forced to master and incessantly refine.

Yet Henry’s persistence in trying to rebuild relations with his sons every time they tried to tear him down speaks of a fatherly love that accepted their failings and tried to teach them rather than punish their mistakes, however frequent.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Plantagenets are the longest reigning and greatest of all the British ruling houses. Their bloodline is still in the current ruling house - the House of Windsor. For 331 years, they held England and most of the area we now call France. Henry and Eleanor and their sons were also the most famous dysfunctional royal family.

Henry II was the eldest son of Empress Matilda (a title she got from her first husband) and Geoffrey of Anjou. Goeffrey was 12 years younger, and she did not want to marry him, but her father insisted on it. She was the only legitimate heir of Henry I, after the White Ship disaster, and Henry knew she'd need a strong husband to back her claim to the English throne. Henry I was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and came to the throne himself, unexpectedly, to say the least. Henry I was a formidable king, very much like his father.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was the sole heiress of the wealthiest and most sophisticated duchy in what we now call France. She was married to King Louis VII of France when she was quite young and had 2 daughters in their 15-year marriage.

She accompanied Louis on Crusade with troops from her lands, much to the dislike of the other leaders and the Church. She was slandered by all because of her strong will and quick mind. The Crusade was an utter disaster from start to finish, and during it, she was accused of having an affair with her uncle, the King of Jerusalem. It was one of the first of several slanders she would endure during her life. Their marriage was in shreds, and they had it annulled due to consanguinity.

On her way home, she eluded two attempts to kidnap her to force a marriage and take her lands. Less than two months after, she wrote a letter to Henry II asking if he would like to marry her. He didn't hesitate at the chance to double his holdings, and they married on May 8, 1152. Henry was 13 years younger than she. Louis was furious. He joined King Stephen's heir Eustace and Henry’s own brother Goeffrey, but it was to no avail. Eustace died suddenly, and the coalition fell apart. Henry was named King Stephen's heir to the English throne a short 11 months later.

Louis didn't have land or means to fight his enemies, but he did have a talent for getting others to fight his rebellious barons, and to that end, he made Henry the Seneschal of France. Henry held a great deal of land as a vassal of the French King, and he always made a point of honoring that reality, lest his own barons rebelled.

But a constant thorn in the side of Louis was the fact that he had no sons as yet, while Eleanor presented Henry with son, after son, five in all. They had 8 children in all. All three of their daughters made impressive matches when the time came, and many noble houses were descended from Henry and Eleanor.

Henry was a man with boundless energy and a brilliant tactician. He made it his life's work to retake and hold all the lands his father held and been lost during the time of King Stephen. In those days, outright battles were not fought. It was too risky and too unpredictable. Instead, castles were taken, built, torn down by whoever had the skill and daring. Henry had both. He could show up at any time and take a castle before his foe could make preparations. In no time, he had all the lands of his grandfather and his wife. But he always paid homage to Louis for those lands in France, lest his own vassals turn on him.

His only real mistake was his dealings with Thomas Becket. They were fast friends, and Henry trusted the low born Becket with his English kingdom when he was in France fighting. He made Becket his Chancellor and entrusted the education of his eldest son, Henry the Young King, to him. Becket was particularly fond of rich clothing and trappings, something Henry couldn't be bothered with. Henry teased Becket mercilessly about it and in public.

Henry only ever got any pushback for his actions by the Church. It was a time when the Church was pressing their plans to make all secular power beholden to the Pope, who used excommunication and interdiction as weapons. When the Archbishop of Canterbury died, Henry saw an opportunity to appoint his closest friend, Thomas, to the office. Thomas was not ordained and had no qualifications, but Henry prevailed, and the monks elected Thomas to the post.

But Thomas was not so compliant. Henry wanted clergy who committed secular crimes to be tried in secular law courts. The Church insisted on trying them in ecclesiastical courts, where even clergy who murdered got off with a light sentence of penance only. Thomas would not bend on this point and saw his post as a way to get payback for all the public insults by Henry over the years. He took the opposite point in everything Henry wanted and did it very publicly, to the point of having to flee England in the face of Henry's wrath.

Eventually, being allowed back to Canterbury, Thomas again irritated the King, and in a moment of rage, Henry uttered words that would go down in history and cause four knights to act. No one knows the exact quote, but legend puts them: "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest!" On December 29th, 1170, they entered Canterbury Cathedral and finding Thomas kneeling at the altar, struck him several blows to the head, one of them taking the top of his skull clean off.

Shock waves spread across Europe, but strangely, the Pope didn't excommunicate Henry, nor did he put England under interdict. In 1174 Henry did public penance at the alter of Canterbury and the tomb of Becket, who was now a saint and martyr. As for the knights, Henry didn't confiscate their lands. They traveled to Rome to beg forgiveness from the Pope, who sent them to the Holy Land for 14 years. In a nutshell, Henry got what he wanted, Becket kind of got what he wanted, the knights got off lightly, and everything went back to normal.

Believe it or not, this is just a very small portion of this wonderful book. Matthew Lewis packs every paragraph with facts, people, places, and interpretation based on his extensive, meticulous research and attention to fine details. He is truly the very best history writer I've ever read.

[Liam · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather uninspiring read. The author starts with an idea and bends any which way to attempt to fit facts to it. Of course, any reading of history requires some inferences and it is hard to call anything a hard fact, but some of the jumps here are far past acceptable limits. The author also seems intent on shoehorning medieval attitudes into 2020 mores. That said, the book is occasionally enjoyable.

[Rev · Rating 4 out of 5]

The medieval nobility is one of my favorite topics when it comes to history so I was delighted when i found this book at my library. It was a nice overview of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquataine and was very easy to read. It was also enjoyable as well, and I can definitely recommend it!

[Oli Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

#henryIIandeleanorofaquitaine #foundinganempire by #matthewlewis published in 2021. An examination of the medieval power couple. Eleanor older, more experienced and wealthy. Henry ambitious and energetic with a good claim to the English crown. Some really good anecdotes and detail. No armchair psychology this time. I was more familiar with Henry and the anarchy, so it was interesting to see more of the French side of things and Eleanor’s marriage to Louis. The first few chapters have to treat the two central characters separately but once they meet things really take off. Henry’s relationship with his wife’s previous husband Louis was interesting. Quite a lot of time is spent on the Henry/thomas becket relationship (while Eleanor is producing all the children and is more of a background character). It must be tricky to have a book intended to discuss two historical figures when one (Henry) is bound to have more sources and information and will inevitably take the lions share of the page count. It seems more like a biography of Henry II featuring Eleanor (with the main focus on her being the earlier and later chapters as she was born earlier and died later than Henry). It would have been interesting to see a little more about the relationship between Henry II and his son Henry the younger after the death of Thomas Becket (as becket was quite close to Henry the younger). Henry II’s grandfather had the problem of not having enough legitimate sons. Henry ii’s problem might have been having too many. The rivalry and jealousy between Henry the younger, Richard, Geoffrey and John (with Eleanor getting involved) creates tremendous family drama for the last third of the book with Henry II ‘imprisoning’ Eleanor! A very complex family. I would have liked a little more focus on Eleanor although I assume the author did the best he could with the limited sources available without verging into speculation.

[historic_chronicles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Founding an Empire by Matthew Lewis.

When Eleanor of Aquitaine suggested the coupling of she and the young noble Henry Plantagenet, Duke of Anjou and son of Matilda (daughter to King Henry I of England), it is easy to see why the headstrong Henry would have found it a desirable match.

With Eleanor came the large wealth and powerful Duchy of Aquitaine, a powerful alliance and useful tool for his future bid for power during the Anarchy as Stephen of Blois held the throne of England. On a personal level, Eleanor came with experience as a previous Queen of France during her ill-fated marriage to King Louis VII.

The relationship between Henry and Eleanor was powerful, yet turbulent - fracturing their own family and leading to rebellion, death and destruction over the years. Lewis documents this monumentally fascinating relationship with confidence, challenging the reader to rethink their preconceived perceptions of the Plantagent King and Queen along with the roles they played in each others lives.

Absorbing at all times, the author does great justice to these hugely interesting figures that continue to captivate generations, in particular Eleanor, but showcasing her determination, resourcefulness and ambition in a riveting and informative read that is sure to be a welcome addition to any personal library.

Thank you, as always, to the team at @amberleypublishing and @philipjdean1989 in particular for sending this wonderful duo-biography for me to review.

[Fergie · Rating 5 out of 5]

12th century England was a place of extraordinary circumstances where fascinating historical players lived, reigned, and molded a future empire . King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine were political powerhouses who combined their astute talents in a time when men ruled and women were deemed subordinate. The fact that Eleanor held sway and power is made more extraordinary considering Henry II's tight reign of control.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was the wife of two kings and the mother of three sons who would become kings in her own lifetime. Much of what's written about her partnership with Henry is a convenient telling of Henry's imprisonment of Eleanor after nearly twenty years of marriage. It was refreshing to read a thoroughly researched biography written as a more nuanced study of Henry and Eleanor's life and marriage.

Medieval England is one of the most fascinating periods in history. Matthew Lewis has written a masterpiece worthy of that time.

[Paul Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Run-of-the-mill modern popular history with plenty of "maybe"'s and "perhap"'s to support a "re-interpretation" of a foxy, favorite historical personage against contrary contemporaneous evidence that is always disposed of as "biased!" and (in the present case) "misogynistic!". Docked a star because the author inexplicably omits on several pages any discussion of his fervent conviction that medieval Europe and the Church were irredeemably "misogynistic".

[Benjamin Heseltine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, but it does seem to omit some details and in-depth moments, as well as interesting family stories that can be found in other books. However, it does a great job of covering the complex political landscape and maintaining an accurate timeline of events. I just would have liked more detail on certain events where more close knit information is available on the events elsewhere, its a shame to have missed them out here.

[David Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read, thoroughly enjoyed an in-depth look at both Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, both of whom I only had glancing knowledge of, as well as a good overview of the formation of their children, Henry the Young King, Richard the Lionhearted and John I. If you want to understand all of these people this book is a great source

[Kieran O'connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read

[Andrea Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It could have used an editor. It was repetitive in places and sometimes contradicted the family tree in the beginning, but it was interesting and informative.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent study of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Well researched book.

[Steve Maus]

Very good. Not really an exhaustive bio, but very thorough nonetheless. Enjoyable to read, though some of the genealogies got confusing because of the dynastic reuse of names over and over again.

[Sarah ♥ ♥ ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

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