| In King John, Shakespeare portrayedEleanor as a canker d grandam , governedby lust for power, who schemed againsther husband Henry II - a crime for whichshe spent fifteen years in prison - anddominated her children s lives, ruthlesslyturning them against their father, theKing. It is also well known that she feudedbitterly with at least one daughter-in-lawand contributed to the death of her owngrandson. And, yet, there was another side to thispowerful queen consort. Splendid inperson, rank, and fortune, Queen ofFrance - as the wife of Louis VII - andthen of England, Eleanor of Aquitainewas worshipped by men, loved by herchildren, and idealised in the songs of thetroubadours. She was renowned for herbeauty and her generosity. Emerging atthe King s death to become regent, sheimmediately ordered the release ofprisoners throughout England, announc-ing: By my own experience prisons arehateful to men and to be released fromthem is a most delightful refreshment tothe spirit. She also patronised the greatabbey at Fontevrault, a refuge for thewives of brutal husbands. Today her glamour, her patronage ofthe poets, and her throwing off of theferocious constraints with which conven-tion shackled women in the twelfthcentury, are almost forgotten, as are hervery real gifts as a politician and a ruler.This book is an attempt to reconcile theparadoxes in the formidable personalityof this monstrous injurer of heaven andearth who was clearly loved and admiredby so many. |
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