Born – 1122
Died – 1st April 1204
Father – William X of Aquitaine (1099 – 1137)
Mother – Aenor de Chatellerault (1103 – 1130)
Spouses – m. 1137 – Louis VII of France, m. 1152 – Henry II of England (1133 – 1189)
Children – by Louis VII – Marie (1145 – 1198), Alix (1150 – 1198)
by Henry II – William (1153 – 1156), Henry (1155 – 1183), Matilda (1156 – 1189), King Richard I (1157 – 1199), Geoffrey (1158 – 1186), Eleanor (1162 – 1214), Joan (1165 – 1199), King John (1166 – 1216)
Queen Consort of France – 1137 – 1152
Queen Consort of England – 1154 – 1189
1122 (during)
Eleanor of Aquitaine was born the daughter of William X Duke of Aquitaine and Aenor de Châtellerault.
1125 (around)
Eleanor’s sister Petronilla was born to William X Duke of Aquitaine and Aenor de Châtellerault.
1126 (during)
Eleanor’s brother William, was born to William X Duke of Aquitaine and Aenor de Châtellerault.
1130 (Spring)
Eleanor’s mother and brother died leaving Eleanor heir to the Duchy of Aquitaine.
1137 (9th April)
William Duke of Aquitaine died while on pilgrimage to St James of Compostela and Eleanor inherited Aquitaine. King Louis VI, King of France was appointed her guardian.
1137 (25th July)
Eleanor married King Louis VI’s son, Louis, heir to the French throne.
1137 (1st August)
King Louis VI died and Eleanor’s husband, Louis became King Louis VII.
1137 (25th December)
Louis and Eleanor were crowned King and Queen of the Franks.
1145 (April)
A daughter, Marie, was born to Eleanor and Louis VII of France.
1147 (during)
Eleanor of Aquitaine accompanied her husband Louis VII on the Second Crusade.
1148 (during)
Eleanor developed a very close relationship with her uncle, Raymond of Poitiers, who was staying in Antioch at the time. The relationship made Louis jealous.
1149 (May)
The ship carrying Eleanor back to France from the Holy land was attacked by Byzantine ships. Eleanor’s ship escaped the attack but was blown off course by a storm.
1149 (July)
Eleanor’s ship reached Palermo in southern Italy.
1150 (July or August)
A daughter Alix was born to Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Louis VII of France.
1152 (11th March)
Eleanor’s marriage to Louis VII was annulled on the grounds of consanguinity.
1152 (18th May)
Eleanor of Aquitaine, aged 30 years, married Henry Plantagenet, the 18 year old grandson of King Henry I of England.
1153 (17th August)
A son, William, was born to Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry Plantagenet. He was styled Count of Poitiers.
1154 (25th October)
Henry Plantagenet became King Henry II of England after the death of King Stephen.
1154 (19th December)
Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine were crowned King and Queen of England by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
1155 (January)
Henry II appointed his close friend, Thomas Becket, as Chancellor of England.
1155 (28th February)
A son, Henry, was born to Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II. He was later known as the Young King.
1156 (April)
Eleanor and Henry’s son, William, died.
1156 (June)
A daughter, Matilda, was born to Eleanor and Henry II. She was styled Duchess of Saxony
1157 (8th September)
A son, Richard, was born to Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II.
1158 (23rd September)
A son, Geoffrey was born to Eleanor and Henry II.
1160 (2nd November)
Eleanor’s eldest son, Henry the young king, married Margaret, daughter of Louis VII of France by his second wife Constance of Castile.
1162 (during)
King Henry appointed his Chancellor, Thomas Becket, to the post of Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry hoped that his friend Becket would help him to reduce the power of the church. He soon realised that Becket took his new post seriously and took the side of the church against Henry.
1162 (13th October)
A daughter, Eleanor, was born to Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II.
1165 (October)
A daughter, Joan was born to Eleanor and Henry II.
1166 (24th December)
A son John was born to Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II.
1168 (during)
Eleanor and Henry began leading separate lives. Eleanor lived in Poitiers while Henry spent time in England and Normandy.
1168 (1st February)
Eleanor’s daughter, Matilda, married Henry V, the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria.
1170 (14th June)
Eleanor and Henry’s eldest son, Henry was crowned. He was known as the Young King to distinguish him from his father. The coronation took place to ensure the succession.
1170 (after 1st December)
Henry II was in Normandy when he was brought the news that Becket was threatening to excommunicate him for trying to reduce the power of the church. Henry was furious and amid his frustrated rant he may have shouted “will no-one rid me of this turbulent priest!” or words to that effect.
1170 (29th December)
Murder of Thomas Becket
Henry’s heated words were taken literally by four of his knights, Reginald Fitzurse, Hugh de Morville, William de Tracy and Richard le Breton. Anxious to win the kings favour they rode to Canterbury and murdered Becket in his own cathedral.
Henry’s heated words were taken literally by four of his knights, Reginald Fitzurse, Hugh de Morville, William de Tracy and Richard le Breton. Anxious to win the kings favour they rode to Canterbury and murdered Becket in his own cathedral.
1171 (1st January)
Henry was very upset when he was told of Becket’s assassination.
1172 (during)
Eleanor’s son, Richard, was created Duke of Aquitaine.
1172 (27th August)
Eleanor’s son, Henry was given a second coronation at Winchester Cathedral.
1173 (during)
Henry II began an affair with Rosamund Clifford.
1173 (March)
Eleanor’s sons rebelled against their father complaining that they had not been given enough power. It is likely that Eleanor took the side of her sons and may have provided them military aid.
1174 (8th July)
Eleanor and her eldest son, Henry the Young King, took a ship from Harfleur to Southampton.
1174 (July)
Upon landing in Southampton Eleanor was taken to Winchester and held prisoner by her husband Henry II. She remained a prisoner in various locations until her husband’s death.
1174 (September)
Eleanor’s daughter, Eleanor, married Alfonso VIII, King of Castile at Burgos Cathedral Castile.
1183 (11th June)
Henry, the Young King had tried to force his father to hand over more power. He was badly in debt and unable to pay his troops. After being defeated by his father he caught dysentery and died.
1183 (Summer)
Henry the Young King had been married to the half-sister of King Philip II of France. Philip now claimed areas in Normandy on her behalf. Henry II declared that they belonged to Eleanor and moved Eleanor to Normandy to prove the point. She remained under house arrest.
1186 (19th August)
Eleanor’s son, Geoffrey, duke of Brittany, died.
1189 (6th July)
Eleanor’s husband, Henry II of England, died. Their eldest surviving son, Richard became King Richard I. Eleanor was released from imprisonment and ruled England as regent until Richard could sail for England.
1189 (13th July)
Eleanor’s daughter, Matilda, died.
1189 (13th August)
Richard I arrived in England and was welcomed by the people.
1190 (July)
Richard and Phillip II of France embarked on a Third Crusade to the Holy land. Eleanor was left as regent of England in her son’s absence.
1192 (December)
While returning home from Crusade Richard I was captured and held to ransom by Duke Leopold V of Austria.
1194 (February)
Eleanor went to Austria to pay the ransom of 150,000 marks for the release of her son Richard who then returned home to England.
1199 (6th April)
Richard I died while laying siege to a castle in Aquitaine. Eleanor’s youngest son, John, became King of England.
1199 (4th September)
Joan, daughter of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, died.
1200 (22nd May)
Eleanor was instrumental in arranging a peace treaty between England and France which was sealed with the marriage of her grand daughter, Blanche of Castile, to King Louis VIII.
1202 (during)
Eleanor helped to hold Poitou in the face of an attack by her grandson, Arthur of Brittany.
1204 (1st April)
Eleanor died at the monastery at Fontevrault in Anjou.
First published 2016, updated and re-published 29 Mar 2021 @ 11:06 – Updated – [last-modified]
Harvard Reference for this page:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2016 – 2021). Eleanor of Aquitaine Timeline.
Thank you so much for makig this!! It helped so much on an essay I have to do for her, much appreciation.
XOXO