Humble Queen Of England: An Analysis Of Eleanor Of Aquitaine’s Role In The Governance Of The Angevin Empire

Many historians have tackled the subjects of Eleanor of Aquitaine as well as the Angevin Empire. However, few have studied her role in the governance of the Plantagenet lands. This work is an attempt to remedy this situation through the study of Eleanor’s charters and letters during her time as Queen of England. Eleanor’s charters and letters demonstrate that she was a vital figure in the governance of the Angevin Empire as her husband Henry II and her sons Richard I and John I. The charters she issued during her early marriage to Henry II Plantagenet, from her ‘Court of Love’ in Poitou and imprisonment, and after Henry II’s death during the reigns of her sons, Richard I and John I will prove the important role she played in the Angevin Empire. The actions Eleanor took as Queen and the letters both to and from her during her marriage to Henry II will also support this argument.