Gone Medieval – "The Real Eleanor of Aquitaine"

Podcast: Gone Medieval (History Hit)
Host: Dr. Eleanor Janega
Guest: Professor Lindy Grant (Professor Emerita of Medieval History, University of Reading)
Date: September 16, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Eleanor Janega delves into the life and legacy of Eleanor of Aquitaine—medieval Europe's most formidable and dazzling political operator. Dr. Janega is joined by Professor Lindy Grant, whose research challenges perennial myths about Eleanor and offers revelatory insights into her roots, family alliances, and political strategies. Together, they tear up the mythologized playbook of queenship, explaining how slander, legend, and breathtaking political acumen shaped Eleanor's story.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Challenging the Myths: The Real Eleanor

• Intro and Thesis:
  Dr. Janega introduces Eleanor as a woman whose legacy is "nearly buried under centuries of slander," noting that chroniclers depicted her as a she-wolf and seductress. The episode aims to "cut through centuries of mythology, romantic exaggeration, and slander" to reveal the real Eleanor (02:32).
  • "Forget the gossip, forget the myth of the court of love. This is a woman who, at 80, personally commanded the defense of Mirabeau Castle against her own grandson." — Dr. Eleanor Janega [03:30]

2. The Troubadour Myth—and Maternal Networks

• Eleanor’s (Mis)association with Troubadour Poetry:
  • Professor Grant details the lack of evidence connecting Eleanor directly to the culture of Southern troubadours, despite her grandfather William IX being a prominent figure in that tradition (08:00).
  • "She’s always thought of as being, sometimes called, the queen of the troubadours… But there’s no evidence that they really follow Eleanor north." — Prof. Lindy Grant [08:03]
  • It was actually the next generation—her children Richard, Henry the Young King, and Geoffrey—who served as conduits for this culture.
  • "It’s the next generation where that sort of transmission happens." — Prof. Lindy Grant [15:10]
• Roots in the North:
  • Eleanor’s mother, Aénor of Châtellerault, belonged to a network rooted in the Loire valley, not the Occitan south. As such, Eleanor was arguably shaped by the political dynamics and social norms of northern France.
  • "Her mother is not a southerner, she’s a northerner… she really comes from the Loire." — Prof. Lindy Grant [15:55]

3. The Importance of Maternal Heritage & Family Ties

• Unusual Marriage Choices in the House of Aquitaine:
  • Eleanor’s paternal grandparents and parents made marital alliances not always with princes, but at times with lesser, strategic nobility—the viscounts of Châtellerault.
  • "William IX arranges the marriage between William X and Dangereuse’s daughter of Châtellerault…" — Prof. Lindy Grant [20:58]
• Eleanor’s Limited Support:
  • Compared to other queens of France (who could rely on formidable family support), Eleanor’s maternal connections were minor, impacting her position at the French court after her father’s death.
  • "Eleanor, in a way, doesn’t have a very strong maternal family. The implications of that are quite considerable." — Prof. Lindy Grant [22:00]
• Her “Orphan” Status at the French Court:
  • The conversation explores how this lack of major family backing left Eleanor isolated and likely increased the appeal of powerful alliances, including her uncle Raymond of Antioch during the Crusade (25:56).

4. Scandal, Slander, and the Patriarchal Backlash

• Antioch Scandal & Divorce from Louis VII:
  • Professor Grant explains the events around the Crusade, the rumor of incest between Eleanor and her uncle, and the realpolitik behind the accusations.
  • "All that stuff about how she’s had an affair with Henry’s father… is all to try and say the marriage with Henry is not valid… It's all a bit, you know, it doesn't wash." — Prof. Lindy Grant [29:50]
• The Partisanship of Chroniclers:
  • Both discuss how chroniclers leaned into scandal and beauty only once Eleanor became a political problem for the patriarchy.
  • "People start talking about her beauty until after the incident at Antioch… this idea that she’s very beautiful, nobody says that until there’s scandal attached to her." — Prof. Lindy Grant [64:12]

5. Mapping Eleanor's Growing Political Agency

• Three Key Stages of Power: (38:39)
  • Queen of France: Young, isolated, lacking political agency—partly due to not producing a male heir.
  • Queen of England:
    • Gains influence as the mother of sons, especially in the early years of marriage to Henry II.
    • Serves as regent in England and Anjou at various times.
    • Later, as regent in Aquitaine, holding genuine executive power.
  • Imprisonment and Widowhood:
    • Following the failed rebellion of 1173, she is imprisoned comfortably by Henry II.
    • In widowhood, her power increases dramatically—she orchestrates Richard the Lionheart's succession, manages crises, and executes shrewd diplomacy into old age.
  • "The types of power that she has are very, very uneven… at some stage, almost nothing, and then tremendous active power." — Prof. Lindy Grant [54:27]
• Her Unrivaled Effectiveness During Crisis:
  • During Richard’s imprisonment, Eleanor almost singlehandedly manages to stabilize the kingdom and raise his enormous ransom.
  • "Richard writes to her to say that, 'It's only by your foresight, your understanding and your work that my kingdom is going to be there when I get back.'" — Prof. Lindy Grant [52:30]
• Controversial Decisions:
  • Both discuss her support for John over Arthur, and the less successful rebellion against Henry II.
  • "If Eleanor hadn't declared for John, I think Anjou and Aquitaine and possibly Normandy would have gone with Arthur." — Prof. Lindy Grant [57:50]

6. Why Has Eleanor’s Maternal Heritage Been Overlooked?

• Obscurity and Research Challenges:
  • Many earlier historians fixated on Eleanor’s paternal, “southern” legacy due to the allure of the troubadour myth.
  • "Because they're not princes, they're that sort of lower level of aristocrats. They're jolly difficult to sort of trace..." — Prof. Lindy Grant [60:50]
• Importance of Contextualizing Eleanor:
  • Professor Grant’s research recovers this neglected thread, revealing Eleanor as a "northern" figure shaped as much by provincial society as by ducal grandeur.
  • "It's really important in thinking about Eleanor and just seeing her as… first of all, somebody northern, but also… almost orphaned, doesn't have that kind of support from a major family that a queen… might be expected to have." — Prof. Lindy Grant [62:00]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dr. Eleanor Janega, on breaking the myth:
  "Born into the cutthroat world of feudal power games, Eleanor didn’t just play the game, she rewrote the rules." [03:10]

• Professor Lindy Grant, on Eleanor’s lack of troubadour links:
  "Completely takes apart this sort of idea that Eleanor is somebody who encourages troubadours. So there are no poems by them about her." [12:35]

• On her political resilience:
  "The types of power that she has are very, very uneven... at some stage, almost nothing, and then tremendous active power." — Prof. Lindy Grant [54:27]

• On her misunderstood legacy:
  "Her power wasn't rooted in bedsheets. It was forged in bloodlines." — Dr. Eleanor Janega [04:30]

Important Timestamps

• 02:32–07:20: Introduction, Eleanor’s dazzling biography, and myth vs. history.
• 08:00–17:41: Troubadour myth and the real roots of Eleanor’s influence.
• 18:30–32:28: Maternal family’s political importance; Eleanor’s isolation in France; the Antioch scandal.
• 38:39–54:27: The three stages of Eleanor’s political career and detailed agency as queen, regent, and dowager.
• 60:37–65:09: Why the maternal side has been neglected; the research challenges of tracking non-princely aristocrats.
• 65:53–66:07: Reflections on Eleanor’s upbringing and legacy, wrapping up the conversation.

Conclusion

This episode offers an incisive, evidence-based reevaluation of Eleanor of Aquitaine, dismantling long-held myths and repositioning her as both a product of her less-glamorous northern heritage and a political genius. Professor Grant’s pioneering work shifts the focus from scandal and legend to lineage, administration, and resilience in the face of patriarchal resistance. Anyone seeking to understand the real woman behind the legend—and the mechanisms of medieval power—will find this conversation essential.