The Influence Of Henry The II And Eleanor Relationship In France

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Henry at just 19 years old and Eleanor of Aquitaine being thirty and strong pheaded, they eloped to be one of the most powerful and effective political relationships. Though these people are very different, this relation worked for so many reasons, and fell apart as well. Henry the II was a very powerful leader and one of the greatest English monarchs to date, but his wife Eleanor, who also was very powerful, had a definite affect on his rule and a lasting affect on France. If not for each other, neither of them would have the lasting legacy that they did and not have nearly enough power in their realm. Though their relationship was practically built off of political affairs, it was one of the smartest and well put together pairings in history, …show more content…

Though Henry and Eleanor made a great power team for England and France, Henry was a very successful from the beginning and was destined for greatness at a young age. (Axelrod, Alan, and Charles L. Phillips. “Henry II (of England).” Dictators and Tyrants, Facts On File, 1994. Ancient and Medieval History, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/238406?q=henry ii. Accessed 2017) Henry was born to Geoffrey Plantagenet, the otherwise known as the Count of Anjou, and Matilda who was the daughter of Henry I of England. Henry was born to two very powerful entities and was in a way setup for success, as I stated earlier. After Henry I died, Stephen, Count of Blois, claimed the throne of England. Matilda then invaded England to claim her land back, but failed to do so. Then in 1147, Henry II campaigned against Stephen which produces little success. Henry then attacked Stephen once again two years later with help from King David of Scotland and was a disastrous failure, leaving barely with their lives. Henry II then became the Duke of Normandy in 1150 by his father which in a way started his ongoing legacy and gave him the power boost he needed to succeed.Henry also succeeded his father as count of Anjou the next year. Henry did not have long to wait to take the crown from Stephen after he died in 1154. Henry was crowned in December of 1154, though england was only a part of his realm called the Angevin Empire. (Axelrod, Alan, and Charles L. Phillips. “Henry II's Campaigns in Wales.” Wars in the Medieval World (600 to 1450), Facts On File, 2015. Ancient and Medieval History, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/236945?q=henry the II. Accessed 2017) This included most of modern day france and other parts of Europe. This empire was only second in size to the holy roman empire, which shows it’s power and strength coming from Eleanor and Henry. Though Henry had much

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