Editing Eleanor of Aquitaine (section)

== Queen of France (1137–1152) ==
{{Gallery |title=Wedding of Louis and Eleanor (14th C)|width=180 | height=170 |align=right |footer=''(Manuscript illuminations: On far right, departure for the crusade)''|File:EleonoraAkviLudvik7.jpg|Chantilly Bibliotheque|File:Louis vii and alienor.jpg|Chronique de France|alt2=14th century depictions of marriage of Louis and Eleanor}}
[[File:Vase de cristal d'Aliénor.jpg|thumb|[[Eleanor of Aquitaine vase|Eleanor's rock crystal vase]], which she gave Louis as a wedding gift<br>[[Louvre Museum]]|alt=The vase had belonged to Eleanor's grandfather, William IX of Aquitaine. Louis later donated it to the Abbey of Saint-Denis.]]

=== Marriage ===

Relatively little is known from the time that Eleanor was Queen of France.{{sfn|Evans|2018|p=105}} On 25 July 1137, Eleanor and Louis were married in the [[Bordeaux Cathedral|Cathedral of Saint-André]] in Bordeaux by the Archbishop of Bordeaux. Immediately after the wedding, the couple were enthroned as duke and duchess of Aquitaine.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=24}} It was agreed that the duchy would remain independent of France until Eleanor's oldest son became both king of France and duke of Aquitaine.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=22}} As a wedding present she gave Louis [[Eleanor of Aquitaine vase|a rock crystal vase]].{{efn|The rock crystal vase originally belonged to Eleanor's grandfather, [[William IX of Aquitaine]]. Louis donated [[:fr:Vase de cristal d'Aliénor|Eleanor's vase]] to [[Suger]], who in turn offered it to the [[Basilica of St Denis]]. Later it came into the possession the [[Louvre]]{{sfn|Louvre|2023}} museum in Paris.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=}}{{sfn|Swabey|2004|p=105}}{{sfn|Kelly|1978}} This vase is the only object connected with Eleanor that still survives.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=25}}}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=25}}

From Bordeaux, the couple proceeded to Poitiers, arriving on 1 August, where after a week of festivities they were invested as count and countess of Poitou on 8 August.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=25}} Louis's tenure as count of Poitou and duke of Aquitaine and Gascony lasted only a few days. On their way to Paris, a messenger arrived with the news that Louis VI had died on 1 August and therefore they were now king and queen of France.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=26}} Louis had already been [[coronation|crowned]] in the Capetian fashion in 1131{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=22}} and on Christmas Day 1137, Eleanor was crowned queen at Bourges.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=35}}

Eleanor was not popular with some members of the court, including Abbot Suger and Louis's mother [[Adelaide of Maurienne]], who left the court shortly thereafter and remarried. Some courtiers made unfavourable reference to memories of [[Constance of Arles]], third wife of [[Robert II of France]] and ancestor of both Louis and Eleanor. Constance had had a reputation for being indiscreet in both dress and language.{{efn|[Adelaide] perhaps [based] her preconceptions on another southerner, Constance of Provence&nbsp;... tales of her allegedly immodest dress and language still continued to circulate among the sober Franks.{{sfn|Meade|1991 }} }}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=22–23}}  Eleanor's conduct was repeatedly criticised by church elders, particularly [[Bernard of Clairvaux]]{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=33}} and Suger, as indecorous. Modifications were made to the austere [[Palais de la Cité|Cité Palace in]] Paris for Eleanor's sake{{sfn|Swabey|2004|p=33}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=27–35}} and she was joined by her sister Aélith, who became known there as [[Petronilla of Aquitaine|Petronilla]].{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 2}}

=== Claim to Toulouse 1141 ===

Eleanor was descended from the [[counts of Toulouse]] through her grandmother, [[Philippa, Countess of Toulouse]]. Philippa was the sole child of [[William IV of Toulouse]], but following her father's death in 1093, Philippa's uncle [[Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse|Raymond IV]] ({{reign|1094|1105}}) asserted a right to the title. Philippa then persuaded her husband, William IX of Aquitaine, to enforce her right, a struggle that lasted nearly 30 years, finally ending in 1123 with Raymond IV's son, [[Alfonso Jordan]] ({{reign|1112|1148}}).{{sfn|Turner|2009|pp=17–18}} During this time, control of Toulouse continually changed hands between William IX and Raymond IV's children.{{sfn|Graham-Leigh|2005|pp=92–93}} Philippa's claim was passed on to Eleanor's father then to Eleanor herself. Louis VII attempted to enforce her claim by marching on Toulouse, arriving at the walls on 21 June 1141. Although he laid siege to the city, he was unable to subjugate it and withdrew, after accepting the homage of Count Alfonso.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 2}} Despite this setback, Eleanor continued to press her claims, with further expeditions in 1159 and throughout her life.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 4}}

=== Conflict with the church ===

Louis soon came into conflict with the church and [[Pope Innocent II]] (1130–1143). In 1140 he intervened in the election to the [[Episcopal see|see]] of Poitiers on finding that a new bishop, Grimoald, had been elected and consecrated without his consent. This was despite the fact that his father had granted the [[ecclesiastical province]] of Bordeaux the right to do so and that he himself had approved this. Louis then attempted to prohibit Grimoald from entering the city, thus drawing both Innocent II and Bernard of Clairvaux into the dispute. Innocent issued an order to overrule the royal edict but Grimoald died, ending the dispute. The ecclesiastical authorities were aware of the unsuccessful attempt of both Eleanor's father and grandfather to interfere in church matters. However, the Poitiers affair was soon followed by other attempts by Louis to exert his authority.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 2}}

The most consequential of these occurred when the [[Archbishopric of Bourges]] became vacant in 1141. Louis put forward as a candidate his chancellor, Cadurc, while vetoing the one suitable candidate, [[Pierre de la Chatre]], a monk who was promptly elected by the [[Canon (priest)|canons]] of [[Bourges Cathedral|Bourges]] and [[consecrated]] by the Pope in Rome. Louis bolted the gates of Bourges against the new archbishop on his return. The Pope, recalling similar attempts by Eleanor's father to exile supporters of Innocent from Poitou and replace them with priests loyal to himself, may have blamed Eleanor for this,{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=38}} but stated that Louis was only "a foolish schoolboy" and should be taught not to meddle in such matters. Outraged, Louis swore upon relics that so long as he lived Pierre should never enter Bourges. An [[interdict]] was thereupon imposed upon the royal household and lands, and Theobald II of Champagne granted Pierre refuge, further annoying the King.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=38–39}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 2}}{{sfn|Evergates|2016|p=110}}

Louis had been in a situation of increasing conflict with Theobald II,{{sfn|Evergates|2016|p=110}} and the Bourges affair, together with a crisis in Theobald's family, brought this to a head. In 1125 Theobald's sister [[Eleanor of Champagne|Eleanor]] had married [[Raoul I of Vermandois]], but Raoul had been forming a liaison with Petronilla, the Queen's sister. Raoul eventually deserted his wife, seeking an annulment of their marriage on grounds of [[consanguinity]],{{efn|The church forbid divorce, but grounds of consanguinity allowed a marriage to be annulled as if it had never happened. While consanguinity was common among the aristocracy, who had limited marital options, it was rarely proposed as an impediment to marriage. Instead, it provided a convenient route for them to escape unsatisfactory marriages{{sfn|Bouchard|1981}}{{sfn|Bouchard|2003}}}} to which Louis acquiesced, finding three bishops who agreed that the marriage was invalid and then in 1142 officiated at the wedding of Petronilla and Raoul.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=39}} Both Theobald, who had taken his sister under protection, and Bernard of Clairvaux protested to Pope Innocent, who convened a council, voided both Raoul's annulment from Eleanor of Champagne and his marriage to Petronilla, [[excommunicated]] one bishop and suspended the other two. Furthermore, Raoul was ordered to return to his first wife. Upon his refusal, he and Petronilla were excommunicated and their lands placed under interdiction.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=39}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 2}}

Eleanor's assumed role in these affairs led to the first appearance of the Black legend that would be associated with her for centuries. Women, even queens, were not expected to concern themselves with such matters, and that therefore she might represent darker powers. Rumours began to associate her with mythical figures such as [[Melusine]].{{sfn|Newman|2023}} Things took a more salacious turn when it was suggested she was having an affair with [[Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou]].{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=52–53}}

Louis rejected the [[papal legate]]'s decision and ordered an invasion of [[County of Champagne|Champagne]], in a war that would last two years (1142–44) and ended with the occupation of Champagne by the royal army. For a year the royal army laid waste to the Champagne countryside, but since Theobald showed no signs of backing down, Louis took personal charge of the assault in 1143, which focused on the siege of the town of [[Vitry-le-François|Vitry]]. More than a thousand people sought refuge in the cathedral, which caught fire, burning alive everyone inside. Horrified at the carnage, Louis returned to Paris, seeking to make peace with Theobald. In return, and with the support of the Pope, he demanded Raoul renounce Petronilla and the interdiction on Raoul and Petronilla was duly lifted, while Louis ordered a retreat. When Raoul refused the King's demands, the royal forces once more invaded Champagne.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=39–41}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 2}}

Public opinion was turning against the war and in particular Bernard of Clairvaux was very critical, while Suger advised settling the issues. Innocent II died in September 1143 and was succeeded by [[Celestine II]] (1143–1144), who lifted the interdiction in an offer of conciliation, at Bernard's suggestion and Louis became more open to negotiation. It was about this time that questions of consanguinity were first raised about Louis and Eleanor's marriage, since he had opposed a number of other marriages on these grounds, including that of Raoul and Eleanor of Champagne. Consequently, a number of negotiations took place over the winter of 1143–1144.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=41–42}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 2}} Finally, Suger hosted a meeting at his newly built [[Basilica of Saint-Denis|monastic church at Saint-Denis]] during a [[feast day]] on 22 April 1144, at which Bernard persuaded Eleanor that her efforts on behalf of her sister were hopeless, and peace was restored, although the couple continued to refuse to separate, and they remained excommunicated till 1148 when Raoul's first marriage was once again invalidated and his second marriage validated. Also the Saint-Denis agreement included Louis withdrawing his opposition to the archbishop of Bourges. The discussion between Eleanor and Bernard also included reference to her apparent infertility (she had had one [[miscarriage]] in 1138{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=31}}{{sfn|Harris-Stoertz|2012}}), and a suggestion that she might be rewarded for her concessions with a child.{{efn|Bernard said to Eleanor "My child, seek those things which make for peace. Cease to stir up the king against the Church, and urge upon him a better course of action. If you will promise to do this, I in return promise to entreat the merciful Lord to grant you offspring"{{sfn|Migne|1841–1865|loc=cited in {{harvnb|Weir|2012|p=44}}}} }} In April 1145, Eleanor gave birth to a daughter, [[Marie of France, Countess of Champagne|Marie]].{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 2}} On Sunday, 11 June 1144, the King and Queen attended the dedication of Saint-Denis, at which time Louis donated Eleanor's crystal vase.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=32–33}}

=== Second Crusade (1145–1149) ===
{{see also|Second Crusade}}

==== Taking the Cross (1145–1147) ====
[[File:LouisVIIatVezelay.jpg|thumb|Louis VII taking the cross, by [[Sébastien Mamerot]], {{c.|1490}}|alt=Illustration of Louis taking of the cross at Vezelay]]
[[File:Deuxième croisade-it.svg|lang=en|thumb|Route of the Second Crusade|alt=map showing the route the Second Crusade took]]
Louis remained obsessed over the massacre at Vitry and considered a [[pilgrimage]] to the [[Holy Land]], but events overtook this desire. The [[First Crusade]] (1096–1099) had succeeded in capturing the Holy Land from the Turks and establishing a system of four (largely [[Franks|Frankish]]) [[crusader states]] to administer the region, known as the Outremer.{{efn|[[:wikt:Outremer|Outremer]]: Literally "overseas"}} But this was threatened, when on 24 December 1144, [[Imad al-Din Zengi|Zengi]] and the [[Saracen]] Turks [[Siege of Edessa (1144)|captured Edessa]], capital of one of the crusader states, making the adjacent states of [[Principality of Antioch|Antioch]], [[County of Tripoli|Tripoli]] and [[Kingdom of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]] vulnerable.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=45}} Of these, Antioch was the most vulnerable, and of particular concern since the [[Prince of Antioch]] was [[Raymond of Poitiers]], Eleanor's uncle. On 1 December [[Pope Eugene III]] issued a [[papal bull|bull]] requesting that Louis and all faithful French Christians mount a [[crusade]] to rescue the remaining States. Louis and Eleanor were at Bourges when the message arrived, and Louis responded enthusiastically on Christmas Day that he would lead a crusade. Noting a lack of enthusiasm among the French nobility, Louis postponed further action till Easter 1146.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=47–48}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Owen|1996|p=21}} Final planning took place at Saint-Denis over Easter that year, at which Pope Eugene attended. Louis delegated administration of his kingdom to Eugene, who appointed Abbot Suger and Ralph of Vermandois as co-regents.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}

Eleanor also formally [[:wikt:take the cross|took the cross]] during Bernard's sermon, which meant leaving her daughter behind. Eleanor recruited some women of the Aquitainian nobility for the campaign as well as some 300 other women who volunteered to help.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=49}} It was not unusual for women to take part in crusades. From Louis's perspective, there were advantages in including her. As [[regent]] to an absent monarch, she could have created problems for Suger, Louis's choice as his administrator, and he needed the support of the Aquitainian nobility. Furthermore, the crusade was ostensibly to come to the aid of her uncle.{{sfn|Owen|1996|pp=21–22}} The presence of women was not without its critics, particularly among clerics, though this may have been influenced by hindsight, given that William of Newburgh's account was written well after the actual crusade.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=49–51}} Eleanor's taking the cross provided the next opportunity for her detractors to construct her legend, with claims that she and her ladies set off for the crusades as [[Amazons|Amazonian]] warriors.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=49–51}}

==== Road to Ephesus (1147) ====

On 11 June 25,000 to 50,000 crusaders and [[Pilgrim]]s gathered at Saint-Denis and began their march, first to [[Metz]] and then crossing the Rhine at [[Worms, Germany|Worms]], and pressing on to [[Regensburg]] and the [[Danube river]]. There they were met by envoys from Byzantine Emperor [[Manuel Komnenos]] ({{r.|1143|1180}}),{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=55–56}} and followed the river via [[Klosterneuburg]] and through Hungary, reaching the [[Eastern Empire]] by mid-August and then, crossing the Danube, to [[Adrianople]] and finally [[Constantinople]], five days later, on 4 October 1147.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=56–57}}

In Constantinople, the French crusaders were obliged to await the arrival of those of their forces that were travelling by sea. While there they received the hospitality of the Emperor, Louis and Eleanor staying in the [[Philopation]] palace just outside the city walls. Meanwhile, the German crusaders had gone ahead and crossed the [[Bosphorus]] into [[Asia Minor]].{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=57–59}} Once all their forces were gathered together, the French crossed into Asia on 15 October and proceeded south to their first stop at [[Nicaea]]. Continuing south down the [[Aegean sea|Aegean]] coast, they discovered that the Germans had suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Turks, at the battle of [[Battle of Dorylaeum (1147)|Dorylaeum]]. The French, together with the remnants of the Germans continued south on the safer coastal route to [[Ephesus]], via [[Pergamus]] and [[Smyrna]], which they reached on 20 December. After camping at Ephesus, most of the Germans left for Constantinople.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=59–60}}

==== Ephesus to Jerusalem (1148–1149) ====
[[File:RaymondOfPoitiersWelcomingLouisVIIinAntioch.JPG|thumb|Crusaders welcomed at Antioch (Marmerot)|alt=Illustration of the crusaders being welcomed at Antioch, by Marmerot]]
In January 1148, Louis decided to travel inland towards [[Laodicea on the Lycus|Laodicea]] in [[Phrygia]], to reach [[Antalya]] on the south coast and thus Antioch more quickly. They reached Laodicea on 6 January and then their route took them across the mountains. On the day of their crossing of [[Topçambaba Mountain|Mount Cadmus]], Louis took charge of the rear of the column, where the unarmed pilgrims and the baggage trains were, while the [[vanguard]] was commanded by the Aquitainian, [[Geoffrey de Rancon]], and instructed to set camp on the plateau before the next pass. They reached the summit of Cadmus, one of the highest in their path, but Rancon, in concert with Louis's uncle [[Amadeus III of Savoy]], chose to continue on through the pass to the next valley.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=60–61}}{{sfn|Marvin|2019}} Accordingly, when the main part of the column arrived, and approached the pass, separated from both the vanguard and rearguard, they were ambushed by the Turkish forces. In the ensuing [[Battle of Mount Cadmus]], the Turks inflicted great losses on the French, while Louis barely escaped.{{sfn|Berry|1948|pp=118–119}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}

The chronicler [[William of Tyre]], writing between 1170 and 1184 and thus perhaps too long after the event to be considered historically accurate, placed the blame for this disaster firmly on the amount of baggage being carried, much of it reputedly belonging to Eleanor and her ladies, and the presence of non-combatants.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}} Louis was a weak and ineffectual military leader with no skill for maintaining troop discipline or morale, or of making informed and logical tactical decisions.{{sfn|Marvin|2019}}{{sfn|Phillips|2003|p=91}} Official blame for the disaster was placed on Geoffrey de Rancon, who had made the decision to continue. Since Geoffrey was Eleanor's vassal, many believed that it was she who had been ultimately responsible for the change in plan, and thus the massacre. This suspicion of responsibility did nothing for her popularity in [[Christendom]]. She was also blamed for the size of the baggage train and the fact that her Aquitanian soldiers had marched at the front and thus were not involved in the fight. The survivors reached Antalya on 20 January.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Marvin|2019}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=61–62}}

[[File:2nd Crusade council at Jerusalem.jpg|thumb|[[Council of Acre]]: [[Conrad III of Germany]], [[Louis VII of France]], and [[Baldwin III of Jerusalem]]|alt=Illustration showing Conrad, Louis and Baldwin at the Council of Acre]]
[[File:Siege of Damascus, second crusade.jpg|thumb|[[Siege of Damascus (1148)|Siege of Damascus]]|alt=Illustration showing the siege of Damascus in 1148]]
In Antalya, the crusaders found there was a limited number of ships available, and those that were required more money than they were willing to pay. Consequently, the royal party sailed from the port with a relatively small group of followers, arriving in Antioch on 19 March, well behind schedule. The remainder attempted to complete the journey with great hardship and much loss, only about half of them completing the journey.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=62–63}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}

While the crusaders were initially welcomed, tensions grew between them and Raymond. Raymond's agenda was to attack [[Aleppo]] and regain control of Edessa, and hence gain some security, while Louis was determined to press on to Jerusalem, despite the original papal decree being to recapture Edessa.{{efn|The crusade had been prompted by the [[Siege of Edessa (1144)|siege and subsequent capture]] of the crusader state of Edessa in 1144 by the Turkish ruler [[Imad al-Din Zengi|Zengi]]}} Louis was not keen to fight in northern Syria, and his forces were badly depleted. Furthermore, he had a personal agenda to journey in pilgrimage to [[Jerusalem]].{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=62–63}}

Eleanor's loyalty to her uncle created conflict between her and Louis.{{sfn|Chambers|1941}} Eventually the French, now only a tenth of their original strength, left Antioch abruptly on 28 March, despite Eleanor's protests and attempts to remain with Raymond. These conflicts once again led to the question of consanguinity being raised.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=63–67}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Hodgson|2007|pp=131–134}} According to [[John of Salisbury]], it was Eleanor who prompted this.{{sfn|Chibnall|1986|pp=52–53}} The crusaders reached Jerusalem in May, entering by the [[Jaffa Gate]], where they were greeted by [[Queen Melisende]] and [[King Baldwin III]]. A [[Council of Acre|conference]] was then held at [[Acre, Israel|Acre]] on 24 June, to discuss strategic plans. This resulted in the disastrous [[siege of Damascus (1148)|siege of Damascus]] on 24 July. The crusaders' forced withdrawal after only four days effectively ended the crusade and many of the survivors started making plans to return, but Louis vowed to celebrate Easter 1149 in the Holy Land, despite the pleas of Suger.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=67–70}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}

The sojourn in Antioch, the conflict between the rulers and the resulting rift between the royal couple led to chroniclers, such as John of Salisbury and William of Tyre, hinting at an adulterous and incestuous affair between Eleanor and Raymond. Such an affair would become an enduring part of her legend, which in some versions also depicted her as having an affair with a Saracen leader. Contemporary accounts suggest it was her attention to political affairs that was considered the greatest stain on her character.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=65–66}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}{{sfn|Crawford|2012}}

==== Return to France (1149) ====

After celebrating Easter, Louis and Eleanor set sail from Acre for Italy in separate ships on 3 April but were delayed by both hostile naval forces off the [[Peloponnesus]] in May and storms which drove Eleanor's ship as far south as the [[Barbary Coast]], and for a while their whereabouts were unknown. Louis arrived in [[Calabria]] on 29 July and eventually discovered Eleanor had reached [[Palermo]], Sicily, where she was sheltered by agents of [[King Roger II]] at his palace. It took some time before Eleanor and Louis could be reunited.{{efn|Both destinations were part of the [[Norman Kingdom of Sicily]]}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=67–70}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}

At King Roger's court in [[Potenza]], Eleanor had learned of the death of her uncle Raymond, who had been beheaded by [[Nur al-Din Zengi|Nureddin]]'s Muslim forces at the [[Battle of Inab]], on 29 June. Nureddin then overran most of Raymond's territories in Antioch, setting back the goals of the crusade even further. Instead of returning directly to France, Louis and Eleanor headed north towards Rome, stopping at the Abbey of [[Monte Cassino]] on 4 October after Eleanor fell ill. Pope Eugenius invited them to stay at his palace at [[Tusculum]], south of Rome, where they arrived on 9 October. Eugenius had been informed by Suger of the couple's marital problems, and that they were no longer having sexual relations. The question of consanguinity, and hence possible annulment was again raised, but was denied by Eugenius, who declared the marriage legitimate by [[canon law]] and urged reconciliation. It is likely that Eleanor's second child was conceived at this time.{{sfn|Chibnall|1986}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=71–72}} From Tusculum, the couple travelled north through Italy, visiting Rome and then crossing the Alps to reach France and finally arriving in Paris around 11 November 1149, after an absence of two and a half years.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=72}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}}

=== Annulment (1152) ===

In the summer of 1150, Eleanor gave birth to a second daughter, [[Alice of France|Alix]] (Adelicia).{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 3}} The lack of a male heir was unprecedented in the Capetian line,{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=73}} Eleanor was now twenty-six and had been married for thirteen years. Not only was the likelihood of a son being born to secure the succession seen as remote, but the lack of an heir was perceived as an omen. Suger had been a strong advocate for the political advantages of the marriage between Louis and Eleanor. When he died on 13 January 1151, the balance changed since Bernard of Clairvaux was a critic of the marriage's consanguinity.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=84}} A number of nobles and courtiers also advised the King to dissolve the marriage.{{sfn|Pacaut|1964|pp=60–61}} Later that year, [[Henry II of England|Henry]], [[Count of Anjou]], appeared at the court in Paris to pay homage as the new [[Duke of Normandy]] to King Louis. Chroniclers such as Gerald of Wales, William of Newburgh and Walter Map later implied that something happened between Henry and Eleanor, eleven years his senior, that contributed to the dissolution of her marriage with Louis.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=85}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 4}}

By this stage, her reputation badly damaged, Eleanor's influence at court was waning.{{sfn|Facinger|2008}} Any such dissolution would require a complex political realignment, separating the Aquitanian and Capetian possessions and jurisdictions, and in the autumn of 1151 the couple made a tour of the duchy during which much of the French presence, such as garrisons, was replaced with Eleanor's people.{{sfn|Flori|2004|p=80}} On 11 March 1152, at the royal castle of [[Beaugency]] on the Loire, near [[Orléans]], [[:fr:Hughes de Toucy|Hugues de Toucy]], [[Archbishop of Sens]] and Primate of France,{{efn|The title of the Archbishop of Sens was [[Primate of the Gauls]] (''primat des Gaules et de Germanie'')}} presided over a [[synod]] to consider the matter. Louis and Eleanor were both present, as were the archbishops of [[Archbishop of Reims|Reims]], [[Archbishop of Bordeaux|Bordeaux]]{{efn|The Archbishop of Bordeaux (1135–1158) was [[:fr:Geoffroi du Loroux|Geoffrey III du Loroux]] who had been the celebrant at their marriage in 1137{{sfn|Torigny|1964|p=164}} }} and [[Archbishop of Rouen|Rouen]] and many other bishops and nobility. Archbishop [[Samson of Reims]] acted for Eleanor, who did not contest the action.{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=87}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 4}}

On 21 March, the four archbishops, with the approval of Pope Eugenius, granted an annulment on grounds of [[consanguinity]] within the fourth degree; Eleanor was Louis's third cousin once removed, and they shared common ancestry through Robert II of France and his wife Constance of Arles.{{efn|King Robert and Queen Constance were Eleanor and Louis's great-great-great-grandparents. There has been a great deal of confusion over their actual consanguinity and canonical law - see {{harvnb|Bouchard|2003}}, {{harvnb|d'Avray|2014}} and {{harvnb|Baldwin|1970|loc=vol. 2 n. 182 pp. 225–226}}}} Their two daughters were, however, declared legitimate.{{sfn|Berman|2009|p=228}} Custody of their daughters was awarded to Louis, as both custom and law decreed.{{efn|The two children were rapidly affianced by their father and sent away.{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 4}}}} Louis assured Archbishop Samson that Eleanor's lands would be restored to her.{{sfn|Weir|2012|pp=87–88}}{{sfn|Turner|2009|loc=cap 4}}

While Eleanor stated that the reason for the annulment was "for reasons of kinship with my Lord, Louis", the event fueled speculation as to her behaviour and added to the growing legend. Equally without evidence are accounts of a distraught discarded wife.{{sfn|Bouchet|1557|pp=79–80}}{{sfn|Weir|2012|p=87}}