Search

Christmas of 1183 finds Henry II of England and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine together in the castle at Chinon, where he flaunts his latest mistress while she plots against him with their sons, all the time loving each other to distraction.

Eleanor, the daughter of the duke of Aquitaine, becomes leader of one of the richest dukedoms in twelfth-century France after her father's death, and devises a scheme to marry the heir of the throne of France in order to protect her lands and her life.

Tells the life story of Eleanor of Aquitaine, describing her reigns as queen of France, which began when she was fifteen, and of England; the rebellion of her sons against King Henry; and her imprisonment; and presents information on court life and the experiences of women in medieval times.