Eleanor of Aquitaine

diamondlil · Postby **diamondlil** » Wed September 10th, 2008, 10:52 pm

Eleanor did go on crusade, and there were rumours of her having a relationship with her uncle, but they have mostly been dismissed now.

EC2 · Postby **EC2** » Wed September 10th, 2008, 11:03 pm

"diamondlil" wrote:Eleanor did go on crusade, and there were rumours of her having a relationship with her uncle, but they have mostly been dismissed now.

Alison Weir says Eleanor did have relations with her uncle - based on one very dubious chronicler who was most likely lying through his teeth to give Eleanor a bad name. Which is why I read Weir with a huge pinch of salt!
Has anyone read the Eleanor of Aquitaine novel Power of a Woman? Forgotten who it's by.

Misfit · Postby **Misfit** » Wed September 10th, 2008, 11:11 pm

"EC2" wrote:Is that the Ellen Jones book Misfit - Beloved Enemy? Not read it, but I've heard about it. Jean Plaidy based a novel on that premise too. It's all down to some comment in a chronicle where Stephen says something loving towards Henry and it's been (wilfully) misconstrued by modern mindset. A bit like trendy historians at one time saying Richard I was gay because he shared a bed with Philip of France.

That's the book. Rumor or not about Eleanor it was very eewwww the way it was portrayed in the book.

JaneConsumer · Postby **JaneConsumer** » Thu September 11th, 2008, 12:38 am

Has anyone read the Eleanor of Aquitaine novel Power of a Woman?

I haven't read it. But it looks like Robert Fripp is the author.

Ash · Postby **Ash** » Thu September 11th, 2008, 2:13 am

One of my favorite Eleanor novels (aside from the Penman books) is Judith Tarr's Queen of Swords. The book itself is really about the crusade as seen through the eyes of the Byzantines in the area, but there is a great bit of Eliz leading the army into battle

My fav non fiction is Amy Kelly's Eleanor and the Four Kings. I don't remember any mention of a relationship with her uncle; I suspect like many bright, powerful and outspoken women, rumors flew around her unchecked.

Carine · Postby **Carine** » Thu September 11th, 2008, 6:07 am

I read The Plantagenet Prelude by Jean Plaidy and it also says that Eleanor went on a crusade and had a relationship with her uncle !

Amanda · Postby **Amanda** » Thu September 11th, 2008, 6:10 am

Eleanor is one of my favourite historical characters!

I think she makes mention of the Uncle in The Lion in Winter too. Though the writer of that play seemed to like to bring in all the salacious gossip.

princess garnet · Postby **princess garnet** » Thu September 11th, 2008, 5:06 pm

I've read Plaidy's Courts of Love and it also has Eleanor having a relationship with her uncle.

LCW · Postby **LCW** » Thu September 11th, 2008, 5:52 pm

"Ash" wrote:One of my favorite Eleanor novels (aside from the Penman books) is Judith Tarr's Queen of Swords. The book itself is really about the crusade as seen through the eyes of the Byzantines in the area, but there is a great bit of Eliz leading the army into battle

I have that book so I'm so glad to hear that!!

Melisende · Postby **Melisende** » Thu September 11th, 2008, 11:43 pm

Then I don't recommend the novel "The Tiger & The Rose" by Richard Cameron Low, who not only says that she went on crusade but also infers (in the novel) that:

1. she was a virgin at the time - not true
2. she had an affair with a Kurd called Ayub at Antioch, the resultant offspring being Saladin himself! - far from true (i guess that beats the uncle theory!)
3. that Henry met Rosamund in the early stages of his marriage to Eleanor and fell in love with her then - though the "affair" takes place much later.

let's hear some more wild theories on Eleanor in fiction or non-fiction!