New
New
Year 2

Eleanor, Queen of England

I can describe Eleanor of Aquitaine's relationship with Henry II and her connections to England.

New
New
Year 2

Eleanor, Queen of England

I can describe Eleanor of Aquitaine's relationship with Henry II and her connections to England.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Two months after her marriage to Louis was annulled, Eleanor married Henry, who was next in line to the English throne.
  2. Henry became the King of England, and Eleanor was his queen; together they ruled over large parts of France and England.
  3. However, their marriage was not always happy and eventually Eleanor moved back to Aquitaine.
  4. When her sons decided to revolt against Henry, she supported them and Henry had her confined as punishment.
  5. However, after Henry's death she helped two of her sons, Richard and John, to rule when they were king of England.

Keywords

  • Rebel - to rebel means to go against a leader

  • Prisoner - when someone is a prisoner they are kept in one place and do not have the freedom to leave

Common misconception

Some may think of Eleanor as a prisoner being kept in terrible conditions.

Eleanor lived in places of comfort, for example, castles. She did not have the freedom to leave but was well looked after.

It might be helpful to look at a family tree for Eleanor of Aquitaine to see all of her children or get learners to create one themselves.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Eleanor of Aquitaine married Prince of France when she was very young.
Daniel
George
Correct answer: Louis
Q2.
Which event came first?
Eleanor became the Queen of France.
Correct answer: Eleanor became the Duchess of Aquitaine.
Eleanor became the Princess of France.
Q3.
Which important person had to lead soldiers into a war?
Correct Answer: king, the king
Q4.
King Louis had to lead his soldiers on a…
Correct answer: crusade
dance
holiday
Q5.
On the crusade, Eleanor and Louis travelled from France to far away places.
Correct answer: true
false
Q6.
Eleanor and Louis had their marriage annulled…
before they went on the crusade.
Correct answer: after they went on the crusade.

6 Questions

Q1.
Put these kings of England into the correct order, starting with who was the King first.
1 - King Henry II
2 - King Richard I
3 - King John I
Q2.
Select the countries that Eleanor of Aquitaine became queen of in her lifetime.
Germany
Spain
Correct answer: England
Correct answer: France
Q3.
Three of Eleanor’s sons tried to against their father.
Correct Answer: rebel
Q4.
Eleanor was kept as a for helping her sons to rebel.
Correct Answer: prisoner
Q5.
Select the two statements which are true.
King Richard I kept Eleanor as a prisoner.
King Richard I and Eleanor were brother and sister.
Correct answer: King Richard I released Eleanor from her prison.
Correct answer: King Richard I asked Eleanor to help him rule England.
Q6.
Which of Eleanor’s sons became kings of England?
Geoffrey
Correct answer: Richard
William
Correct answer: John

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