Eleanor of Aquitaine

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/eleanor-of-aquitaine

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Eleanor of Aquitaine born?Circa 1122
2. When did Eleanor of Aquitaine die?April 1, 1204 (age 82)
3. Where was Eleanor of Aquitaine born?Likely Bordeaux, Duchy of Aquitaine (now France)
4. Who was Eleanor of Aquitaine?Eleanor of Aquitaine was a powerful duchess and queen in medieval Europe. She was the daughter of William X and inherited the large Duchy of Aquitaine and County of Poitou. She became the most powerful woman in France because her lands were richer and larger than many areas controlled by the king.
5. How did Eleanor become the most powerful woman in France?Eleanor became the most powerful woman in France when her father died in 1137. She inherited Aquitaine and Poitou, which were almost a third of modern France. Those lands were richer and more populated than the king’s own territories.

Vassal: A person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, typically involving military service and loyalty.
Consort: The spouse or companion of a reigning monarch.
Regent: A person appointed to administer a state because the monarch is a minor, absent, or incapacitated.
Courtly Love: A medieval literary and cultural concept of love and chivalry, often involving idealized romance and service to a lady.