Eleanor of Aquitaine's Children and Grandchildren

Eleanor of Aquitaine has been called the “grandmother of Europe” for the connections of her children and grandchildren to many royal houses. Here are the children and grandchildren of Eleanor of Aquitaine:

First Marriage: to Louis VII of France

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122 – 1204) married Prince Louis of France, later Louis VII of France (1120 – 1180), on July 25, 1137. Their marriage was annulled in 1152, and Louis maintained custody of their daughters.

1. Marie, Countess of Champagne

Marie of France (1145 – 1198) married Henry I (1127 – 1181), Count of Champagne, in 1164. They had four children. 

2. Alix, Countess of Blois

Alix of France (1151 – 1197) married Theobold V (1130 – 1191), Count of Blois, in 1164. They had seven children.

• More details and generations: Eleanor of Aquitaine's Children and Grandchildren: Her First Marriage

Second Marriage: Henry II of England

After Eleanor of Aquitaine’s first marriage was annulled, she married Henry FitzEmpress (1133 – 1189), later Henry II of England, the son of Empress Matilda, would-be English queen.

1. William IX, Count of Poitiers

William IX (1153 – 1156), Count of Poitiers

2. Henry the Young King

Henry (1155 – 1183) the Young King married Margaret of France (betrothed November 2, 1160, married August 27, 1172). Her father was Louis VII of France, Eleanor of Aquitaine’s first husband, and her mother was Louis’ second wife, Constance of Castile; Henry and Margaret shared two older half-sisters, Marie and Alix. After Henry’s death she married Bela III of Hungary in 1186.

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Eleanor of Aquitaine’s Descendants Through Eleanor, Queen of Castile

By Jone Johnson Lewis

1. William of England (1177 – 1177), born premature, died three days after birth

3. Matilda, Duchess of Saxony and of Bavaria

Matilda (1156 – 1189) of England, married as his second wife, Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and of Bavaria. Their children lived in England after their father was deposed in 1180 until their mother’s death; William, the youngest child, was born in that exile period.

• More details and generations: Eleanor of Aquitaine’s Descendants Through Matilda, Duchess of Saxony

4. Richard I of England

Richard I (1157 – 1199) of England, married Berengaria of Navarre (1170 – 1230); they had no children

5. Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany

Geoffrey II (1158 – 1186), Duke of Brittany, married Constance, Duchess of Brittany (1161 – 1201) in 1181.

• More details and generations: Eleanor of Aquitaine’s Descendants Through Geoffrey II of Brittany

6. Eleanor, Queen of Castile

Eleanor (1162 – 1214) of England married Alfonso VIII (1155 – 1214), King of Castile, in 1177

• More details and generations: Eleanor of Aquitaine’s Descendants Through Eleanor, Queen of Castille

7. Joan, Queen of Sicily

Joan (1165 – 1199) of England, married first William II (1155 – 1189) of Sicily in 1177, then married, as his fifth of six wives, Raymond VI (1156 – 1222) of Toulouse in 1197.

• More details and generations: Eleanor of Aquitaine’s Descendants Through Joan, Queen of Sicily

8. John of England

John (1166 – 1216) of England, known as John Lackland, married first Isabella (~1173 – 1217), Countess of Gloucester, in 1189 (betrothed 1176, annulled 1199, she married twice more), then second, in 1200, Isabella (~1188 – 1246), Countess of Angoulême (she remarried after John’s death).

• More details and generations: Eleanor of Aquitaine’s Descendants Through John, King of England

Two of Eleanor's Ancestors (Grandchildren / Great-Grandchildren) were canonized as saints in the Roman Catholic Church: Ferdinand II, King of Castile and León, Isabelle of France

The Royal Houses

Listed here are some of the descendants of Eleanor of Aquitaine -- children, grandchildren and great grandchildren only -- who were kings, queens, empresses (the women usually as consorts though a few ruled in their own right):

England: Henry the Young King, Richard I of England, John of England, Eleanor Fair Maid of Brittany was for a time proposed as the rightful ruler of England, Henry III of England. Edward I of England

France: Blanche of Castile, Queen of France, Louis IX of France

Spain (Castile, Leon, Aragon): Eleanor, Queen of Castile, Ferdinand II, King of Castile and León, Berengaria, Queen of Castile and León (ruled Castile briefly in her own right), Eleanor of Castile, Queen of Aragon, Henry of Castile

Portugal: Urraca of Castile, Queen of Portugal, Sancho II of Portugal, Afonso III of Portugal

Scotland: Joan of England, Queen of Scotland, Margaret of England, Queen of Scotland

Other: Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor, Richard of Cornwall, King of the Romans, Isabella of England, Holy Roman Empress, Charles I of Sicily, Marie of Champagne, Empress of Constantinople, Alice of Champagne, Queen of Cyprus, Berengaria of León, Queen of Jerusalem, Eleanor of Portugal, Queen of Denmark, Eleanor de Montfort, Princess of Wales

More About Eleanor of Aquitaine

• Eleanor of Aquitaine Biography
• Siblings of Eleanor of Aquitaine