Attacking Henry and Eleanor

When Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Curtmantle (the future King Henry II of England), the move felt threatening to many people on the continent. Marrying her provinces of Aquitaine and Poitou to his control of Normandy and Anjou covered a lot of area in Western Europe.

King Louis VII, who had just had his marriage to Eleanor annulled, was threatened by Henry's presence against his borders. He might also have been upset that he just lost Aquitaine and that his ex-wife so quickly married a man who was set to become a rival king with possessions near France.

There were others who were not happy with the Henry-Eleanor alliance. Henry's brother Geoffrey, Count of Nantes, had tried to abduct Eleanor immediately after the annulment, in order to forcibly marry her and obtain title to Aquitaine himself. Geoffrey allied himself with Louis, and three others: Count Robert I of Dreux (Louis' brother), Count Henry I of Champagne, and Theobald V of Blois. They all joined Louis in his attack on Henry Curtmantle's Normandy in 1152, hoping to divide up Henry's and Eleanor's lands among themselves.

They were foiled, however. Normandy beat them back in six weeks from Normandy. Theobald V in late 1153 or early 1154 invaded Touraine, east of Henry's Anjou and considered by Henry to be under his protection. By that time, Geoffrey had reconciled with his brother; Theobald took him captive. His "ransom" was to destroy the castle of Chaumont-sur-Loire (a 10th century castle that was an important site for many royal visits; rebuilt, it exists today). In December 1154, Stephen of Blois died, and Geoffrey accompanied Henry and Eleanor to England for the coronation.

The brotherly love was not to last, however. Geoffrey making trouble for Henry, thinking he was safe on the continent while Henry was in England being king, but Henry laid siege to some of Geoffrey's castles: Chinon, Mirebeau, Loudun, and Montsoreau. Geoffrey lost them to his brother.

There were always conflicts between nobles to be dealt with, and Henry was often away from home with his army, dealing with them. He had, however, a capable queen he could leave as regent in his absence. Next time we will look at the early years of her queenship of England.