Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful and influential figures of the Middle Ages. Inheriting the vast Duchy of Aquitaine at age 15, she became Queen of France by marrying Louis VII, whom she accompanied on the Second Crusade. After their marriage was annulled, she married Henry II of England, becoming Queen of England and mother to two future kings: Richard the Lionheart and John. Eleanor was a key player in the politics of both nations, often acting as regent and even leading a rebellion against her husband alongside her sons. She was a great patron of the literary 'courtly love' movement, transforming her court into a center of culture and poetry. Her long life (she lived into her 80s) and political acumen allowed her to shape the boundaries and dynastic futures of Western Europe for generations.