An unhappy marriage

Within months of her father's passing, in July 1137, Eleanor and Louis were married. Eleanor was the new Duchess of Aquitaine because she was the oldest surviving daughter and didn't have any brothers. Prince Louis' father spotted an opportunity to increase his kingdom, and promptly dispatched his son and heir to marry her.

Their union was not a joyful one. Between Eleanor's Aquitainian way of life and Louis' French court, there was a significant clash of personalities and cultural norms. Louis was also extremely devout, while Eleanor simply followed more traditional piety. Before they embarked on a crusade, they had a daughter named Marie. There were rumors that Eleanor was having an affair with her uncle Raymond while they were in Antioch. She allegedly recommended to Louis that they get a divorce, but he rebuffed her.

They eventually made it home, stopping at the Pope, who tried to make the fighting couple reunite. Eleanor got pregnant with her second child, who was a daughter once more. Given that the French court assisted in convincing Louis to divorce her so that he might wed another woman who would bear him a son, the birth of this child certainly prevented her from ending their marriage. The annulment was granted on 21st March 1152 on the grounds of consanguinity, meaning that the Church felt the couple were too closely related. Eleanor once again became Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, but Louis had to approve any future marriage she might consider. Their daughters were also left to be raised in the French court, rather than sent to Aquitaine with their mother.