And the aftermath

Eleanor hurried back to Aquitaine while evading numerous efforts to kidnap and marry her off. She moved so swiftly, demonstrating her awareness of the danger she was in at the moment, while moving at all, demonstrating her bravery and resolve to take control of her life going forward.

She was so determined, in fact, that she wedded eight weeks after her divorce without consulting Louis beforehand. Duke Henry of Normandy was her first choice for a husband; their union of two sizable duchies led to the kind of border issue that Louis had hoped to avoid.

Henry was courageous, resolute, and quick to act—everything Louis wasn't. She and Henry would later become King and Queen of England and have five sons and three daughters. Even though her marriage to Henry did not have a happy finish, it did have a better beginning than her union to Louis.