Eleanor of Aquitaine: What did she look like? History & Artistic Facial Reconstruction

Eleanor of Aquitaine has such a fascinating story and history, and she deserves to have a version of her face brought to life. This is an artistic rendering based on the scant depictions we have of her, including her tomb effigy. Let's dive in to learn about Eleanor's history, legacy, and appearance.
Narration & Art: Becca Segovia
Writing, Editing & Music Direction: Andre Segovia
Find me here:
Instagram: @Royalty_Now_
Patreon: Patreon.com/RoyaltyNow
RoyaltyNowStudios.com
Get your KLEIO x Royalty Now candle bundle here: Kleio.Global
Eleanor motion thanks to My Colorful Past - Get 10% off motion and restoration services with code ROYALTYNOW at MyColorfulPast.com.
Research credit goes to Anna May - find her @mooreannaa on Instagram and Twitter.
Special thank you to Jordan Segovia for the editing prowess.
Bookmarks
0:00 Introduction
0:42 The History of Eleanor
6:54 Eleanor's Appearance
9:24 The Scents of Eleanor's Time
11:09 Thank You & Closing
Research Sources:
R. V. Turner, Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France, Queen of England, (Yale University
Press: New Haven, 2011).
S. Church, King John: England, Magna Carta and the Making of a Tyrant, (Macmillan:
London, 2016).
D. Jones, The Plantagenets: the Kings who Made England, (William Collins: London,
2013).
T. Asbridge, The Greatest Knight: the remarkable life of William Marshal, the power
behind five English thrones (Simon & Schuster: London, 2015)
M. Meade, Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography, (Hawthorn, 1991).
A. Weir, Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the wrath of god, queen of England, (Vintage, 2008)
A. Weir, Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life (2008).
N. Hodgson, Women, crusading and the holy land in historical narratives, (Boydell, 2007).
William of newborough, book two, chapter 27.
F. Boucher & Y. Deslandres, 20,000 years of fashion: the history of costume and
personal adornment, (New York, 1987).
J. Snyder, Encountering Medieval textiles and dress: objects, texts, and images,
(Macmillan, 2002).
K. Knight, ‘Hair in the Middle Ages’, Internet Archaeology, 42, (2006).
K. M. Setton, A History
www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/...
www.english-heritage.org.uk/l...
This video creation and final image are ©Royalty Now.

[@laurencemoore8519]

One of the most interesting women in history. Great profile and whilst there are so few references to her i think you`ve done a great job.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you!

[@3John-Bishop]

@@RoyaltyNowStudios did you see the stained glass image of her? She had dark hair in that one.

[@susanmcarthur9135]

It really is an interesting profile of her.But her beauty probably was a truth....but her history and her mindset added a greater story to her beauty l think.Eleanor was a very powerful queen in her own right.And that always adds to the beauty and history of her story thru the ages.l do believe she loved Henry tho.I read he visited her even while she was imprisoned such as it was.A beautiful interpretation you have created of her.Thank you for extra history of the beautiful Eleanor..

[@alexandergroppe448]

Indeed. The rendering is marvelous.

[@cheriem432]

I'm proud to be one of her direct ancestors!

[@sammysoppy3361]

bearing that many kids and living till her 80s in that time period is quite the accomplishment!

[@robertlukacs4954]

Living to your 80s in any time period is out of the ordinary.

[@Skyebright1]

Definitely living to great old age was unusual, lots of children wasn’t so unusual

[@lisalking2476]

My Daddy lived to 83yrs passing away a year ago 1/27/23 💔

[@garmo98]

She was my 25 times great grandmother so I found the history fascinating.

[@ryanortiz8836]

AWESOME & HELLO DISTANT COUSIN AS ELEANOR IS MY 28TH GREAT GMOTHER..

[@janeortiz9363]

@@ryanortiz8836 she is my ancestor also. I descend from kin Alfonso X through his son Fernando de la Cerda

[@RoccosVideos]

I’m a direct descendant as well.

[@buccaneersfan7948]

She my 23ed great grandmother.

[@cathyrocksfrecklesagespots5199]

In my tree, too.

[@vetsai8199]

So many of her descendants had green eyes with golden glints-and dark hair with reddish or auburn highlights. It has been said that every Plantagenet family had at least one dark-haired member considered to be a throwback to Eleanor.

[@angrywreckitralph4072]

Many of her descendants have blue eyes and blond hair such as me

[@mrjames5635]

descended from the muntu line of the most highest in Africa.

[@sampuatisamuel9785]

Nonsense, Eleanor is always depicted with red gold hair

[@Edangiolino]

I am her 23rd great grand daughter. I have blue green eyes and auburn hair ( i do make it more red) and almost the same face as the one she has created.

[@ryanortiz8836]

ELEANOR IS MY 28TH GREAT GMOTHER & I HAVE BLK HAIR & BLUE EYES..

[@downtownbun]

Eleanor has been, since I came across her story, the inspiration for how I conduct myself. She strikes me as a very authentic version of what womanhood should be. Feminine, immensely strong, managing the sovereignty of her self and story. She never lost sight of who she was a woman, embracing all that that means, and saw herself as an equal to man in every way. The fact that she bore 8 children up until her 40s was unheard of in medieval Europe, she was involved in politics from both her husbands to her children without a second thought. All of this during a time when women were mostly considered property is amazing. Her life and accomplishments, even in the 21st century, still outshines many women today. Thanks for such a good recreation. Of course I have Katherine Hepburn in my head for an aged Eleanor, but your version does her justice.

[@rebeccavaughn8897]

I think she birthed ten children.

[@franm.8343]

Queen Isabella of Spain was another strong, powerful woman, who lead her troops into battle.

[@melanyblake1470]

I have been a strong lady and that just got me hatred from everyone around me but now I'm retired, one successful grown son, saw to my mom's needs while alive and I can say I am satisfied and living a relaxed life while the haters are hating somewhere else 😄 peace is precious.

[@Skyebright1]

I’m not sure birthing lots of children until into your 40s was unusual in medieval times, there wasn’t birth control and women’s menopause’s can be different

[@Snarkapotamus]

@@melanyblake1470 - When it's one person that hates you, it's probably them. If they ALL do, it's probably you...

[@randomobserver8168]

I highly recommend The Lion in Winter, with Peter O'Toole as Henry and Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor. It's a 60s movie based on a play, so take with a medium bowl of salt, but still. It depicts Henry and Eleanor in old age, their schemes and plots around their remaining sons [Henry the eldest is dead by this point but Richard, Geoffrey and John are there] and the young French King Philip [future Philip Augustus]. Henry and Eleanor's tumultuous relations and idea of each other are the focus. At one point Henry muses on how he'd like to be remembered, and apart from various notes on his political and military career he adds the line " married out of love to a woman out of legend". Late in the movie after the nuances of their passionate love and just as passionate hate have been worked out at length, she says to him with pride, "You're still a marvel of a man". And Henry replies, with all the powerfully controlled feeling fine actor O'Toole can muster, "and you're my Lady." Whatever else is wrong with the script, it seems to capture for the ages the dominant themes of their relationship, as remembered for centuries.

[@cat_luvr6895]

Fabulous film.

[@amandadunn1238]

Haven't seen it but I love anything Medieval! Eleanor sounds like a amazing woman! Starz is producing a show about her and I can't wait!!!

[@cat_luvr6895]

@@amandadunn1238 Neither can I!

[@devonbradley4372]

Thank you for your comment. You write very well and I enjoyed reading about your recollections of the film "The Lion in Winter". For some reason, I can just imagine Sir Richard Burton being more appropriate for the role of Henry, but I'm sure Peter O'Toole did the role justice. I just loved Richard Burton's commanding voice.

[@leonieromanes7265]

@@amandadunn1238 it's an excellent movie, I highly recommend it.

[@melissabrown7650]

I have always imagined her as a strawberry blonde. With strands that shimmered like gold in the sunlight.

[@sampuatisamuel9785]

Me too

[@ccasey1904]

Me also

[@t.l.1610]

Yes, me too (or more accurately, me fourth, lol).

[@grown-upactress4155]

Yes, I have always pictured her as a redhead.

[@fthurman]

this is probably because of those romantic paintings that don't necessarily have any founding in historic knowledge.

[@TheTam0613]

Eleanor is one of my very favorite women from history. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this video. Thank you!

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it!

[@HYTELES]

Mine too! I read everything on her I could find in graduate school for my master's degree. In my papers, I wrote that she was instrumental in inspiring romance, courtly love, chivalry and feminism of her time and we can still experience the affects of it to this day.

[@lilitharam44]

I would love to see a reconstruction of Eleanor of Castile! She is one of my favourite Queens of England and she was Eleanor of Aquitaine's Great Great Granddaughter. Her marriage to Edward I. was very sweet and they were devoted to each other, which was rare in medieval arranged marriages.

[@toriamansfield2999]

From IMDb for "The Lion In Winter" (trivia)Katharine Hepburn portrayed her own ancestor. She was descended from Eleanor of Aquitaine in numerous lines, from both Eleanor's marriage to Louis VII, King of France, and Eleanor's marriage to Henry II, King of England. I've always wanted to see that particular family tree, just to see how it worked out.

[@cat_luvr6895]

OMG, that's amazing...

[@devonbradley4372]

Thank you for that amazing information, Tonia. I always thought Katharine Hepburn had a regal countenance. She had a commanding presence and nearly always played strong characters.

[@mbww8572]

Eleanor lived so long ago and left so many children, it’s highly likely that MOST Europeans today descend from her…certainly this will be true for anyone with ancestors in England, France or Spain. For more on the topic see the paper by Ralph and Coop or the many articles (Carl Zimmer has one) about the universal ancestry of Charlemagne. I am a seasoned genealogist and I can trace back to her on multiple lines.

[@lysanamcmillan7972]

That's something Hepburn and I have in common, which is indeed likely true for a lot of Europeans. I saw that in my family tree research and laughed. She definitely had enough children with each husband for it to come up a lot nowadays.

[@SondraTreasuretheMissus]

That makes Katherine Hepburn a relative of mine! Eleanor is also one of my ancestors. :)

[@kiwihame]

Eleanor lived such a full and crazy life. She must've had a personality to match her beauty. My ex wife is like that, men go weak-kneed around her. Brilliant overview and render Becca. Your candle tribute is a brilliant idea, excuse the pun.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you so much! Love the pun ;)

[@christiea772]

Why is she your “ex” then?

[@jennygaber7731]

I agree. She was obviously adventurous and very intelligent for her time. Victoria Holt, a prolific gothic and royalty writer, really brought her to life as well.

[@ericbrown1101]

@@christiea772 given that he said men would go "weak-kneed" around her, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say there were some fidelity issues.

[@od1452]

She is a distant ancestor of mine. I knew there is only the one contemporary image of her ,so I was curious how you would handle it. I like it . Thanks. I think you did her justice.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you! I’m glad you think so

[@Alexs.2599]

Same here, very interesting woman.

[@ellenokelly1321]

Same here. She sounds like she was a woman ahead of her time.

[@11UncleBooker22]

There's about half a Billion or more of us, so hello cousins. Eleanor is my 34th +/- G. G. Grandmother/parent(s) as are the numerous other royals of western, central and eastern Europe. I'm in the process of mustering an army to gain my throne as the new Emperor Europe.

[@Alexs.2599]

@@11UncleBooker22 hehe good luck cousin. May you be successful on the battlefield to claim your rightful place on the throne.

[@alanwilson175]

I think there are a couple of things about Eleanor that are apparent from the history. First, the smears on her “virtue” are from church men that were advocating Crusades. Louis was a Crusade failure, so some one has to blamed. The men looked around and figured it must have been the woman in the crowd that caused the failure, hmmm. Second, Henry was clearly an exceptionally vigorous man. Eleanor met Henry before she contrived to get Louis to grant a divorce, and it must have been apparent to her which man was a better partner. History is very clear that Henry was a successful general, and monarch, while Louis was not. In every battle between Louis and Henry, it was Henry that won. Eleanor picked the best man. Finally, the conflicts between Eleanor and Henry later with her sons must have been contrived by her sons, Henry the young king, Richard, and even eventually John. These were men struggling between themselves to see who was strong enough to rule the Angevin Empire, and Eleanor was compelled to chose sides. She chose youth, over old age, which probably made sense at the time. When I add it all up, Eleanor was definitely an asset to the Plantagenet Dynasty. There are some other Plantagenet queens that come close to her stature and influence. I doubt that they exceed her.

[@devonbradley4372]

Thank you, Alan. Very well written.

[@ccasey1904]

I agree

[@RhapsodyOfJoy]

Well said, sir

[@michaelmullin3585]

Louis was a loser. Why she married him....

[@natalyzhalovska7336]

@@michaelmullin3585 she had to...She had no choice at the time

[@bcpr9812]

Your interpretation of her reminds me of a younger Judy Greer. When you're born into the ruling class as a pre-modern woman, you either accept that you are a pawn to be played by others... or you become a player. As it goes in fiction, "when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground". I don't blame her for playing the game.

[@wolfgoddess15]

I loved this video! I've always pictured her as a lovely strawberry, wavy blonde, with long nose, large, bluish eyes, and tall for her time. She must have been one imposing woman to have survived such times, not only historically, but personally rough times.

[@miltonkiller707]

She was black.

[@devonbradley4372]

Thank you. This was fascinating. I had heard of Eleanor of Aquitaine when I was young from a snippet of a poem I read. I knew nothing about her, so your information was very welcome. She must have been an extraordinary woman to have led an army at 77 years of age! I also found the information about the herbs which they strewed on the castle floors very interesting. When you mentioned the candle, the first scent that came to mind was Frankincense. This is a scent which, I believe, is connected to Royalty and to the church, of course. I think the candle idea is an amazing idea. Best of luck with everything - I really enjoy your work!

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. Kleio has a number of great candles, there is a Hatshepsut themed one that has a lot of frankincense notes. I find the scents of history to be really interesting!

[@ccasey1904]

There are documented info on her. She did have light colored hair; she was tall and thin; probably that lanky look the Plantaganets had. She liked to ride and do falconry. From reading about her, she comes across as intelligent. She was a strong woman; she defended castles when Henry was away as he often was. Suggest anyone innterested in her read the book by Sharon Kay Penman; it was well researched and a good read although long.

[@niccoarcadia4179]

Eleanor is one of my favorite historical figures. Thank you so much!!

[@medicaoctavia8002]

The brighter smile at the end felt like her. Beautiful, smart and maybe just a tiny bit naughty. Very strong willed and used to having her own way, but not cruel or prideful.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

I agree :)

[@tumblebugspace]

I think it’s a *way cool* idea to scent a candle (or incense stick) with herbs, flowers and other plants that would’ve been available to the target personage in their geographic region in their time. Our sense of smell is the only one of our five senses that bypasses the cerebral cortex and goes first to the limbic system, which is the seat of our emotions and memory. How fitting *and* creative! Kudos to you, miss!

[@markadams7597]

Interesting interpretation. For me, Eleanor (the only lady in history to be Queen of France and England) will always be as Kate Hepburn portrayed her opposite Pete O'Toole in the "Lion in Winter" movie. Thanks!

[@MsDana-mo9fp]

Don't forget Richard Burton & Anthony Hopkins!!!! What a great cast!

[@OBREGJ01]

Incredibly good analysis of Eleonor's life and even more, the interpretation of her image! Thank you!!

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it

[@allieeverett9017]

She took my breath away...you did a beautiful job. Thank you for your art and commentary. More please!

[@Hevynly1]

I so appreciate this! She is my 24th great grandmother. Seeing what she might have looked like is amazing. Thank you! :)

[@ann-sofienilsson9400]

Hi interesting which one of her children do you descend from I descend from Matilda of England.

[@6thgraderfriends]

Same. I'm from John's line.

[@teachasse6114]

It’s a valid artistic guess, great job. I think her hair was more reddish auburn than blonde. Her facial features are pronounced and strong and reflect her strong personality. No wonder her two marriages fell apart , she wasn’t the docile obedient wife .Could you please recreate Hector’s wife Andromache?

[@ccasey1904]

Her second marriage “fell” apart when her younger husband fell into crush on 17 year old Rosamund, who probably worshipped the middle aged Henry’s very eyebrows! This lady did not do much homework on Eleanor.

[@renmuffett]

I agree. Red headed females really are more warriors at heart.

[@17hollydog]

I was thinking strawberry blonde .. light auburn

[@paullevins5448]

Great job depicting Eleanor of Aquitaine. Somewhere I have read that she was ginger haired. Richard was also ginger haired. But who can really say. She is a great lady from history, and sadly in these modern shallow times, is being forgotten.

[@eduardorojas2366]

Your narrations and interpretations are exquisite. I just got my candle in the mail and can’t wait to enjoy it rewatching this episode.

[@jenniferpanther2979]

Lovely. I'm fascinated by her. Supposedly, she and Henry II are my 25th great-grandparents. Obviously, this is too difficult to prove beyond doubt due to spotty records, but the possibility has definitely fueled an interest in her and British royal history in general on my part.

[@Alexs.2599]

Same here, I've traced my ancestry to them as well. Though like you said there isn't full 100% definitive proof. I guess a DNA test to match with "Royal" DNA would confirm it or not.

[@mbww8572]

Eleanor left so much progeny and lived so long ago that if you do the math, you’ll find it’s nearly impossible for any French, English or Spanish person not to descend from her. Eleanor lived about 30 generations back. You have 2^30 30th great-grandparents-that’s over a billion “individuals” (spots on the pedigree chart) at a time when the population of the whole of Europe was only 62 million, (of course you will be descended from many individuals multiple ways). So, if you have French, English or Spanish ancestry, or probably any country neighboring to any of those, she’s almost certainly your gggggg…grandmom. Ah the power of math!

[@jenniferpanther2979]

@@mbww8572 True. While the connection I mentioned is through my father, whose family tree is nearly pure Welsh, I am also of French descent through my maternal grandmother. We've traced her family to 1605, but haven't been able to go farther back than that.

[@121192ri]

Becca, I always wanted to see the face of Eleanor of Aquitaine, you made it possible. I firmly believe she would have just looked like your recreation of her even though I always thought she was red-headed.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you so much. She could have very well been red haired!

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

Actually she might actually have been a redhead. According to records Richard the Lionheart looked a lot like Eleanor and he’s described as a redhead. Granted this is from the TVtropes page on world’s most beautiful woman but I do think the vast majority of later artwork does depict Eleanor as a redhead. However Angevian World claims that Richard got his red hair from Henry and his height from Eleanor but as both Henry and Eleanor were descendants of the house of Normandy I think it’s highly likely that Eleanor was a redhead or, at least, a strawberry blonde.

[@siobhano]

Amazing work, Royalty Now!!!! Who better than you to recreate her image?!?! Thank you for the fascinating history.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you Siobhan!

[@lindatimmons3675]

This is fabulous. Love this . Wonderful job you've done on her.

[@Connjur]

I love the candle idea!! Thank you so much for sharing.

[@fxiansen1469]

I have no idea what she might have looked like, but your modern portrayal shows an attractive woman with a hint of a hidden agenda behind her eyes.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Sounds about right for Eleanor 😊

[@lingarelaxes8280]

I love the candle idea! So true that scent is particularly evocative. What a creative idea. Keeping it in mind for cool Christmas gifts!

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

I’m so glad you like it! Definitely a unique gift. You can get the candle without the prints as well

[@rebekahtaylor6142]

So true, I’ve never come across this idea before and it’s fantastic, especially for us history buffs. I’ll definitely be buying one 😊

[@robertbrowning7556]

Well done and Wow! That is a remarkable and very moving image. Thank you for sharing your vision with us.

[@user-ru1ki]

Absolutely gorgeous and awesome !! Amazing video. Great job ! I believe that this image of Eleanor might be very close to her real appearance. The candle idea is very interesting and very nice. Good luck 🌹🌹🌹

[@ccasey1904]

Oh no, Eleanor and Henry had crossed paths when she was married to Louis! That’s a big reason she pushed for the annulment. A little secret: when you see couples in the Middle Ages with a lot of children it meant one thing: they really cared for each other!

[@Accolaidia777]

Elenor of Aquitaine was my 24th Great Grandmother, so this is really cool to me

[@janeormrod3229]

She is such a fascinating person! Always, one of my heros. I think that your interpretation of her appearance is absolutely divine and truly regal. Clearly, she brought more than the lands of Aquitaine to any union!!

[@helpinyerdasellavon]

This is a beautiful and well documented video about Eleanor of Aquitaine who's a distant ancestor of mine. I loved so much how it's been carefully recreated and despite there's no contemporary portraits of her, your recreation is a wonderful depiction of her beauty and grace, just like I've imagined her. Thank you so much 🙏💐

[@hanselpollack4075]

Very clever! Hope this complete treatment of history is a success.👍

[@os3furacoes]

Great job, as always. 🤍

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you Emili :)

[@ArtfulShelley]

These recreations are SO cool. Especially giving us a timeline, essence of their lives, and then the other scents and enmeshed view. Thank you for the hard work you put into these. Very cool, and it does "bring history to life".

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. These videos take a lot of effort so very glad they are being received well ❤️

[@charleslee8478]

Your videos are truly amazing, and obviously a labor of love, as I know it takes considerable time to research these historical figures and develop your interpretation of their lives and impact on history. There's a poignancy to each of these historical figure video depictions, and one is left moved by the story and impressive artistic AI recreation of their faces. I've always loved history, and your video series certainly confirms that for me. Thank you for your efforts to bring history alive.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you so much! They do take so much time and We really appreciate the support and recognition :)

[@betsyr4724]

One of my favorite ladies of history.

[@otter7527]

Really interesting and well put together videos. I hope you gain many more views

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you so much!

[@corinneone]

Yes! I’d so appreciated bringing scents of the past to light. Thank you.

[@SteveSmith-zz4ih]

She is beautiful, bravo on the recreation, as soon as she smiled i smiled back instantly. That is a great sign of your work.

[@edithkinsey7031]

I so enjoy these presentations

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you Edith! We appreciate the feedback

[@eamonnclabby7067]

Seconded....particularly as I have only just come across this...best wishes from the wirral....E

[@yathome5596]

Love her, her life was amazing. She was brilliant and gave Henry hell lol

[@artemisiya1549]

Whoaa. Props to your creation. Based on other artistic recreations and what’s been written about her, I feel like you really captured it. I can imagine it in my head and I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be pretty spot on. I tried drawing her but mine looks like a cartoon. Lol. Your work is really good. I love her, thanks for the video!

[@justinmileman7863]

absolutely gorgeous work, thank you for sharing this

[@jorfer4232]

Love the work you do! it's really inspiring, well done and creative! have you considered reimagining Rolo of Normandy, the viking?

[@claudiamund-cooper8595]

I somehow see Diana in this facial animation! Thank you for your endeavour.

[@lanpartyanimal5215]

Very nicely done. The animation was a pleasant surprise.

[@robdog7516]

Wow, that was amazing. Another true beauty.

[@lkgreenwell]

I have a vested interest in this, as I named my daughter after the Duchess, who Cretien de Troyes modelled Guinevere on, at the request of her niece, Marie de Champagne. In my late teens I developed a catastrophic crush on the Head Girl of Wolverhampton Girls High, who your portrait greatly resembles. A little more blue in the eyes, a bit more blond in the hair, and you’ve got ‘Galadriel’ to a tee lol

[@annjohnson6193]

A lovely interpretation.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you, Ann :)

[@seraphik]

this is probably my favorite historical figure! i wasn't totally sold on your version until she smiled. and then... damn. so charismatic and alluring, i get where that medieval German poet was coming from.

[@belwynne1386]

Fascinating! Well done!

[@cat_luvr6895]

I have good news for those who get the Washington Post. In this weekend's Travel section, one of the cover articles is a piece in which the writer "travels in the footsteps" of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor was born and died in Poitiers, France. Poitiers is therefore the first city the writer visits; the old Palace of the Counts of Poitou-Dukes of Aquitaine was recently vacated by the courthouse which had been there since the 1800s. The courthouse relocated in 2019, and the city of Poitiers acquired the palace the same year. It was renovated and opened to the public last year. The centerpiece of the palace is the Great Hall -- or "aula" as it was called in Eleanor's day. In this hall, as Duchess of Aquitaine, she presided over an artistically inspired court that featured troubadours and poets, and at which she established a code of chivalry and manners. It has now become an arts-oriented space and was opened to the public in 2020. Also in Poitiers is St Pierre Cathedral, in which she and Henry II were married in 1152. The writer also traveled to Saumur -- 50 miles north of Poitiers, in the Loire Valley -- where the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is located. Fontevraud is world-famous for being the site of the tombs of Eleanor, Henry, their son Richard the Lionheart, and their former daughter-in-law Isabella of Angoulême (wife of their youngest son John). Naturally Eleanor's tomb at Fontevraud features in the video above, in the section about Eleanor's appearance. Great article!

[@laurahastings-brownstein1481]

She is one of my ancestors, and it means a lot to me to see this interpretation!

[@ann-sofienilsson9400]

Hi interesting which one of her children do you descend from I descend from Matilda of England.

[@tjk1223]

@@ann-sofienilsson9400 She's my 24th great-grandmother through King John of England

[@bellajuarez4377]

Just came across your videos and am obsessed! I would love to see your recreation of her sons, Richard and John. Awesome work.

[@mikeletaurus4728]

I enjoy how you spoon-feed us some notable history before revealing your visual work. Thanks!

[@melaniedrever-heywood1226]

One thing is definate she was beautiful and mesmerising aswell as strong and educated with high intelligence. l think that we should imagine her as this reflects. Thus her appearance is much hypothesised l think as always your depiction is a beautiful portrayal. Thankyou for such joy regularly you are a true artist

[@MichielBLKorte]

Petition for Natalie Dormer to play this Eleanor of Aquitaine!

[@deblawson1575]

I have just found your channel...............and YES I binged on your content for hours. Thanks I really enjoy your content and yep I subscribed.🥰

[@sassytbc7923]

Amazing… your work is so amazing you can almost expect her to walk pinto the room. Well done!

[@binkydonna]

Her legacy lives on in so many of us here. 😁

[@jeannecastellano7181]

Historian Alison Weir wrote a biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine and stated that she was probably a blue-eyed blonde since she was such a celebrated beauty and blonde hair and blue eyes was considered the epitome of feminine beauty in medieval Europe. I wish you'd try to recreate the image of her scandalous grandmother, "Dangerosa".

[@yettaplotz2155]

I'm reading that book as we post. Read most of her Tudor stuff.

[@lisab4207]

Yes it's an excellent read.

[@diananievesavellanet]

Oh, yeah! KUDOS to your depiction of Eleanor!!!

[@qcarr]

Kate Winslet immediately popped into my mind when the reconstructed image of Eleanor appeared on screen. Great video, good general information about her life, and amazing reconstruction! Thank you.

[@derryg903]

Thank you for this. I've always loved Eleanor of Aquitaine's story, although I never stopped to think of what she might look like. As for her and Henry....aside from lusting after the guy, he was really the only man she could marry. She was a queen, and marrying anyone less than a king to be would be a step down. Henry and Louis were the only kings around.

[@monmothma3358]

I assume all the noblemen trying to force her to marry them didn't care about that 😂 Btw what would they do if they got hold of her, try to pass of the marriage as consensual..?

[@tdsims1963]

The likeness will probably be as good as we will ever get. It is odd that there are no contemporary descriptions of Eleanor or her sister, Petronilla. I do need to say this: The likenesses on the tombs are idealizations of royalty, not necessarily what the person may actually have looked like. It might be better to look at her children (several had auburn hair and blue eyes) and make a guess from that. But ...this will do.

[@austenmckenna5555]

This was really fascinating! I enjoyed the video a lot. I subscribed and looking forward to watching more of this channels videos! Thank you for your diligent work on your channel!

[@kathrynbellerose3925]

Excellent! Thank you. She has alway fascinated me as a powerful women of her time.

[@jeroenheemink8168]

I think you have depicted Eleanora very well. The long face, somewhat sharp features, the beatiful falling hair, the lovely smile, the face for me breaths out a combination of majestic allure and a somewhat girlish, playfullness as well of mystery.

[@janel342]

Her actual name was Alienor

[@AB-sm1qf]

This was fascinating! The only thing I would’ve done differently was add red hair. She seemed to have strawberry blonde or auburn hair.

[@catherinemcgill3004]

I love it! I find her inspiring and I agree with your reconstruction.

[@Gwenny_Black]

I love it. Thank you for the video. She is in my direct line of ancestors, so it is kind of personal to see her face.

[@WandonMurillou]

I love your videos and renditions, I would love to see one of the Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the man that saved Korea.

[@juliettoler4123]

Very nice! Your portrait of Eleanor resembles a merge of Drew Barrymore and Celine Dion. I liked it.

[@jeanettewu2537]

Actually, Eleanor of Aquitaine has a few contemporary stain glass windows, and there are one or two church corbel figures said to be of her. All are pretty stylized, though. The church corbels look resemble her tomb effigy, and the stain glass window at Poitiers shows her and Henry in their old age. There's also a psalter that is, again, stylized. Your recreation of Eleanor is gorgeous, though!, and your background info is pretty thorough.

[@mwizard1464]

I really enjoyed your thoughts and ideas on Eleanor. Thanks for sharing. Left you a like. Look forward to more content.

[@Stevew443]

Because I have watched The Lion In Winter so much, I can only picture Eleanor as looking like Katharine Hepburn. I like your picture of Eleanor though. I am directly descended from Eleanor and Henry through 3 different family lines, so having her look as beautiful as your rendition is a joy.

[@reginaromsey]

Eleanor and Elizabeth 1 are my favorite Queens, possibly because of all that was written about them in the last 70 years. They were personally powerful and did not go to jelly when a lover came along. Catherine the Great was more interesting when I read the child’s and Young Adult books that concentrated on what she did in Russia rather than the newer books that concentrate on her love life and lavish life style.

[@cheriem432]

She is my 25th great grandmother and I'm very proud that she is in my lineage.

[@janel342]

Or rather you are in hers?

[@sisterhoney61]

Thank you for this video. Eleanor has always been a true heroine for me.

[@mlfett6307]

Named my youngest Eleanor - she is in fact, a direct descendant of the Duchess of Aquitaine (and I found the tree after we named her!)

[@kathleengenieve3804]

I think, and this is just a suggestion, if you don't know the coloring of the subject you were doing such as Eleanor of Aquitaine would it be too much trouble to show her with a variety of different hair colors and eye color? You stated you thought she was a blonde, to me, I thought she was a redhead. I would have loved to have seen her as a redhead with pale gray eyes. She probably didn't have that combo, but who knows, maybe she did. And just to mix things up a little bit, to show her as a brunette with dark AND light eyes. I understand you're really working in the dark with this one because not much is known and I find it interesting that historians that followed her through her life not modern-day historians, but historians of her day, always depict women who are Intellectually Superior and Beautiful as being Hussies or Temptresses or Qantons. The fact that her husband's dilly-dallyed around with whoever they chose to seems to give them the proverbial Hall Pass, and women are not afforded the same but not much is really changed even in modern times although they try to make it look as though it has. Thank you for allowing me to vent my opinion and keep up the interesting and good work that you do, for your viewers pleasure. Yes, I think you should do candles for ALL the Ladies of History that you recreate.

[@glendalafont1561]

Loved this so much.

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you so much!

[@cordeliav3055]

Thumbs up! Great portrayal.

[@cat_luvr6895]

A blonde? I can't imagine that...maybe a strawberry blonde redhead? Or auburn -- but then, I probably have Katharine Hepburn in my mind because she was such a fantastic Eleanor on film.

[@rebeccavaughn8897]

She was red headed. As Henry and many of their children.

[@cat_luvr6895]

@@rebeccavaughn8897 I think that red-headed streak was inherited through DNA by a lot of her descendents, in both Britain and other European countries. Katharine of Aragon had red hair, as did of course Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Also many more, I'm sure.

[@mbww8572]

I would have gone with the hair color most common in Aquitaine in the town her parents were from - likely a medium-dark brown. Like the face, it lines up well with the tomb effigy although that looks a bit stylized. She gets a bum rap in the earlier history books because pretty much any contemporary or early historian would have been misogynistic as hell.

[@adrianjohnson7920]

I like the way Thomas Costain presented her in his 4-novel history of the Plantagenets. I think she's in "The Conquoring Family" He spends a fascinating amount of detail researching the fashions of the day, and we actually know what her coronation gown looked like -- it was suitably glamorous and as I recall, would still look breathtaking on a Hollywood red carpet today.

[@jennyrose9454]

I like the candle idea too.

[@michelelambertselston1929]

I think it’s fair to say that you have a great sense of what Eleanor of Aquitaine looked like. Excellent rendition.

[@geraintdension-kurg9334]

You know, I have no real justification for it, but I’ve always imagined her in exactly the same way! Thanks for a great video.

[@patsaylor8973]

I always pictured her as a brunette with red highlights. Everything I have read it said she was beautiful. I am surprised you didn't mention "Lions of Winters."

[@cheriem432]

Did you mean "The Lion in Winter"?

[@janel342]

It’s ‘The Lion in Winter’

[@lindaross783]

What a life! I think she would look just like this. Nice work!

[@Alexs.2599]

Beautiful recreation thanks!

[@RoyaltyNowStudios]

Thank you!