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The task of governing Henry's huge and unwieldy empire was a challenging one, which kept him constantly on the move. Aquitaine, at its most southern edge, was culturally and politically alien to Henry but it was Eleanor's homeland. And in 1168, Eleanor went to govern the Duchy in her husband's name. For Henry this was a matter of political strategy, but for Eleanor an opportunity and a welcome homecoming. Hidden inside what are now the law courts in Eleanor's city of Poitiers is all that remains of her vast palace. We don't know very much about the details of Eleanor's rule but it's clear that she exercised independent power here, holding great courts where she gathered Aquitaine's lords around her. But she wasn't accused of unnatural pride, as Matilda had been in England. Instead, her role as Aquitaine's Duchess was accepted. A woman in charge was much less challenging, it turned out, if she were ruling as the lieutenant of an absent husband. |
