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This magnificent castle at Chinon on the banks of the Loire was one of the most important centres of Henry's rule. It was also the setting for what was to be Eleanor's most assertive bid for power. Eleanor never had a claim to be a monarch in her own right, but her children did and, as a mother, she was prepared to fight tooth and claw for her sons' rights. It was a fight that would dominate the rest of her life. Male heirs were a medieval King's greatest asset, the insurance that his dynasty would prevail, but grown-up sons weren't always prepared to wait patiently while their father still reigned. When Eleanor's three eldest boys reached their teens, they were champing at the bit for a share in ruling their father's empire. And although Henry promised them a role to play, he couldn't bring himself to delegate real power. |
