Eleanor of AQUITAINE was a 12th century queen consort of France and later England. She was one of the most powerful and influential figures of the Middle Ages and was the patron of many poets and writers. Eleanor was born in 1122 in AQUITAINE, an area in southwestern France, and was the daughter of William X, Duke of AQUITAINE. She was married to Louis VII of France in 1137 and then to Henry II of England in 1152. Eleanor was known for her political and diplomatic skills and was an important figure in the development of the Plantagenet dynasty.