Eleanor of Aquitaine Switches Teams To Turbocharge Her Career

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) was queen of two kingdoms, mother of three kings, and founder of an empire.

She held her own against her kingly husbands, and ruled as regent for her kingly sons. She was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in the medieval era, shaping both arts and politics. Eleanor was a total boss, and she wasn’t afraid to switch sides to win.

Eleanor was heir to the duchy of Aquitaine, the southwest quarter of modern France. Just before he died, her father asked the king of France to find a suitable husband for his 15-year-old child, and the king knew the perfect person: his son, who could then rule Aquitaine. This was his second son, trained for a life in the church, not on the throne. But after the king and his elder son both died, in 1137 he was crowned King Louis VII of France, and Eleanor was crowned queen.

In 1145, King Louis VII signed up to join the Second Crusade, and Eleanor jumped on the bandwagon. Louis was pious and very eager for the pilgrimage. Eleanor was worldly and wanted adventure. But she wasn’t just a tag-along. She had an air-tight prenuptial agreement, and she retained lordship of Aquitaine until she gave birth to a male heir. She rode to Jerusalem with more knights in her retinue than did her husband, the king of France.

Anyone who’s ever been on a road trip knows it can make or break a relationship. The crusade broke Eleanor and Louis. The Second Crusade was a fiasco, and at one point, Louis hid from opposing troops by climbing up a tree. Rumors flew that Eleanor was having an affair with her uncle. Their marriage was on the rocks. Back in France, the pope personally tucked the king and queen of France into bed so they might produce an heir. But they were finished, and the marriage was annulled in 1152.

Eight weeks later, Eleanor married Henry, Duke of Normandy. Their combined lands made up the entire western half of modern France. Henry had a claim to the throne of England, but it wasn’t a lock that he would become its king. After some fighting and shenanigans, in 1154, he became King Henry II of England, and Eleanor again was crowned queen. Together they had five sons and three daughters. The boys would go on to be kings of England and the girls queens across Europe, but that’s another story…

It’s easiest to stay put. Stick with what you know. Change can be scary. But sometimes, you might need to change teams. It could mean transferring to a different department at your company, or maybe taking the leap to join a different company. No matter the degree of change, it’s hard to plunge into the unknown from the psychic safety of staying put.

Eleanor was queen of France, which sounds pretty cool. But she wasn’t happy. Can you imagine the courage it would take to divorce a king? And the logistics were tough; the pope would have to sign off on it. Rather than retire back to her estates, she took a chance and married a prince and became queen again. It wasn’t a sure thing that Henry would become king, but Eleanor took a chance and it worked out. She drove her own rise to the top.

Whatever career transition you might have in mind, it’s not as big as that. Assess your situation, see how it aligns with your goals, then make your decision. Maybe it’s not worth the trouble and you should stick with the status quo. But maybe there’s something that’s a better fit for you out there. Have faith in yourself and chart your own course through history.