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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

Eleanor of Aquitaine, women in England, rulers of Europe

College

Harold B. Lee Library

Abstract

Using my ORCA grant, I went to London from May 12 to May 20. While there, I uncovered connections and information that will contribute significantly to my research on Eleanor of Aquitaine and her relationship to later women in England. My goal, as outlined in my proposal, was to establish how the mere perception and perhaps icon of Eleanor as a patron has had a considerable influence on subsequent rulers of Europe, as evidenced by the evolution of art and music throughout the centuries. In particular, I hoped to identify her influence on other influential rulers, such as Elizabeth I and Henrietta Maria, the queen of Charles I, as preserved in works of art—limned miniatures, portraits, tapestries, etc.—that are not readily available as reproductions in books. Accordingly, I carefully documented numerous artifacts and paintings from the National Gallery, the British Library, the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Museum of Modern Art, the Globe, the Henry VIII exhibit at the Tower of London, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. I even found relevant objects d’art outside of London proper at places like Dover Castle, the Cathedral of Canterbury, and Leeds Castle. The result of my research was the discovery of unrecognized connections between Eleanor and her successors: people, events, places, symbols, and themes that have pointed my study in a new direction. In this report I have cited examples of these connections and the materials I examined and will examine further.

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