Eleanor of AquitaineEleanor of Aquitaine (1122 1204) has long been noted for her political and cultural achievements that profoundly shaped twelfth century Europe. Culturally, beyond her role as wife of kings Louis VII of France and Henry II of England and mother of kings Richard and John, she inspired the vast diffusion of the Arthurian cycle and the Celtic myths underpinning it. Without Eleanor, figures such as Merlin, Arthur, and Guinevere (for whom Eleanor served as