On the 27th of March 1168,1 during renewed unrest in Poitou, the travelling escort of Eleanor of Aquitaine ⓘ was attacked by members of the Lusignan family. Among those defending the escort was the young knight William Marshal ⓘ, then serving in the household of his uncle, Patrick, Earl of Salisbury. Patrick was killed in the fighting. William fought to secure Eleanor’s escape but was wounded and taken captive.

According to Ralph V. Turner, Eleanor paid or arranged William Marshal’s ransom and ensured that he was subsequently equipped and supported, enabling him to advance into Angevin service as a knight. The episode is regarded as a formative moment in Marshal’s career, establishing his reputation for loyalty and courage and marking his emergence within the Angevin political world.2

• 1. Medievalist
• 2.
  
  Turner, Ralph V Eleanor Of Aquitaine: Queen Of France, Queen Of England New Haven and London Yale University Press 2011.

  pp185-186.