​​Following the death of his father, Louis VI of France, on 1 August 1137, his son Louis VII of France ⓘ succeeded to the throne. Louis was crowned king on Christmas Day of the same year at Bourges Cathedral.1 Although he had already been crowned on 25 October 1131 at Reims Cathedral as co-king alongside his father,2 the coronation at Bourges marked his assumption of sole royal authority. His accession ensured the continuation of the Capetian dynasty, and his reign would be shaped by intense religious devotion and persistent political tension.

Shortly before his coronation, Louis married Eleanor of Aquitaine ⓘ, one of the most powerful heiresses in Europe. Through this marriage, the vast Duchy of Aquitaine was brought into the orbit of the French crown, although it remained under Eleanor’s personal control.3 From the outset, however, the union proved unstable. Differences of temperament and ambition strained the relationship, and although Louis and Eleanor participated together in the Second Crusade (1147–1149), the hardships of the campaign only exacerbated existing divisions.

Following their return to France, the marriage deteriorated irretrievably. In 1152 it was formally annulled on the grounds of consanguinity.4 Barely eight weeks later, Eleanor remarried, this time to Henry, Duke of Normandy, soon to become Henry II of England ⓘ.5 This alliance fundamentally altered the balance of power in western Europe, as Henry’s dominions now encompassed much of France’s western territories.

In the later years of his reign, Louis VII cultivated a close relationship with the Church and became a prominent supporter of Thomas Becket ⓘ, Archbishop of Canterbury, during Becket’s conflict with Henry II.6 Louis also offered refuge and encouragement to Henry’s rebellious sons in their opposition to their father, reflecting both his enduring rivalry with the English crown and his adroit use of diplomacy within the wider struggle between Capetian France and Plantagenet England.

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

  p53.

• 2.
  
  Firnhaber-Baker, Justine House Of Lilies London Allen Lane 2024.

  83.

• 3.
  
  Turner, Ralph V Eleanor Of Aquitaine: Queen Of France, Queen Of England New Haven and London Yale University Press 2011.

  pp57-62.

• 4.
  
  Firnhaber-Baker, Justine House Of Lilies London Allen Lane 2024.

  p102.

• 5.
  
  Poole, Austin Lane From Domesday Book To Magna Carta The Oxford History Of England The Oxford History Of England Oxford Clarendon Press 1985.

  p163.

• 6.
  
  Poole, Austin Lane From Domesday Book To Magna Carta The Oxford History Of England The Oxford History Of England Oxford Clarendon Press 1985.

  p209-210.