Book
Captive Queen
First published 2010
Eleanor of Aquitaine leaves her marriage to Louis VII and becomes queen of England beside Henry II, bringing wealth, experience and fierce independence to the Angevin court. Their partnership gives way to rivalry, infidelity and rebellion as their sons compete for power. The novel follows Eleanor from crusader queen to political prisoner and finally queen mother, centring the cost of exercising authority in a dynasty ruled by volatile family loyalties.
Eleanor’s conflict with Henry arises from more than marital unhappiness. Their sons require lands and authority, while the Angevin realm is large enough for family disputes to become international rebellions. Her captivity follows from participation in that dynastic struggle, making the novel a study of how queenship could provide political influence without protecting a queen from the legal power of her husband.
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