# Louis VII marries Eleanor of Aquitaine (1137)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1137-louis-vii-marries-eleanor-of-aquitaine
Location: Bordeaux

The marriage temporarily attached the vast duchy of Aquitaine to the French crown. Within the broader West Francia & Early Capetians period, After the Treaty of Verdun, West Francia developed under Carolingian, Robertian and Capetian rulers. Viking settlement, feudal lordship, church reform and expanding royal authority reshaped the kingdom. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Louis VII (King of the Franks). Louis VII marries Eleanor of Aquitaine mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Louis VII marries Eleanor of Aquitaine mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy.

Ruler at the time: [Louis VII](https://history-france.com/rulers/louis-vii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Louis VII marries Eleanor of Aquitaine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Louis+VII+marries+Eleanor+of+Aquitaine&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Louis VII marries Eleanor of Aquitaine](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Louis+VII+marries+Eleanor+of+Aquitaine)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of French history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_French_history)