William I, King of France, XI of Aquitaine

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I used Chat GPT to rephrase a part of the Wikipedia article

OTL

Even prior to the commencement of the Crusade, the relationship between Eleanor and Louis was deteriorating, and their disagreements only intensified while they were abroad. The main source of discord was Eleanor's alleged involvement with her uncle Raymond, the ruler of Antioch, who aimed to reclaim the nearby County of Edessa—a goal central to the Crusade. Eleanor's support for her uncle's objectives, coupled with what was perceived as "excessive affection" toward him, fueled the discord.

Their journey home, marked by disagreements, took an unexpected turn. Louis and Eleanor, traveling on separate ships due to their disputes, faced an attack by Byzantine ships in May 1149. Although they escaped unharmed, stormy weather diverted Eleanor's ship to the Barbary Coast, causing her to lose contact with her husband for over two months. In mid-July, Eleanor's ship finally reached Palermo in Sicily, where she discovered that both she and Louis were presumed dead. She found refuge with King Roger II of Sicily's servants until the king arrived in Calabria, and she set out to reunite with him. At King Roger's court in Potenza, she received the distressing news of her uncle Raymond's death at the hands of Muslim forces in the Holy Land. This news prompted a change of plans, diverting them to Tusculum to meet Pope Eugene III, who had sought refuge there due to a revolt in the Commune of Rome.

Contrary to Eleanor's hopes for an annulment, Pope Eugene did not grant one. Instead, he attempted to reconcile the strained couple, affirming the legality of their marriage and prohibiting any challenge to it. He even arranged for Eleanor and Louis to share a bed, resulting in the conception of their second child, Alix of France—a daughter, not a son.

The marriage, however, was destined for failure. Lacking a male heir and facing opposition from barons and Eleanor's desire for annulment, Louis reluctantly accepted the inevitable. On March 11, 1152, they met at the royal castle of Beaugency to dissolve the marriage, with Archbishop Hugues de Toucy presiding. The annulment was granted on March 21 by the four archbishops, sanctioned by Pope Eugene, citing consanguinity within the fourth degree as grounds. Although Eleanor was Louis' third cousin once removed, sharing ancestry with Robert II of France and Constance of Arles, their two daughters were declared legitimate. Custody of the daughters was awarded to King Louis, who assured Archbishop Samson that Eleanor's lands would be restored to her.

POD

Contrary to Eleanor's hopes for an annulment, Pope Eugene did not grant one. Instead, he attempted to reconcile the strained couple, affirming the legality of their marriage and prohibiting any challenge to it. He even arranged for Eleanor and Louis to share a bed, resulting in the conception of twins named Alice and William which would prevent the planned annulment of Eleanor.

 

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In July or August of 1150, Eleanor of Aquitaine would give birth to twins, a son and a daughter, Eleanor would dream after she gave birth that her son would be a great King and he would promote troubadour culture and her language and expand it in France and outside France in his reign and for that she would be happy about the birth of the son with Louis despite her plans to remarry being frustrated due to the birth of a son with her husband, Louis, she insisted that the son would be named as William aside from the daughter being named as Alix in honor of her father.

Eleanor and Louis would try to conceive another child which resulted in daughter named Eleanor in January of 1153, however, Eleanor would die after giving birth to her namesake daughter as it turned out that the pregnancy of Eleanor with her namesake daughter was difficult which started sometime after the birth of the twins as Eleanor of Aquitaine wanted to separate with Louis after the birth of the twins, her father would decide to christen her as Eleanor as a honor to her dead mother, he would send his son William who would be crowned in Aquitaine as William XI of Aquitaine.

On 1154, Louis would arrange the betrothal of Marie of France with Geoffrey of Anjou with the condition of the Counties of Anjou, Maine, and Touraine be ceded to Geoffrey of Anjou upon their marriage which would happen in 1159, while Louis would arrange the remarriage of his sister Constance of France to Henry I of Champagne, another marriage that was made was between his daughter Alix and Theobald V of Blois after his first wife died.

Louis VII would remarry to Constance of Castile after the death of Eleanor of Aquitaine which would result in two daughters, namely, Margaret of France(1158) and Constance of France(1160), Louis would decided to never remarry after the death of Constance of Castile.

Louis VII would see that his son, William would want to move the center of trade and administration of France in Bordeaux which would change the focus of the Kingdom of France south with Paris and Rheims remaining having cultural importance in France along with Lyons and he was not able to convince his son to have a focus in the north which would mean that the Plantagenets would have influence in the North for a time due to his son’s policies.

He arranged William I’s marriages with his first wife, Beatrice of Swabia and his second wife Matilda of England, the death of Beatrice after giving birth to a daughter named Eleanor in 1174 would ruin the peace between France and Holy Roman Empire and rushed arranged a remarriage of his son, William with Margaret of England who would bring peace and relations between England and France and in the marriage with Matilda of England, William I was forced to delay his consummation of his marriage when she reached 16 years old, she was the one who ultimately gave her husband the son he wanted.

In the Capetian tradition, Louis had his son, William crowned at Reims in 1170 with William I of France becoming the final king to undergo such a coronation. Louis would die on September 18, 1180, in Paris, and he was laid to rest the following day at Barbeau Abbey, an institution he had established.

Children of Louis VII

With Eleanor of Aquitaine

Marie of France, Countess of Anjou and Maine b. 1145 married Geoffrey VI, Count of Anjou, Maine, and Touraine

Alix of France, Countess of Blois b. 1150 married to Theobald V, Count of Blois

William I of France b. 1150 married to Beatrice of Swabia(d. 1174) and Margaret of England(1216)

Eleanor of France b. 1153 married to Alfonso VIII of Castile



With Constance of Castile

Margaret of France b. 1158 d. 1177 married to Henry of England

Constance of France b. 1160 married to Bela III of Hungary

 

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After the birth of the twins of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II, Duke of Normandy would marry Laurette of Flanders knowing that Eleanor of Aquitaine is no longer available as her annulment will no longer happen, Laurette of Flanders will bring with her that her mother was married to a claimant to a man who was a claimant to Danish throne and has connections with Sicily, Charles the Good which will bring her proximity of blood claims against the Danish claimants to the English throne and connections to Sicily which is one of her benefits and the fact that she has a proven fertility just like Eleanor of Aquitaine, compared to his liege, Louis VII, Henry II, Duke of Normandy will have a stable married life with Laurette of Flanders.

When Eleanor of Aquitaine died in 1153, when he left the French court Henry II, Duke of Normandy cried seeing that the Queen who loved him is already dead and what is left behind is her children with Louis VII, he is crying even after he left the French Royal court and his wife, Laurette of Flanders would comfort Henry II if Normandy, and she would tell Henry that she being married with him is the best situation for them and they readied to embark to England but Henry II, Duke of Normandy would tell to his wife that he felt very much hurt on the fact that the woman he fancied for a long time is already dead, but he said that indeed that his wife, Laurette is better than Eleanor.

Henry II would succeed as King of England due to a treaty of peace with King Stephen in 1154, recognizing him as his heir.

The Children of Laurette of Flanders

William b. 1153 d. 1153

Henry b. 1155 d. 1183

Matilda b. 1156

Richard b. 1157

Margaret b. 1161

Joanna b. 1164

John b. 1166

 

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On 1153, Eustace of Boulogne would die with Constance of France left as a childless widow and the same is not for Alice of Aquitaine who is left as a widow with children at the death of her husband and was kept as one of the regents.

The two widows, Constance of France of France and Alice of Aquitaine would be introduced by Eleanor of Aquitaine, the two would have a heart-to-heart conversation and Constance would feel like a failure as she did not do her duty having children for her husband, Eustace, the son of Stephen of England, Alice of Aquitaine would comfort Constance of France and said that she did not do anything wrong.

Seeing that Constance of France had no children in her first wedding, Louis VII would marry his sister Constance to Henry of Champagne and left Alice of Aquitaine to care for her children as the regent to her son.

After the death of Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1154, Louis VII would marry Alice of Aquitaine to Raymond V, Count of Toulouse to ensure peace between his son’s Aquitaine and the County of Toulouse while her children with her first husband would be in the care of the King of France.

Children of Constance of France with Henry I, Count of Champagne

Henry II, Count of Champagne b. 1156

Theobald of Champagne b.1157

Scholastica b. 1158

Baldwin b. 1165



Children of Alice of Aquitaine with Raymond V

Raymond VI of Toulouse b. 1157

Azalais b. 1161

 

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Despite initial setbacks, Alfonso of Aragon ultimately prevailed over Raymond, gaining control of Provence by the end of 1166. Douce II, now dispossessed of her inheritance, retained the comital title and was under the custody of her paternal grandmother, Beatrice, Countess of Melgueil. In 1168, Alfonso further solidified his hold by granting Provence to his brother, Ramon Berenguer III.

Douce's fate took another turn in April 1172 when Beatrice decided to divide the County of Melgueil between her daughter, Ermessende of Pelet, and Douce, who is betrothed to Raymond of Toulouse.

On 1176, Douce would marry Raymond VI of Toulouse and later inherited her aunt’s inheritance, but the marriage would have issues as she would have issues in giving birth and only would give birth to a daughter named Azalais of Toulouse (1183) who would survive infancy and live into adulthood, Douce would die in 1186.

Note: Just like the first part the first 2 sentences are based on a rephrase of a Wikipedia article, Douce II's daughter, Azalais will play a big role in this timeline.

 

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On the 1160s Frederick II and Louis VII would reach an agreement to marry Beatrice of Swabia(1160) to his successor, William XI, Duke of Aquitaine which would happen in 1170 to have peace between France and the Holy Roman Empire but William would consummate his marriage early which would cause the demise of Beatrice of Swabia after she gave birth to a daughter named Eleanor in 1174.

After the death of Beatrice of Swabia, Matilda of England would be married to William XI, duke of Aquitaine but he is advised to avoid consummating the marriage until she gets to the right age in 1177, Matilda of England would give birth to her first child, Alice of France in 1180, her next pregnancy that would reach term would result into a son named Louis in 1187, after the birth of Louis, William I of France and Matilda would stop consummating their marriage on 1188 a year after the birth of Prince Louis.

Matilda of England would have a role in the mourning of her father-in-law Louis VII and the coronation of her husband, William I of France but after 1188, the two would be apart.

 

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On 1180 after the birth of her daughter, Alice after experiencing one miscarriage, William I of France and Matilda of England would not get along due to him forcing her to get pregnant repeatedly and him not focusing on the welfare of Northern France, although she was not against of him moving the court of France to Bordeaux in Aquitaine, she was the one that talked to her father in law and arranged the funeral and burial of her father in law and their coronation in Rheims in the same year.

On 1188, Matilda of England, after having two surviving children herself would decide to stop consummating her marriage with William I of France and chose to live in the old castles in the North of France, she would suggest the marriage of Eleanor of France with Raymond VI of Toulouse who is now a widower of the Titular Countess Douce of Provence who had just died.

William I of France would keep Rosamund, the governess of Matilda of England as his mistress which would enrage Matilda of England even after they separated.