Eleanor of Aquitaine: Medieval Queen Supreme
History's Heroes
BBC
4.8 • 824 Ratings
🗓️ 10 February 2026
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine was in her 70s when disaster struck in the 1190s. Her sons were often at loggerheads and causing trouble. This time, her crusading son Richard the Lionheart had got into a spot of trouble and got himself kidnapped on his way back from the Holy Land. It was down to Eleanor to save her son, her dynasty and the realm.
Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.
A BBC Studios Audio production.
Producer: Suniti Somaiya Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann Executive Producer: Paul Smith Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:05.0 | How would it feel to have your deepest secrets held to ransom? |
| 0:11.0 | You have different tragedies in your life that you wouldn't write into your own journal. |
| 0:16.0 | This is the story of an unprecedented crime. |
| 0:19.0 | The biggest case in Finnish criminal history. |
| 0:22.4 | Thousands of victims exposed by a huge data hack |
| 0:25.8 | and the hunt to track down a criminal who was thought to be untouchable. |
| 0:30.0 | Makes me sick to my stomach. |
| 0:32.4 | Intrigue, Ransom Man. |
| 0:34.3 | Listen first on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:36.6 | December 1193. |
| 0:39.5 | A fleet of ships prepared to sail from the coast of Suffolk. |
| 0:43.2 | You've got probably about 500 to 1,000 people going. |
| 0:47.0 | It was the worst time of year to cross the English Channel. |
| 0:51.3 | It's a substantial diplomatic mission apart from anything else. |
| 0:55.1 | They were led by a woman, the former Queen of France, now Dowager Queen of England, |
| 1:00.6 | and its de facto ruler, Eleanor of Aquitaine. |
| 1:04.4 | She is coming up to 70, so she's very much in her late 60s. |
| 1:10.2 | For Eleanor, this mission was not just political but personal. |
| 1:15.2 | Her sixth child was King Richard I, known as the Lionheart. |
| 1:20.6 | He was travelling back from the Holy Land when he was captured by his enemies. |
| 1:25.3 | Now the Holy Roman Emperor was demanding a colossal ransom for Richard's |
... |
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