Did people marry for love in the Middle Ages? Who were some of the most famous and infamous couples in history?

People in the Middle Ages did not generally marry for love. They were married for gain. Sometimes boys had more choice in whom they married, but not always. Eventually, spouses could grow to love each other or at least become friends, but not always. Courtly love, an invention of the Middle Ages (check out my post on courtly love and Valentine’s Day here), said love was not confined to marriage. In fact, they even believed that wedded couples couldn’t love each other. There were many powerful, influential, or famous/infamous couples in the Middle Ages.

Let’s learn some more about love and marriage in the Middle Ages. Who were some of those power couples? 

Marriage and Love in the Middle Ages

Medieval people didn’t marry for love like modern people. They also married young. Legally, girls could marry at the tender age of twelve (see my post about wealthy women here and poor women here), and the boys were only a little better off. Boys could get married at fourteen years old (see my post about rich men here and poor men here).

Marie of Champagne, the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry the Second, decided that spouses could not love each other, which was silly. Her ruling influenced people for ages, and it wasn’t even accurate. Some couples grew to love each other in time. 

Famous Royal Couples

English Royalty

Who were some of the most famous and infamous royal couples in history? First, how about we look at the love triangle of which Eleanor of Aquitaine was a part? Eleanor’s second marriage was to Henry Plantagenet, who became the king of England. While she was already thirty years old, he was still eighteen. After Eleanor annulled her first marriage to Louis the seventh, Eleanor arranged her next marriage to Henry the second to stave off kidnapping attempts due to her incredible wealth.

They had eight children together, but Henry had a lot of mistresses, including the love of his life, Rosamund Clifford. People say she was gorgeous. Many legends and fictitious stories popped up about the same time and long into the future, including tales of King Henry hiding Rosamund from his wife and Eleanor finding and then killing her.

There are multiple different ways she is said to have killed her rival. However, Eleanor of Aquitaine didn’t kill Rosamund. She was in prison when Rosamund died. However, Rosamund died of natural causes. These love affairs were both famous and infamous. King John, the youngest son of Eleanor and Henry, married Isabella of Angouême.

After he died, she married the man to whom her young daughter was betrothed. Then she bickered with her son, the king of England, over a dowry for years and kidnapped her daughter to try and get it; her life wasn’t great. Richard the Lionheart, the elder brother of John, married a girl named Berengaria, and she was the only queen of England who never actually visited England.

Spanish Royalty

Another distinguished couple, Ferdinand and Isabella, are super famous. They are the ones that sent Columbus on his way to America. They were also, the people responsible for uniting Spain. During their reign, they and their country survived a civil war. Isabella arranged her own marriage against the wishes of her uncle.

Famous Fictional Couples

Old legends and stories are full of daring escapes, damsels in distress, and famous fictional couples that inspired and entertained people for years. No one is absolutely sure if they are fictitious or based on real people. First, who hasn’t heard of King Arthur? The Arthurian legends were famous and popular and had quite a few couples and love triangles.

One of those couples was mighty King Arthur and his fair wife, Queen Guinevere. Unfortunately, King Arthur didn’t choose a very faithful wife. Later on, Queen Guinevere fell in love with her husband’s best friend, Sir Lancelot. Their love affair eventually destroyed Camelot.

Another couple from legend is Robin Hood and Maid Marian, the daring outlaw living at the time of King John and Richard the Lionhearted. Unlike most medieval love stories, Robin Hood and Maid Marian’s story ended pretty well. They were happily married until Marian died many years later because of the plague. However, Robin Hood loved her until the end of his days, when an evil woman from his past killed him.

Another fictitious love story that ended in tragedy was that of Tristan and Iseult. Tristan had to take Iseult to marry his uncle, but they accidentally drank a love potion and fell in love on the way to his castle. Iseult still had to marry Tristan’s uncle. Therefore, they spent the rest of their lives trying to satisfy their love without anyone finding out.

Lastly, Romeo and Juliet were unable to wed because their families were rivals. They both eventually killed themselves.

Other Famous Couples

A lot of the other famous couples in history are authors, such as the famous Geoffrey Chaucer and his wife, Philippa. Geoffrey Chaucer was one of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s favorite poets and may be one of the reasons Valentine’s Day is what it is today (see my post on Valentine’s Day here).

They were married for over twenty years. He lived a solitary life after her death and wrote some of his most famous works. Another author, Dante Alighieri, loved a woman named Beatrice. He was one of the best poets of his time and devoted tons of poetry to her. He never married her and may never have told her he cared for her. Many people know of her because of his work.

Therefore, couples throughout history, both fictional and real, have influenced our world for better and for worse. Which couple that I mentioned is your favorite? And what about your least favorite couple? Please let me know in the comments!

To Read More…

(and check out my sources…)

Marriage and Love in the Middle Ages…

Marriage | Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament

Famous Couples and Love Stories…

20 Best Love Stories of All Time – Famous Couples & Lovers in History

Famous Medieval and Renaissance Couples

Tristan and Iseult…

Tristan and Isolt | Robbins Library Digital Projects

To read more by me…

What Animals Were Kept in a Medieval Castle?

Did People Have Holidays in the Middle Ages?

What Hobbies did People Have in the Middle Ages?

Everything About Chivalry in the Medieval Times

Heraldry in the Middle Ages for Modern People

And last but not least, my homepage…

lifelong ago.com