Louis VII of France

Louis was born as the second son of King Louis VI and Adelaide of Maurienne. He was not expected to become king, as his elder brother Philip was the designated heir to the French throne.

Louis elder brother Philip died in a riding accident when his horse was startled by a pig. Louis suddenly became heir to the throne and was crowned co-king alongside his father.

Louis VI died and Louis VII became sole King of France at age seventeen. He inherited a kingdom that was still consolidating royal power against powerful vassals.

Louis married Eleanor of Aquitaine, heiress to the vast Duchy of Aquitaine. This marriage doubled the size of royal territory, but the couple proved incompatible in temperament.

Louis clashed with Pope Innocent II over the appointment of the Archbishop of Bourges. The conflict resulted in an interdict on France and damaged Louis reputation.

During a war with Count Theobald of Champagne, Louis troops burned the town of Vitry, killing over a thousand people who had taken refuge in a church. Louis was haunted by guilt.

Seeking redemption for Vitry, Louis took the cross and launched the Second Crusade after Bernard of Clairvaux preached at Vezelay. Eleanor accompanied him on the expedition.

The Second Crusade ended in disaster with a failed siege of Damascus. Louis returned to France humiliated, and his marriage to Eleanor deteriorated amid rumors of her infidelity.

Louis and Eleanor divorced on grounds of consanguinity. Eleanor immediately married Henry of Anjou, who became Henry II of England, taking Aquitaine to the English crown.

Louis married Constance of Castile, seeking a male heir. The marriage produced two daughters but no sons, continuing the succession crisis.

After Constances death, Louis married Adela of Champagne. This third marriage finally produced a male heir, the future Philip II Augustus.

Adela gave birth to Philip, called Dieudonne (God-given). Louis finally had a male heir after decades of waiting. Philip would become one of Frances greatest kings.

Louis supported Archbishop Thomas Becket in his conflict with Henry II of England. When Becket was murdered, Louis used the scandal to weaken his Angevin rival.

Louis suffered a debilitating stroke that left him partially paralyzed. He had his son Philip crowned co-king to ensure the succession.

Louis VII died after a reign of 43 years. Though often overshadowed by his more capable son Philip Augustus, Louis maintained royal authority and laid groundwork for future expansion.