Louis VII of France

Louis VII, known as the Younger or the Young, reigned as King of the Franks from 1137 until his death in 1180. As the successor to his father, King Louis VI, he expanded Capetian influence by marrying Eleanor of Aquitaine, which temporarily extended their territory to the Pyrenees. His participation in the Second Crusade, including his stay at the court of King Géza II of Hungary and the failed siege of Damascus, marked his reign. Louis VII also fostered the development of French Gothic architecture and the founding of the University of Paris.

His marriage to Eleanor was annulled in 1152 due to the absence of a male heir, leading to her marriage to Henry Plantagenet and the formation of the Angevin Empire. Louis VII subsequently married twice more; his third wife, Adela of Champagne, bore him a son, Philip. His efforts to centralize the state and support for Henry’s sons against their father demonstrated his political engagement, but he was often outmaneuvered by the Angevin dynasty.