In the Middle Ages, power was undoubtedly a male-dominated game. But while the independence and influence of many women during the medieval period was overwhelmingly curtailed by the patriarchal society, some women found ways to wield power that have echoed down through the centuries.
For the ultimate medieval powerhouse, look no further than 12th-century queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, arguably more famous than either of her royal husbands. She governed as