Margaret III, Countess of Flanders

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Margaret of Dampierre (1350–1405) was Countess of Flanders and twice Duchess of Burgundy. Through her mother (Margaret of Brabant, daughter of John III, Duke of Brabant), the younger Margaret was also a heiress of the Duchies of Brabant and Limburg.

She was the daughter and heir of Louis de Mâle, Count of Flanders, Count of Nevers, and Count of Rethel (1346–1384); and his wife Margaret of Brabant. Through his mother Margaret of France, Louis was also Count of Burgundy and Count of Artois (1382–1384).

In 1357, the young Margaret, then seven, married Philip of Rouvres, grandson and heir of Eudes IV, Duke of Burgundy. Philip was eleven years old and her second cousin. He was count of Burgundy and Artois (1347–1361), Duke of Burgundy (1350–1361), and became yet Count of Auvergne and Boulogne (1360–1361).

Margaret was widowed in 1361, and with the death of her husband the duchy of Burgundy was inherited by John II of France. In 1363 Philip the Bold, John's youngest son, was granted the duchy, and subsequently married its former duchess in 1369. Philip had earlier been Duke of Touraine (1359–1363), and became later also count of Charolais (1390–1404). When Margaret's father died in 1384, she and Philip inherited the counties of Artois, Burgundy, Flanders, Nevers, and Rethel. Philip died in 1404, and Margaret died the next year.

According to Guizot, her father had not wished her to marry a Frenchman, being more friendly to England; he was persuaded to agree to the marriage by his mother, Marguerite of France.

Her eldest son, John the Fearless, succeeded her in 1405 as Duke of Burgundy, Count of Burgundy, Count of Artois, and Count of Flanders. In 1406 her younger son Anthony inherited Brabant and Limburg. Nevers was at first, in her lifetime, given to their eldest son John, but after his accession to duchy, went later to her youngest son Philippe, thus comte de Nevers.

Preceded by Louis II	Countess of Rethel 1384–1402	Succeeded by Anthony
	Countess of Nevers 1384	Succeeded by John
	Countess of Artois and Flanders 1384–1405