Margaret of Burgundy, Duchess of Bavaria

Margaret of Burgundy (October 1374 – 8 March 1441) was a daughter of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy and Margaret III, Countess of Flanders.^[1] By her marriage to William of Bavaria, she would, in 1404, become Duchess of Bavaria.

Family

Margaret was the third child and first daughter out of nine children born to Philip the Bold and his wife Margaret III, Countess of Flanders. Her siblings included John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy and Antoine, Duke of Brabant.

Her paternal grandparents were John II of France and Bonne of Bohemia. Her maternal grandparents were Louis II of Flanders and Margaret of Brabant.

Marriage

Margaret's father the Duke of Burgundy used the marriages of his children to achieve far-sighted goals. In keeping with this strategy, Margaret and her brother John were wedded in a double marriage to William and his sister Margaret of Bavaria. This marriage would have later influence the union of Hainaut and Holland with Burgundy and Flanders, as carried out by Margaret's nephew Philip the Good.

On 12 April 1385 in Cambrai, Margaret was married to William of Bavaria.^[1] He succeeded his father as William II, Duke of Bavaria and William VI, Count of Hainaut, Holland, and Zeeland in 1404, thus making Margaret Duchess of Bavaria and Countess of these areas.

Political activity

Margaret had exerted a lot of political influence during the reign of her spouse: William was sovereign of both Holland and Hainaut, and as he preferred Holland and spend a lot of his reign there, Margaret was his regent and representative in Hainaut^[2].

After 16 years of childless marriage, Margaret finally produced one child, Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut (16 August 1401 – 8 October 1436).^[1] After 1410, Margaret's political position increased, as she was granted several towns and castles as her personal fiefs during the 1410s^[3].

Her husband died in 1417 of a dog bite. Margaret would remain widowed for 24 years. Although William and Margaret attempted to ensure that their daughter would inherit all his lands, a war of succession broke out after his death. Jacqueline would eventually come to inherit Hainaut, Holland, and Zeeland, but not Bavaria. She married four times to (John, Dauphin of France, John IV, Duke of Brabant, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and Francis, Lord of Borselen); she had no children by any of these marriages.

Later life

During the reign of her daughter, Margaret was involved in several political acts^[4] She preferred the Le Quesnoy castle as her residence, which was also her personal fief where she held formal authority as lady of Quesnoy^[5] She died at Le Quesnoy on 8 March 1441.

Ancestry

References