Margaret of Burgundy was a daughter of Philip the Bold

Philip the Bold

Philip the Bold , also Philip II, Duke of Burgundy , was the fourth and youngest son of King John II of France and his wife, Bonne of Luxembourg. By his marriage to Margaret III, Countess of Flanders, he also became Count Philip II of Flanders, Count Philip IV of Artois and Count-Palatine Philip IV...

, Duke of Burgundy

Duke of Burgundy

Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...

 and Margaret III, Countess of Flanders

Margaret III, Countess of Flanders

Margaret of Dampierre was Countess of Flanders , Countess of Artois and Countess Palatine of Burgundy and twice Duchess consort of Burgundy...

. 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

Philip the Bold

Philip the Bold , also Philip II, Duke of Burgundy , was the fourth and youngest son of King John II of France and his wife, Bonne of Luxembourg. By his marriage to Margaret III, Countess of Flanders, he also became Count Philip II of Flanders, Count Philip IV of Artois and Count-Palatine Philip IV...

 and his wife Margaret III, Countess of Flanders

Margaret III, Countess of Flanders

Margaret of Dampierre was Countess of Flanders , Countess of Artois and Countess Palatine of Burgundy and twice Duchess consort of Burgundy...

. Her siblings included John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy and Antoine, Duke of Brabant.

Her paternal grandparents were John II of France

John II of France

John II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,...

 and Bonne of Bohemia

Bonne of Bohemia

Bonne of Luxemburg, Duchess of Normandy, Countess of Anjou and of Maine , was born Jutta , the daughter of John the Blind of Luxemburg, king of Bohemia and his first wife Elisabeth of Bohemia. She was the first wife of King John II of France; however, as her death occurred a year prior to his...

. Her maternal grandparents were Louis II of Flanders

Louis II of Flanders

Louis II of Flanders , also Louis III of Artois and Louis I of Palatine Burgundy, known as Louis of Male, was the son of Louis I of Flanders and Margaret I of Burgundy, and Count of Flanders.On his father's death at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, he inherited the counties of Flanders, Nevers, and...

 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

Cambrai

Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...

, Margaret was married to William of Bavaria. 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.

After 16 years of childless marriage, Margaret finally produced one child, Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut

Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut

Jacqueline of Wittelsbach was Duchess of Bavaria-Straubing, Countess of Hainaut and Holland from 1417 to 1432...

 (16 August 1401 – 8 October 1436). After 1410, Margaret's political position increased, as she was granted several towns and castles as her personal fiefs during the 1410s.

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

County of Hainaut

The County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries with its capital at Mons . In English sources it is often given the archaic spelling Hainault....

, Holland, and Zeeland

Zeeland

Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...

, but not Bavaria. She married four times to (John, Dauphin of France, John IV, Duke of Brabant

John IV, Duke of Brabant

John IV, Duke of Brabant was the son of Antoine of Burgundy, Duke of Brabant, Lothier and Limburg.John IV was the second Brabantian ruler of the House of Valois....

, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester

Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester

Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Pembroke, KG , also known as Humphrey Plantagenet, was "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of king Henry IV of England by his first wife, Mary de Bohun, brother to king Henry V of England, and uncle to the...

, 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 She preferred the Le Quesnoy castle as her residence, which was also her personal fief where she held formal authority as lady of Quesnoy She died at Le Quesnoy

Le Quesnoy

Le Quesnoy is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.Le Quesnoy's inhabitants are known as Quercitains.- Economy :The town of Le Quesnoy has somehow missed much of the Industrial Revolution. Unlike the neighboring towns of Valenciennes or Maubeuge, iron/steel works did not take hold...

 on 8 March 1441.

Ancestry

Margaret's ancestors in three generations

Margaret of Burgundy	Father: Philip the Bold Philip the Bold Philip the Bold , also Philip II, Duke of Burgundy , was the fourth and youngest son of King John II of France and his wife, Bonne of Luxembourg. By his marriage to Margaret III, Countess of Flanders, he also became Count Philip II of Flanders, Count Philip IV of Artois and Count-Palatine Philip IV...	Paternal Grandfather: John II of France John II of France John II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,...	Paternal Great-grandfather: Philip VI of France Philip VI of France Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Joan the Lame Joan the Lame Joan of Burgundy , also known as Joan the Lame , was Queen consort of France as the first wife of Philip VI...
		Paternal Grandmother: Bonne of Bohemia Bonne of Bohemia Bonne of Luxemburg, Duchess of Normandy, Countess of Anjou and of Maine , was born Jutta , the daughter of John the Blind of Luxemburg, king of Bohemia and his first wife Elisabeth of Bohemia. She was the first wife of King John II of France; however, as her death occurred a year prior to his...	Paternal Great-grandfather: John I of Bohemia John I of Bohemia John the Blind was the Count of Luxembourg from 1309 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He was the eldest son of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII and his wife Margaret of Brabant...
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Elisabeth of Bohemia (1292–1330)
	Mother: Margaret III, Countess of Flanders Margaret III, Countess of Flanders Margaret of Dampierre was Countess of Flanders , Countess of Artois and Countess Palatine of Burgundy and twice Duchess consort of Burgundy...	Maternal Grandfather: Louis II of Flanders Louis II of Flanders Louis II of Flanders , also Louis III of Artois and Louis I of Palatine Burgundy, known as Louis of Male, was the son of Louis I of Flanders and Margaret I of Burgundy, and Count of Flanders.On his father's death at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, he inherited the counties of Flanders, Nevers, and...	Maternal Great-grandfather: Louis I of Flanders Louis I of Flanders Louis I was Count of Flanders, Nevers and Rethel.-History:He was the son of Louis I, Count of Nevers, and Joan, Countess of Rethel, and grandson of Robert III of Flanders. He succeeded his father as count of Nevers and his grandfather as count of Flanders in 1322...
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Margaret I, Countess of Burgundy
		Maternal Grandmother: Margaret of Brabant	Maternal Great-grandfather: John III, Duke of Brabant John III, Duke of Brabant Jan III van Brabant , also called John III, the Triumphant , was Duke of Brabant, Lothier, and Limburg...
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Marie d'Évreux Marie d'Évreux Marie d'Évreux was the eldest child of Louis d'Évreux and his wife Margaret of Artois. She was a member of the House of Capet and was Duchess of Brabant by her marriage to John III, Duke of Brabant....