Margaret of Austria (1480–1530) was one of the most influential women of her time. As governor, she ruled the Habsburg Netherlands from 1507 to 1530 from Mechelen. She took on the upbringing of the young Charles V and his sisters and was known for her diplomatic talent. Her greatest success was the Women’s Peace of Cameroon (1529), a peace treaty that she managed to enforce after negotiations with Louise de Savoye.
Margaret suffered many setbacks in her life: she was married three times, but each time fate struck her. After the death of her great love Philibert of Savoy, she chose to live as a widow and remained faithful to her role as a director and protector of art and culture.
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