Margaret of Austria, 1480–1530

Margaret of Austria (1480-1530) is the first female regent of the Netherlands. This book uncovers her remarkable political achievements, cultural patronage, and advocacy for women, offering a fresh perspective on her legacy through overlooked primary and new secondary sources.

Readers will gain an in-depth understanding of Margaret’s regency under Maximilian I and Charles V, her pivotal role in electing Charles as emperor, and her contributions to peace negotiations and Habsburg governance. The book focuses on the lessons Margaret learned from strong women like Anne of France, Margaret of York, and Isabella of Spain that she lived with early in life and later emulated, her “library of women” at the Court of Savoy where she educated girls and young women, such as Anne Boleyn, and her role as advocate for women as evidenced by her interest and participation in the literary debate on women known as the Querelle des femmes. Her wise leadership and patronage of the arts in service of Habsburg rule led to three more Habsburg women who served as regents in the Netherlands for decades later.

This book is a valuable resource for historians, students, and readers interested in European political history, women’s studies, and the Habsburg dynasty. It is particularly suited for those exploring female leadership, Renaissance culture, and the role of women in shaping early modern Europe.

Judy Kem is professor emerita of French Studies at Wake Forest University, USA. Her most recent publication is Pathologies of Love: Fatal Lovesickness and the Woman Question in Renaissance France (2019). She has also published a critical edition of Symphorien Champier’s Nef des dames vertueuses (2007) and a monograph on Jean Lemaire de Belges’s Illustrations de Gaule et singularitez de Troye (1994).