Mary+of+Burgundy

Mary of Burgundy was born on February 13, 1457. She was the only child born to her parents, Charles the Bold and Isabella of Bourbon. Mary was the heiress to the vast land and wealth of the Burgandian domains in France and the Low Countries. Charles the Bold died in the Battle of Nancy on January 5, 1477 and Mary became Duchess of Burgandy on month before her 20th birthday.Because Mary was known to inherit such a large amount of land and wealth other Kings were very interested in securing her marriage to their son’s. The first marriage arrangement came to Mary’s father when she was only 5 years old. Another marriage proposition was stopped by King Louis XI of France when his younger brother was pursuing Mary. King Louis XI was pursuing a marriage arrangement with Mary for his future son, King Charles VIII, even though he would be 13 years younger than Mary. Then there was Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine, who wanted a marriage with Mary because he reigned over land adjacent to the Burgandy territory and was looking to combine and increase his kingdom. But Nicholas I died in a battle in 1473 which only seemed to increase the intensity of the French King’s pursuit of Mary for his son. In 1477 when Mary became heiress as a single 19 year old young woman, King Louis XI of France was close to threatening a violent takeover of Burgandian territory and Low Countires to add to his kingdom for his heirs. In an attempt to arrange a marriage to the king’s son Charles the Burgandy officials met with the French King. However, Burgandy would not agree to Mary’s dowry land demands of the French King and so the marriage to the six year old Charles VIII did not take place. Feeling French pressure Mary was encouraged to look for support from the Netherlands. The Netherlands agreed to support Mary against the French King if she would sign what is known as “The Great Privilege”, which returned control and rights to local governments. Mary’s father and grandfather had stripped these provinces from self-governing in an attempt to centralize the lands. The dictated centralized governing was hated by the people and their demands also included that Mary could not declare war, make peace or raise taxes without their agreement. On August 16, 1477, seven months after Mary of Burgandy began her reign she married Archduke Maximilian of Austria who became her co-ruler. Mary and Maximilian had one daughter and two sons (one son died as an infant). It seems that Mary was smart and maybe a little lucky that other marriage offers weren’t successful. During the marriage of Mary and Maximilian a time of peace was enjoyed in the Netherland region. Sadly, Mary’s life ended only five years later. Mary was an avid horseback rider but while riding with her husband her horse tripped. The horse threw Mary off and landed on her breaking her back. Mary of Burgandy and her father Charles the Bold are buried in The Church of Our Lady in Burges in Belguim. The territories of Burgandy continue to be pursued by France. After Mary’s death King Louis XI of France forced Mary’s husband Maximilian to agree to the Treaty of Arras (1482) where certain lands (including Free County and Artois) held under Burgandy returned to French rule. As well, Mary and Maximilian’s daughter Margaret would marry the later King Charles VIII that would bring the imperial crown of Burgandy to the French as her dowry giving France most of the Burgandian lands. Maximilian would later force his daughter’s dowry to be restored with the Treaty of Senlis when Charles VIII was king and married Anne of Brittany instead of Margaret. The Treaty of Senlis returned some territories back to Maximilian’s House of Habsburg (the Free County of Burgundy remained under French rule) and officially ended hostilities between France and the Seventeen Provinces.