Death of Mary of Burgundy

Death of Mary of Burgundy

Mary of Burgundy was born in Brussels on 13th February 1457.
She was the only child of Charles the Bold and his wife Isabella of Bourbon.
Her birth, was attended by a large clap of thunder ringing from the otherwise clear twilight sky.
Upon the death of her father on 5th January 1477, Mary inherited the Burgundian lands, at the age of 19.

Now a wealthy woman, Mary’s hand in marriage was eagerly sought by a number of princes.
One suitor was George Plantagenet, brother to King Edward IV of England.
King Edward prevented the match, for both political and personal reasons.
The king of France was anxious that Mary should marry his six year old son Charles.
The negotiations ended in failure, as Louis XI demanded the surrender of the Duchy of Burgundy.

Mary soon made her choice among the many suitors for her hand, by selecting Archduke Maximilian of Austria ~ the future Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, who became her co-ruler.
The marriage took place at Ghent on 19th August 1477, she was 20 years old, while he was two years younger.
Mary’s marriage into the House of Habsburg initiated two centuries of contention between France and the Habsburgs.

Their marriage was a happy one, the couple indulged themselves with dancing, hunting, music and shared a mutual love for animals.
Mary tried to teach him ice~skating, which he struggled to master.
They would sit for hours and read romances together.
Mary brought falcons into their bedroom, which they shared, instead of living in separate apartments.

With Maximilian by her side, Mary’s position became stronger, politically and militarily.
Although he came with no money, army, or support from the Empire, and no prior experience in governance – his competence in military matters and his prestige as the son of an emperor boosted the stability of her realms.
He took over the war effort, concerning both military and financial details.

Mary and Maximilian had three children together, and Mary was a devoted mother, even nursing her children herself.

These were~
* Philip the Handsome.
Philip succeeded his mother as Philip IV of Burgundy, and became Philip I of Castile through his marriage to Katharine of Aragon’s sister, Joanna of Castile.

* Margaret.
Margaret married firstly to Juan Prince of Asturias, the son and heir of King Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, and secondly to Philibert II, Duke of Savoy.

* Franz or François.
Died at 12 weeks old.

Mary loved riding, and was hunting with Maximilian and knights of the court, when her horse tripped, and threw her in a ditch.
The horse then landed on top of her, breaking her back.
Mary died several weeks later on 27th March 1482 from internal injuries.
Sadly 25 year old Mary, had also been pregnant.
Maximilian was devastated.

Mary was buried in the Church of Our Lady of Bruges on 3rd April 1482.
The bankrupted court honoured her with a glorious funeral.
Maximilian even ordered the crockery melted down, for the occasion.

Portrait of Mary of Burgundy.
Painted by Michael Pacher, c. 1490.