Margaret, Countess of Hainaut

Margaret II of Avesnes (1311 – 23 June 1356) was Countess of Hainaut and Countess of Holland (as Margaret I) from 1345 to 1356. Margaret was the daughter of William I, Count of Hainaut and his wife, Jeanne of Valois. On 26 February 1324 in Cologne she married Emperor Louis IV the Bavarian. She succeeded in 1345 her brother William IV following his death in battle: The emperor was conferring Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland and Friesland upon his wife, a... more

Margaret II of Avesnes (1311 – 23 June 1356) was Countess of Hainaut and Countess of Holland (as Margaret I) from 1345 to 1356. Margaret was the daughter of William I, Count of Hainaut and his wife, Jeanne of Valois. On 26 February 1324 in Cologne she married Emperor Louis IV the Bavarian. She succeeded in 1345 her brother William IV following his death in battle: The emperor was conferring Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland and Friesland upon his wife, and shortly later also upon their son William V. The hereditary titles of Margaret's sisters, including Philippa of Hainaut who was Queen consort of Edward III of England, were ignored. Due to the dangerous hostility of the House of Luxemburg Louis had increased his power base ruthlessly. Margaret then returned to Holland in 1346 to secure her position of power but did not manage to prevent the coronation of the Luxemburg Charles IV as anti-king in Aix-la-Chapelle by force. When Louis IV died on 11 October 1347, he was succeeded by his six sons... less