Mary of Burgundy

Mary inherited the Burgundian territories after the death of her father, Charles the Bold, in 1477. Facing French pressure and demands from her own subjects, she confirmed extensive privileges before marrying Maximilian of Habsburg. Her early death after a riding accident left their young children, Philip and Margaret, at the centre of a contested inheritance.

Her short reign is important to fiction about the origins of Habsburg power in the Netherlands and the childhood of Margaret of Austria. Historical treatment should recognise Mary as a ruler confronting severe institutional and military pressures, not merely as a dynastic bride.