by Carrie Eckles

Created on: June 23, 2009   Last Updated: June 24, 2009

Mary of Burgundy - or Marie de Bourgogne in her native tongue - was born on February 13, 1457, in Brussels at Coudenberg Castle. Her father was Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and her mother was the rich heiress Isabella of Bourbon. An extraordinary event was said to have occurred at the moment of her birth: a loud rumbling of thunder could be heard, even though the skies were completely clear.

Mary's godfather was the exiled French dauphin, Louis. Her grandfather, Philip the Good, was dissatisfied that she was born female and refused to attend the baptism; it's said that Philip's wife, Isabel, was very happy about having a granddaughter.

Mary, being the only child of Charles and Isabella, was set to inherit a vast amount of lands and fortune upon the deaths of her parents; thus she was a widely sought after bride. The first proposal of marriage came when she was only five years old by the future Ferdinand II of Aragon. Charles de Valois, Duc de Berry, later proposed; however, there were questions of consanguinity which would've required a papal dispensation for the marriage arrangements to proceed.

Duc de Berry's brother, King Louis XI of France, tried very hard to prevent the papal dispensation; when the king had his own son, he wanted him to marry Mary instead.

Mary's father was killed at the siege of Nancy on January 5, 1477. Mary was nineteen years old at the time; Louis XI endeavored to have her wed to his six-year-old son. Mary, horrified at the encroaching French, looked to the Netherlands for help.

Mary signed a treaty in 1477 at Ghent resigning some of her acquired ducal rights of Dutch provinces and towns, which was known as the Great Privilege. Furthermore, the treaty stated that Mary would not make war, peace, or raise taxes without the consent of these States. Shortly afterward, two of her father's most trusted advisers were executed.

Mary married Archduke Maximilian I of Austria, who would later become the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, on August 18, 1477 at Ghent. The match worked to ease tensions between the Netherlands and France, as well as bring to bring in Mary's Low Country holdings to the Maximilian's Habsburg family.

Mary and Maximilian had three children: Philip the Handsome, Margaret, and Franz. Franz died in infancy while the eldest, Philip, went on to succeed his mother as Duke of Burgundy. Margaret went on to marry twice: first, to Juan, Prince of Asturias; second, to Philibert II, Duke of Savoy.

Mary excelled at sports and was an excellent horseback rider. She was out hawking with Maximilian when her horse threw her, breaking her neck. She died several days later at the tragically young age of twenty-five.

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