Margaret II, Countess of Hainault
| Margaret II | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Countess of Hainaut and Holland | |
| Tenure | 1345–1356 |
| Queen consort of Germany | |
| Tenure | 1324–1347 |
| Holy Roman Empress | |
| Tenure | 1328–1347 |
| Born | 1308 |
| Died | 23 June 1356 (aged 47–48) Le Quesnoy |
| Burial | Valenciennes |
| Spouse | Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor |
| Issue |
Margaret, Duchess of Slavonia Anna, Duchess of Bavaria Louis VI the Roman Elisabeth, Countess of Württemberg William V, Count of Holland Agnes of Bavaria Albert of Holland Otto V the Bavarian Beatrice, Queen of Sweden |
| House |
House of Wittelsbach (by marriage) House of Avesnes (by birth) |
| Father | William I, Count of Hainaut |
| Mother | Joan of Valois |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
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, Joan of Valois. On 26 February 1324 in Cologne she married Emperor Louis IV the Bavarian.
She succeeded in 1345 her brother William II of Hainaut (William IV) following his death in battle with later Louis IV the Bavarian designating that Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland and Friesland were his wife's possessions. and later these passed to their son William V. Margaret's sisters, including Philippa of Hainaut who was Queen consort of Edward III of England disavowed their hereditary claims. Due to the dangerous hostility of the House of Luxemburg Louis 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. In 1349 the brothers decided to partition their possessions; Louis V, Duke of Bavaria kept Brandenburg and Tyrol, he and his younger brothers Louis VI the Roman and Otto V the Bavarian received Upper Bavaria. Stephen II, William and Albert received Lower Bavaria, Holland and Hainaut. Louis V and Stephen were not sons of Margaret and her youngest sons Albert and Otto were still minors. Louis VI released Holland and Hainaut for his brothers William and Albert in 1349 since he expected the Polish crown by his marriage with Cunigunde of Poland. In 1353 also Stephen released Holland and Hainaut to his brother William.
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