Margherita Gonzaga, Duchess of Lorraine
| Margherita Gonzaga | |
|---|---|
|
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| Born |
2 October 1591 Mantua |
| Died | 7 February 1632 (aged 40) Nancy |
| Spouse | Henry II, Duke of Lorraine |
| House | Gonzaga |
| Father | Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua |
| Mother | Eleonora de' Medici |
Margherita Gonzaga (2 October 1591 – 7 February 1632) was Duchess of Lorraine from 1606 until her husband's death in 1624.
She was born in Mantua, the eldest daughter of Vincenzo I Gonzaga and Eleonora de' Medici; she was also a sister of Francesco IV Gonzaga, Ferdinando I Gonzaga, Vincenzo II Gonzaga and Eleonora Gonzaga. Her brothers all succeeded their father as Duke of Mantua and Eleonora became Holy Roman Empress by her marriage to Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor.
She married Henry II, Duke of Lorraine on 24 April 1606. He had previously been married to Catherine of Navarre, sister of King Henry IV of France, but the marriage was childless due to the bride's age (Catherine was forty years old at the time of her marriage).
Henry and Margherita had four daughters, two of whom survived infancy:
Both of Margherita's two daughters married their cousins, who were Henry's successors due to the fact that Margherita had not given him a son to inherit his estates.
Margherita died in Nancy in 1632 at the age of forty. She had been a widow since 1624.
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