Definition of margaret of austria in English English dictionary
born Jan. 10, 1480, Brussels died Dec. 1, 1530, Mechelen, Spanish Netherlands Habsburg ruler who was regent of the Netherlands (1507-15, 1519-30) for her nephew, the future emperor Charles V. In 1497 she married the infante John, heir to the Spanish kingdoms, who died a few months later. In 1501 she married Philibert II, duke of Savoy, who died in 1504. Appointed regent by her father, Emperor Maximilian I, she pursued a pro-English foreign policy. In the 1520s she extended the Habsburg dominion in the northeastern Netherlands and negotiated the Treaty of Cambrai (1529), called the "Ladies' Peace," with Louise of Savoy (1494-1547), regent for Francis I