Margaret of Parma

Margaret of Parma (1522–1586), an illegitimate daughter of Emperor Charles V, governed the Habsburg Netherlands from 1559 to 1567 under her half-brother Philip II.

Habsburg Netherlands: The Low Countries ruled by the Habsburg dynasty before and during the Dutch Revolt. These provinces formed the territory Margaret governed for Philip II.
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor: Habsburg ruler of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, and Margaret’s father. He arranged her education and marriage and was the father she shared with Philip II.
House of Habsburg: A European dynasty that ruled territories including Spain, the Low Countries, and the Holy Roman Empire. Margaret’s birth and political authority belonged to this dynasty’s system of rule.
Spanish Fury at Antwerp: The 1576 sack of Antwerp by mutinous Spanish troops stationed in the Netherlands. This later violence followed the breakdown of the government Margaret had left.
Philip II of Spain: King of Spain from 1556, whose European empire included the Habsburg Netherlands. Margaret governed in his name and reported to him.
Granvelle: A Burgundian churchman and statesman who advised Margaret during her early governorship. His influence in her council became a focus of noble opposition.
Mechelen: A city in the Low Countries that housed the court of Margaret of Austria, regent for Charles V. Margaret of Parma spent part of her childhood at this Habsburg court.
Pacification of Ghent: A 1576 agreement among Netherlandish provinces against Spanish troops and for religious accommodation. It marked a later attempt to resolve conflicts that escalated after Margaret’s tenure.
Dutch Revolt: The uprising of the Habsburg Netherlands against Spanish rule that began in 1568. The crisis during Margaret’s rule preceded the revolt’s outbreak.
William the Silent: The prince of Orange who became a leading opponent of Spanish rule in the Netherlands. He was among the nobles whose resistance complicated Margaret’s government.

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