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| Margaret of Austria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Queen consort of Germany | |
| Tenure | 29 November 1225 – 4 July 1235 |
| Coronation | 28 March 1227 (Aachen Cathedral) |
| Queen consort of Bohemia | |
| Tenure | 23 September 1253 – 1260 |
| Born | c. 1204 |
| Died | 29 October 1266 (aged 61–62) Krumau am Kamp,Austria |
| Burial | |
| Spouses | |
| Issue | Henry of Germany Frederick of Germany |
| House | House of Babenberg |
| Father | Leopold VI, Duke of Austria |
| Mother | Theodora Angelina |
Margaret of Austria (German:Margarethe von Österreich;c. 1204 – 29 October 1266), a member of theHouse of Babenberg, wasGerman queen from 1225 until 1235, by her first marriage with KingHenry (VII), andQueen of Bohemia from 1253 to 1260, by her second marriage with KingOttokar II.
Margaret was the eldest daughter of DukeLeopold VI of Austria (d. 1230) and his wifeTheodora Angelina, a member of theByzantine ImperialAngelus dynasty. Since 1198 Duke Leopold, according to theGeorgenberg Pact, ruled over both the duchies ofAustria andStyria. His court inVienna became known as a centre of medievalMinnesang and he also played an important rule in theEmpire's policies, acting as an arbitrator in the struggle between theHohenstaufen emperorFrederick II andPope Gregory IX.
In theImperial City of Nuremberg, on 29 November 1225, the 21-year-old Margaret was married to the 14-year-oldHenry, eldest son of Emperor Frederick II and electedKing of the Romans since 1222. Frederick's counsellor ArchbishopEngelbert of Cologne had initially planned for a bride from the English royalAngevin dynasty, however, the attempt failed, as did Henry's former engagement with thePřemyslid princessAgnes, daughter of KingOttokar I of Bohemia.
Margaret's coronation as Queen of the Romans took place on 23 March 1227 inAachen Cathedral. King Henry and Queen Margaret had two short-lived sons, Henry (died ca. 1242/1245) and Frederick (died ca. 1251/1252). In 1228, Henry took over the rule in theGerman kingdom and tried to limit the powers of theprinces, thereby disturbing the Imperial policies of his father who made him pay homage under the threat ofexcommunication.
In 1235, Henry allied with the princely opposition and openly rebelled against the emperor, however, was defeated by his father's forces and dethroned. Frederick had him confined in several castles inApulia, where he died on 12 February 1242 after a fall from his horse, probably in an attempted suicide. In the meanwhile, his wife Margaret (who possibly never saw her husband again) retired to the Dominican monastery inTrier and in 1244 moved toWürzburg, where she lived in seclusion in St Marcus Abbey.
In 1246 Margaret's brother DukeFrederick II of Austria, last scion of theBabenberg dynasty, died childless in theBattle of the Leitha River, leaving a succession crisis. The two principal claimants over the succession in the duchies of Austria and Styria were two women: Margaret (who, as the eldest sister of the late Duke, claimedproximity of blood) and her nieceGertrude, who claimedprimogeniture, as the only daughter of Henry of Mödling, the eldest brother of the late Duke Frederick II, who had predeceased their father Duke Leopold VI.
As KingWenceslaus I of Bohemia wanted to take control over the duchies south of his realm, he arranged for the wedding of his eldest son and heir, MargraveVladislaus III of Moravia, with Gertrude. The couple was even proclaimed Duke and Duchess of Austria, but Vladislaus died in the following year (1247). The next ruler of Austria was Gertrude's second husband, MargraveHerman VI of Baden, who died in 1250, leaving Austria and Styria princeless again.
The Austrian aristocracy offered the government of the duchies to King Wenceslaus' second son and new heir apparentOttokar II. However, one condition was imposed by the nobles: Ottokar could only take control of Austria and Styria if he married one of the Babenberg heiresses. Ottokar refused to marry his brother's widow, such marriage being prohibited by theBook of Leviticus, and decided to marry Margaret, 26 years his senior. The ceremony took place on 11 February 1252 in the Castle Chapel (German:Burgkapelle) ofHainburg an der Donau.
Ottokar acquired the imperial privileges sealed with aGolden Bull on the basis of thePrivilegium Minus, acknowledged by Emperor Frederick II, which legitimized his claim over Austria and Styria, since Margaret was the heiress of the last duke by proximity of blood. Thereby she transferred the government of the duchies to Austria and Styria to her husband.Pope Innocent IV, who had previously changed sides several times between Gertrude and Margaret, confirmed the lawful government of Ottokar over both duchies on 6 May 1252. Bohemian administrators ruled the duchies in his name.
One year later, on 23 September 1253, King Wenceslaus I died, and Ottokar and Margaret became King and Queen of Bohemia. Once he had obtained the Babenberg duchies, it was evident to Ottokar that Margaret, already 50 years old, would not bear children. The king tried to gain from the Pope the recognition of the illegitimate son whom he had withAgnes of Kuenring, one of Margaret's ladies-in-waiting, as his lawful successor. After the Pope refused this, in 1260 Ottokar obtained the annulment of his marriage with Margaret.
While Ottokar marriedKunigunda of Halych, a grand-daughter of KingBéla IV of Hungary, the repudiated Queen Margaret left Bohemia and returned to her Austrian homeland. She took her residence inKrumau am Kamp, spending the winters inKrems. After the annulment she was calledRomanorum quondam Regina ("former Queen of the Romans"); however, she maintained the titleducissa Austrie et Stirie (Duchess of Austria and Styria). In 1266 she changed her title toquondam filia Livpoldi illustris ducis Austrie et Stirie et Romanorum Regina as a reference to her father.
Prior to her death in Krumau, she choseLilienfeld Abbey as her burial place, next to her father. The date of her death is controversial. Some sources state 1266, while others state 2/12 October 1267 as the real date. King Ottokar II kept Austria, Styria; he also acquired theDuchy of Carinthia with theMarch of Carniola in 1269, claiming to be the heir designated by Margaret in their divorce settlement. He even stood as a candidate for the Imperial Crown several times, until he was deposed by KingRudolf I of Germany in 1276 and killed in theBattle on the Marchfeld two years later.
Margaret of Austria, Queen of Bohemia Born:c. 1204 Died: 29 October 1269 | ||
| Royal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Queen consort of Germany 1225–1235 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Queen consort of Bohemia 1253–1260 | Succeeded by |
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