Today marks the anniversary of the birth of Margaret of Austria, Princess of Asturias, Duchess of Savoy and daughter of Maximilian of Austria and Mary of Burgundy, on 10th January 1480.
You may be wondering why I’m mentioning Margaret here on The Anne Boleyn Files. Well, while Margaret was Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands the young Anne Boleyn resided at her court at the Palace of Mechelen, in present day Belgium. Anne was only there from 1513 to 1514 but it must have been an amazing experience for her because Margaret was a powerful woman and her court was known for its culture, its courtly love tradition, education, vast library and Margaret’s collections of paintings, illuminated manuscripts and music books. What an impact it must have made on the 12 year-old.
You can read more about Margaret of Austria and her link to Anne Boleyn in the following articles:
- Anne Boleyn, Margaret of Austria and Queen Claude
- The Birth of Margaret of Austria – 10 January 1480
- The Early Life of Anne Boleyn Part Two – The Court of Margaret of Austria
- Courtly Love, Flirtation and the Fall of Anne Boleyn – Part One
