Margaret was the daughter of
William I, Count of Hainaut, and
Joan of Valois, the daughter of
Charles, Count of Valois, who was the third son of King
Philip III of France. She spent her childhood in
Hainaut (also known as Hainault or Henegouwen) and also frequently visited France with her French mother. On 26 February 1324, in
Cologne, she married Louis of Bavaria, thereby becoming Queen of Germany. On 17 January 1328, she was crowned Holy Roman Empress alongside her spouse in
Rome.
First reign In 1345 she succeeded her brother
William II, Count of Hainaut and Holland (as William IV, Count of Holland) following his death in battle with her husband
Louis IV the Bavarian, Holy Roman Emperor who designated that the counties of
Hainaut,
Holland,
Zeeland and
Friesland were his wife's possessions. Emperor Louis IV gave his support to his wife Margaret because he was reportedly worried that the domains of her late brother would otherwise be lost to the empire. Margaret's sisters, including
Philippa of Hainault who was Queen consort of King
Edward III of England, disavowed their hereditary claims. Margaret ruled her three domains directly for seven months, after which she was called back to Germany by her spouse, and then appointed her son William to rule in her absence. When Louis IV died on 11 October 1347, he was succeeded by his six sons, and in connection to this, Margaret resigned her sovereignty in favor of her son William in exchange for an allowance. Margaret ruled Hainaut for two more years, and died at Le Quesnoy Castle of infectious
tuberculosis 23 June 1356, leaving William in possession of the entire Holland-Hainaut inheritance. She was buried in the Minderbroeders Abbey in Valenciennes. ==Issue==