Margaret was the daughter of Archduke
Charles II of Austria and
Maria Anna of Bavaria and thus the paternal granddaughter of the
Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I. Her elder brother was the Archduke
Ferdinand, who was
elected emperor in 1619. Two of her sisters,
Anna and
Constance, through their subsequent marriages to King
Sigismund III Vasa, became
Queens of Poland.
Queen of Spain Margaret married
Philip III of Spain, her first cousin, once removed, on 18 April 1599. She became an influential figure at her husband's court. Philip had an "affectionate, close relationship" with Margaret, and paid her additional attention after they had a son in 1605. Margaret was also a great patron of the arts. She was considered by contemporaries to be a pious Catholic and "astute and very skillful" in her political dealings. Alongside the Empress
Maria, widow of
Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II, and the latter's daughter Archduchess
Margaret, who lived as a nun in Madrid, Queen Margaret formed a circle of women wielding considerable influence over the king. They emphasised
Spain's status as a
Catholic power acting in the interest of Catholic Europe and also highlighted the unity of the
House of Habsburg. The Duke of Lerma was eventually removed from power in 1618, though only after Margaret's death. Margaret died while giving birth to her youngest child, Alfonso. Her husband never remarried and died ten years later. In October 1611, the English diplomat
John Digby reported a rumour that the strong scent of
amber gloves worn by Philip III had accidentally led to the death of the Margaret of Austria. ==Issue==