Margaret II, Countess of Hainaut

Margaret II of Avesnes (1311 – 23 June 1356) was Countess of Hainaut and Countess of Holland (as Margaret I) from 1345 to 1356. She was Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Germany by marriage to Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV the Bavarian.

Life 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

In 1324 Margaret married Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor. Their children were: Margaret (1325–1374), married: in 1351 in Buda to Stephen, Duke of Slavonia (d. 1354), son of the King Charles I of Hungary, and had issue. 1357/58 Gerlach von Hohenlohe. Anna (c. 1326 – 3 June 1361, Fontenelles), married John I, Duke of Lower Bavaria, who died young (d. 1340), they had no issue. Louis VI the Roman (1328–1365), was Duke of Upper Bavaria and Prince-Elector of Brandenburg. Married twice with no issue. Elisabeth (1329 – 2 August 1402, Stuttgart), married: Cangrande II della Scala, Lord of Verona (d. 1359) in Verona on 22 November 1350. No issue Count Ulrich of Württemberg (d. 1388) in 1362. Parents of Eberhard III of Württemberg 1364–1417. William (1330–1389), as 'William I' Duke of Lower Bavaria, as 'Wiliam V' Count of Hainaut and Holland. He married Maud of Lancaster but their only daughter died young. Mentally ill from 1358 and locked up for the remainder of his life. Agnes (Munich, 1335 – 11 November 1352, Munich). She became a nun, and died young due to ill health. Albert (1336–1404), was Duke of Lower Bavaria as well as Count of Hainaut and Holland from 1358. Otto (1340–1379), was Duke of Upper Bavaria and Elector of Brandenburg. Louis (October 1347 – 1348)