As a highly affluent heiress in the 14th century,
she was widely sought-after as a bride due to her status as the inheritor
of the Duchy of Carinthia and the County of Tyrol in present-day Austria.
The land she inherited was situated amidst three powerful
and rivalling dynasties - the Habsburgs of Austria,
the Luxembourgs of Bohemia, and the Wittelsbachs of Bavaria.
She eventually wed into the latter two dynasties and spent much of her
life establishing and breaking alliances with them.
Nevertheless, she faced rampant slander throughout her life,
leading to her being remembered in history as “the ugly Duchess.” So join me now
as we look back on the extraordinary life of Margaret of Tyrol.
Margaret was born circa 1318 as the daughter of Henry,
Duke of Carinthia, and his second wife, Adelaide of Brunswick.
Henry’s first marriage was to Anne of Bohemia,
through whom he briefly, but twice, claimed the crown of Bohemia.
Margaret’s mother passed away in 1324,
and Henry married Beatrice of Savoy as his third wife.
However, Beatrice was childless, and Margaret remained her father’s only heir.
To ensure Margaret’s succession in Carinthia and Tyrol,
Henry arranged for her to marry John Henry of Bohemia,
the second son of John of Luxembourg, Henry’s successor on the Bohemian throne.
John-Henry’s mother was Elizabeth of Bohemia, Anne’s
younger sister, who happened to be Henry’s first wife.
Margaret’s marriage was also meant to help recover the lands in Bohemia
that Henry had lost to John of Luxembourg.
In 1330, John
Henry was sent to Tyrol, and he and Margaret were married.
Margaret was 12 years old, while John Henry was just eight.
However, contemporary sources suggest that the young couple loathed each other.
Henry of Carinthia died in 1335, and soon after, the Habsburgs
seized the Duchy of Carinthia, which Margaret was supposed to inherit.
They received help from the Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV,
who hailed from the Wittelsbach dynasty.
The Habsburg brothers claimed Carinthia through their mother,
Elizabeth of Carinthia, who also happened to be Margaret’s paternal aunt.
The Wittelsbachs attempted to take Tyrol,
but Margaret, being married into the rivalling Luxembourg dynasty,
managed to retain it with Charles’ help, her
brother-in-law.
Margaret and John Henry had a troubled marriage,
with John Henry being described as violent and incompetent.
One day, Margaret refused him entry into Tyrol Castle, and he was forced
to leave the country as he couldn’t find shelter anywhere in Tyrol.
Margaret then married Duke Louis V of Bavaria in 1342,
despite her marriage to John Henry not being officially annulled.
It caused a scandal and led to the church excommunicating
the couple, with Tyrol placed under prohibition.
Margaret and Louis tried to declare her
marriage to John Henry invalid because it was never consummated.
However, Margaret’s first marriage was only formally dissolved in 1349.
In 1346, Charles of Luxembourg was elected as German anti-king in opposition
to Emperor Louis IV, and in 1347, Emperor Louis IV died.
Louis V and his brothers then succeeded as Dukes of Bavaria.
Charles tried to take advantage of this situation by attempting to conquer Tyrol,
but Margaret could defend her land until her husband’s return.
Margaret suffered severe lets say bullying at this time and more throughout her
tumultuous life, Margaret earned the nickname “Maultasch,”
which when translated refers to someone with a “bag mouth.”
Margaret’s release from ex-communication and the lifting of the prohibition
on Tyrol in 1359 brought some relief to her troubled life.
Margaret and Louis had two sons, Hermann and Meinhard.
However, her joy was short-lived as her son
Hermann died in 1360, leaving Meinhard as her only heir.
Margaret then allied with the Habsburgs and arranged for Meinhard to marry
Margaret of Austria, daughter of Duke Albert II of Austria.
Meinhard became a joint Duke of Bavaria with his uncles,
and he and Margaret became joint Count of Tyrol.
Sadly, Meinhard died in 1363, just before his 19th birthday,
leaving Margaret with no heirs.
It led to a succession crisis, with one of Louis’s brothers and Rudolf
IV of Austria vying for control of Tyrol.
Margaret decided to cede her lands
to Rudolf IV, her son’s brother-in-law and retired to Vienna.
From then on, Tyrol remained under Habsburg rule,
and Margaret was now the last ruler of an independent Tyrol.
Margaret’s reputation and
legacy have been tainted by the unflattering nickname “Maultasch”,
which has led to speculation about her appearance and sexual morals.
This nickname, given to her during her second marriage,
may have been a slanderous attack on her character as a powerful woman.
Chroniclers from her time often used the physical appearance
to discredit women in positions of power.
Despite the lack of detailed records about Margaret’s appearance,
her nickname has perpetuated the idea that she had
an unusually large mouth or a deformed jaw.
However, the only surviving image of Margaret from her lifetime,
her seal, shows a fine feminine figure
with no details about her facial features.
Furthermore, some chroniclers from her time described her as beautiful.
Margaret’s life was challenged as she navigated
relationships with powerful men and defended her lands.
Her efforts to protect her territory were overshadowed by her
unflattering nickname and the slanderous attacks against her.
She remains a notable figure in history, but her legacy has been marred
by the sexist and unfair treatment she received.