Mary of Hungary

It is said that you could actually hear Mary of Hungary's heart break when she was brought the news that her husband King Louis II had fallen in the Battle of Mohács. The heart-shaped medallion worn by her husband during the battle is always worn by her and she vowed never to marry again. While her husband was still alive, she held significant authority and influence, and she has proved to be a determined and skillful politician. For example, she appointed Austria's ambassador, Andrea de Borgo herself and when political factions threatened the throne, she took control over one and neutralized another. She loves literature, music, and hunting and is an enthusiastic patron of many different arts. Her brother Ferdinand, king of Bohemia, made her regent of Hungary after her husband's death despite her reluctance. After he assumed the crown, her older brother Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, asked her to be the regent of the Netherlands and assume guardianship over their nieces Dorothea and Christina of Denmark as Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy had died. This post was even more reluctantly accepted by Mary, and she never enjoyed it although she served so well as regent that Charles forced her to retain the role. It felt like having a rope around her neck, she complained to her brother Ferdinand.