Fortune, Misfortune, Fortifies One Margaret of Austria, Ruler of the Low Countries, 1507-1530

The story of Margaret of Austria takes place between 1480 and 1530 as the Middle Ages turned into the Renaissance. Education played a significant role in this period and there was a renewed interest in those studies that stressed the importance of man, his faculties, affairs, worldly aspirations, and well-being. Fifteenth century humanists had been concerned with the education of the city burgher, but in the sixteenth century they turned their attention to education in the courts, which would have included Margaret of Austria. Margaret's childhood and formal education, her years in the other courts of Europe brought about by her marriages, her involvement in the arts and humanities, and the practical knowledge she gained as Regent of the Low Countries laid the foundation for her talent and skills as a diplomatic ruler. Margaret lived by her motto, "Fortune, Misfortune, Fortifies One.” History intrigues when something in the manners, morals, aspirations and issues of the past speaks to our contemporary society. Feminism is not the overriding theme here. However, had Margaret been a man, she may not have been omitted from some histories, and her life distorted in others because she was not deemed important enough to research properly. Another theme is religion - the divisions which erupted in religion are still with us. Wars, power struggles, misunderstandings and jealousies still continue. In addition, the introduction of printing began to impact education.