Margaret von Tyrol – The Historical Ugly Duchess

subject of the painting might have suffered from Paget’s disease – osteitis deformans – a disease which interferes with the normal recycling of bones causing them to become fragile and misshapen, largely affecting the skull, pelvis, spine and legs.

“I’ve always been intrigued by this painting. It’s fascinating because it is so meticulously and lovingly painted. You think, ‘why would someone go to so much trouble in order to paint such a grotesque image?’”

The painting has been associated with Margaret, Countess of Tyrol, however the Countess pre-deceased Matsys’ work by 150 years. Other historical accounts depict the Countess as a powerful woman, whose beauty and reputation were maligned for political gain.

Matsys’ portrait of the Ugly Duchess has also been considered the inspiration for Sir John Tenneil’s drawing of the Duchess in the 1865 publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (top right).

The portrait was once thought to have been copied from a red chalk drawing by Leonardo da Vinci (bottom right), however, this theory was debunked in 2008.

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ugly_Duchess 2. www.theguardian.com/culture/2008/oct/11/artpainting 3. www.historyofroyalwomen.com/the-royal-women/ margaret-of-tyrol-the-ugly-duchess

Born 1318, Margaret von Tyrol was the only surviving child of Henry of Gorizia-Tyrol and Adelaide of BrunswickGrubenhagen. She was an extremely desirable political bride, as she was set to inherit territory bordered by three rival dynasties: the Habsburgs of Austria, the Luxembourgs of Bohemia, and the Wittelsbachs of Bavaria.

In order to secure the families land holdings and titles, Henry of Gorizia-Tyrol arranged for his daughter a politically advantageous marriage and alliance with Bohemia, by providing King John of Bohemia and Count

16th Century Depiction of Margaret von Tyrol holding the Tyrolean, Bavarian and Carinthian coat of arms - wikipedia of Luxembourg the Alpine mountains pass to Italy. In 1330, at the age of 12, Margaret married King John’s son, John-Henry of Luxembourg. Her husband was 8 years old. The two child rulers reportedly despised one another, a situation that did not improve as they grew older.

The marriage and alliance with the Luxembourgs broke previous arrangements with the Wittelsbach Dynasty. When Henry of Gorizia-Tyrol died in 1335, and Margaret and John- Henry succeeded to become the Count and Countess of Tyrol and rulers of Carinthia, Holy Roman Louis IV interceded and gave Carinthia to the Habsburg Duke Albert II of Austria. Albert II claimed Carinthia as the eldest son of Albert I of Germany and Elisabeth of Gorizia-Tyrol, Margaret’s paternal aunt.

Tyrol was also claimed by the Bavarian-Wittelsbach, but Margaret was able to send for her husband’s brother Charles IV of Luxembourg who, backed by local Tyrolean nobles, was able to enforce Margaret’s and John-Henry’s succession.

By her early 20’s Margaret’s husband was described as violent, arrogant, and incompetent, while her reputation was that of a shrewd politician and respected ruler. In 1341, when John-Henry left to join his father on a Prussian Crusade, she barred his return to the castle, an act that eventually left John-Henry no recourse but to leave Tyrol.

In 1342, Margaret married Louis V, Duke of Bavaria and a member of the Bavarian-Wittelsbach Dynasty, strengthening her hold on Tyrol while continuing to play her political rivals against one another. Their marriage took place before her divorce from her John-Henry had been secured however, causing both Margaret and her new husband to be excommunicated by Pope Clement VI.

For the next 17 years the scandal over Margaret’s second marriage resulted in a trove of nicknames meant to slander both her beauty and reputation, inferring not only physical ugliness but an implicit sexual depravity as well. She was called “Maultasch” or bag mouth, also meaning ‘whore’ or ‘vicious woman’. Other names included Kriemhild, Medusa, Mouthpoke, Pocket-mouth, Satchelmouth, the Big Mouth, the Mouth Bag, the She-Wolf of the Tyrol, and finally The Ugly Duchess.

For her enemies, she was an easy scapegoat for the many ravages the territory faced during her reign – including the bubonic plague, devastating swarms of locusts over successive seasons, flooding, fire, and a violent earthquake that struck between Bolzano and Meran.

It is not known if Margaret was truly ugly – ‘Maultasche’ is derived from a supposed large and drooping mouth and jaw, however, her beauty has also been praised in written accounts from her time. Johann von Winterthur described her as ‘extremely beautiful’, and Heinrich von Herford as ‘beautiful as it is generous’. The only image remaining from her time and attributed to her is a seal, depicting an elegant female figure.

In 1347, the Castle Tyrol came under attack from Emperor Charles IV, the brother of Margaret’s first husband John-Henry. Charles sought to take advantage of Ludwig’s absence from the castle in order to conquer the territory. Margaret successfully repelled the attack, defending both the castle and her country against the aggressor until her husband returned. Her military success added to her myth and fierce reputation.

Accusations of sorcery were also leveled against Margaret as a means to disenfranchise her. She skillfully manoeuvred these accusations to her favour however, using the accusation as proof that her first marriage had been unconsummated – that she had ‘made’ John-Henry impotent through her sorcery. She eventually secured an annulment for herself, the legitimacy of her children with Ludwig, as well as a reversal of their excommunication by Cannon Law under Pope Innocent VI in 1359.

The Castle Tyrol is now the South Tyrolean Museum of Culture and Provincial History. A virtual tour of the castle is available at: www.schlosstirol.it/en Ludwig died suddenly in 1361, and her only living son died in 1363, leaving Margaret vulnerable and without a successor. Her husband’s brother Stephen II, quickly claimed Ludwig’s lands and titles for himself. Utterly powerless and alone, Margaret entered into a contract of inheritance with Rudolf IV Duke of Austria. She retired to Vienna where she remained until her death in 1369, at the age of 51.

Tyrol became a part of the Habsburg dynasty and under Austrian rule in 1369, where it has remained, and “Margaret Maultasch’s” accomplishments as a medieval ruler have largely been diminished to a lurid listing of nicknames that still live on six centuries later.

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret,_Countess_of_Tyrol 2. www.fembio.org/biographie.php/frau/biographie/ margarete-von-tirol 3. www.historyofroyalwomen.com/the-royal-women/ margaret-of-tyrol-the-ugly-duchess 4. Propaganda, Patriarchy, and Putrid Portraiture: The

Story of Margaret of Tyrol www.unofficialroyalty.com/ columnists/emily-mcmahon/1127-2 5. www.encyclopedia.com 6. www.schlosstirol.it/en

Due to COVID-19, NLT will be prerecording our salon events for this season, so you can check them all out on NLT’s website before or after you watch

THE UGLY DUCHESS.

Hosted by Ruth DyckFehderau

Our goal at NLT is to feature programming that lends itself to a broadening of experiences, showcasing different perspectives and points of view. The Guest Speaker Salon offers a deeper dive into the themes of each production.

For this production we will be recording a zoom session between our facilitator Ruth DyckFehderau and members of the cast and company of THE UGLY DUCHESS. The salon will be available on NLT’s website after May 27, 2021. RUTH DYCKFEHDERAU teaches Creative Writing and English Literature at the University of Alberta for a few months of each year. The rest of the time she travels and writes fiction and non-fiction. She lives in other cultural environments as often as possible. Her work appears in publications around the world and she has won awards for teaching, for writing, and for activism. Her recent book, The Sweet Bloods of Eeyou Istchee: Stories of Diabetes and the James Bay Cree (2017), has won or been shortlisted for seven literary awards. Her website is ruthdyckfehderau.com