Around 1500 Queen Sukda of Mandara (Cameroon)

She was the first ruler of The Mandara (or Wandala) tribe, which is located just south of Lake Chad in both northern Cameroon and Nigeria in savannah in which mounds of rocks can be seen high above the plains. The tribe also occupy a mountainous area where the Gotel and Mandara Mountains meet. This hot, tropical region has only 30 inches of rainfall each year, and the Mandara are among other tribes of Sudanic herdsmen who migrate seasonally with their animals, searching for fresh grazing lands. 

1500-40 Sovereign Countess Marie d'Albret of Rethel, Sovereign Princess of Boisbelle-Henrichemont  (France) (Belgium)

Succeeded her mother, Charlotte de Bourgogne, as Countess of Rethel, and was married to Charles of Clèves, Count de Nevers (d. 1521) and succeeded by son, François de Nevers et Rethel, Duke of de Nevers (d. 1561) whose daughters shared the inheritance. Henriette de Clève became Duchess of Nevers-Rethel, Catherine de Nevers (1548-1633) Countess d'Eu and Marie de Nevers (1553-74) Comtesse de Beaufort. Her father was Jean d'Albret (d. 1524), and she lived (1491-1549).

From 1500 Sovereign Countess Anne de Chabannes of Dammartin (France)

Ca. 1500 Sovereign Countess Lucretia Loredani of Ios (Greece)

Governed the island in the Cyclades located south of Naxos and north of Thera.

1500-15 Governatrice Dowager Lady Francesca Grimaldi of the Fiefs of Dolceacqua, Isolabona, Apricale and Perinaldo (Italy)

Following the death of her husband, Luca Doria she became regent in his lands. She was daughter of Lamberto Grimbaldo, Councillor of Antibes and Cagnes, Sovereign Lord of Monaco and Roccabruna and Patrician of Genova.

1500-23 Hereditary Countess Elisabeth von Hessen-Marburg of Katzenelnbogen and ¼ of the County of Diez (Germany)

After her mother, Anna von Katzenelnbogen, died in 1494 the County was disputed among her and her sister, Duchess Mathilda of Jülich-Berg (d. 1505), and a compromise was not reached until 1520. Elisabeth was married to Johann V Count of Nassau, Vianden, Katzenelnbogen and Diez, Baron of Breda, Stadholder of Gelre and Zutphen 1504-1505. She lived (1466-1523).

1500-01 Administrator of the Tenantcy Dowager Burgravine Johanetta von Salm of Rheineck (Germany)

According to tradition she administered the fief for the remainder of the year following the death of her husband, Burgrave Jakob von Rheineck. Her son Jakob II, reached the age of majority in 1508 and Archbishop Hermann of Köln granted him the fief of Rheineck. As he died without male heirs in 1539, Köln withdrew the fief, but his niece, Mezza claimed the inheritance, it was not until 1571 after a court process, that her sons Johann and Wilhelm von Warsberg were declared as rightful heirs. Consequently Archbishop Salentin von Isenburg of Köln granted the Burgravate as a hereditary fief. Johnanette married Philipp Beissel von Gymnich in 1501, she was daughter of Wild- und Rheingraf Johann V. and Johanna von Salm, and lived (ca. 1465-after 1516).

1500-? Princess-Abbess Agnes II von Paulsdorff of Obermünster in Regensburg (Germany)

The Fürstäbtissin of the territory became a member of the Geistlichen Fürstenbank (Lords Spiritual) of the Bayrischer Kreis (Bavarian Circle) when it was formed in 1495 by Emperor Maximilian I. The function of each Circle was primarily the administration of Imperial law and the maintenance of order, but the assemblies also served to assess local opinion and to direct regional efforts as circumstances dictated. She also had the right to a seat and vote in the College of Swabian Prelates in the Imperial Diet (Reichstag), which met in Regensburg.

15.. Princess Regnant Nur Begum of Hunza (Pakistan)

The daughter of Girkis Han, she ruled for 12 years of the mountainous region the Northern Areas of Pakistan adjoining the Sinkiang Autonomous Region of China. Her family ruled the area of Hunz for more than 900 years and the Hunzakuts are believed to be the descendents of five wandering soldiers of Alexander the Great. They speak Brushuski, an aboriginal language. She was succeeded by her nephew Ayaso I as ruler.

15.. Queen Putri Pinang Masak of Djambi (Indonesia)

Succeeded by husband, Paduka Berhale, as ruler of the East Sumatran kingdom. 

15.. Queen of Angoche (Moçambique)

Ascended the throne after the death of her her brother and was succeeded by husband, Molidi. Today Angoche is a port-town in the Northern part of the country. 

15.... 17th Alii Aimoku Kaikilani of Hawai'i (USA)

Succeeded Queen Kaikilani, who reigned sometime in the 15th century, and she first married her cousin Kanaloakua'ana, 16th Alii Aimoku of Hawaii and secondly to Lonoikamakahiki, joint Alii Aimoku of Hawaii, younger son of Keawe-nui Aumi, 16th Alii Aimoku of Hawaii, and succeeded by son, Keakealanikane, 18th Alii Aimoku of Hawaii.

15...Princess Latutama, Tu'i Tonga Fefine, Tonga

Daughter of Momo, Tu'i Tonga and Nua, Ma'itaki, former wife of Ngongokilitoto, of Malapo, and daughter of Lo'au, by a woman from Ha'amea. As Tu'i Tonga Fefine she held higher rank than her father, her mother or her brothers. She was forbidden from marrying any Tongan mortal, and her eldest daughter was styled Tamaha, the highest dignity on earth, to whom both her mother and grandfather, paid homage.

15..Princess Fatafehi, Tu'i Tonga Fefine, Tonga

Daughter of Tu'itatu'i, Tu'i Tonga.  She probably held office towards the end of the century.

1501-24 Sovereign Countess Anne de la Tour Auvergne of Auvergne and Boulogne and Baroness de la Tour (France)

Elder daughter and eventually heiress of Jean III and Jeanne de Bourbon-Vendôme. 1505 she was married to her first cousin John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany, the intermittent heir presumptive to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland, and its sometime Regent. As she did not have any children, the counties were inherited by her her infant niece, donna Caterina dei Medici of Urbino (born 1519), daughter of her late younger sister Madeleine and Lorenzo II, Duke of Urbino. She lived (ca. 1495-1524).

1501-20 Sovereign Countess Jeanne d'Orléans of Bar-sur-Seine (France)

Daughter of Antoinette de Polignac and the king of France. She was legitimized by her marriage to Jean Aubin, Seigneur de Malicorne. She secondly married Jean de Longwy, Baron de Pagny.  

1501-05 Princesse-Abbesse Jeanne II d'Anglure de Germainvilliers of Remiremont, Dame of Saint Pierre and Metz (France)

In the beginning of the 16th century discipline was lax and the nuns, without the pope's consent, declared themselves canonesses. They did not take the vows and admitted only novices who could give proof of noble descent. She was Dame de Germainvilliers, and lived (1474-1505).

1502-06 Politically Active Queen Anna de Foix-Candale of Hungary and Bohemia

Active during the reign of her husband Władysław II Jagiellończyk, and after his death, she fought to secure the Hungarian and Bohemian crown for her son Ludwik. She lived (1484-1506).  

1503-30 Queen Putri Kalunggu of Banja (Indonesia) 

Until 1503 Queen Regnant Anacaona of the Maguana (Taino Tribe) in Hispaniola (Haiti/Dominican Republic)

1503-04 Hereditary Duchess Elisabeth of Bayern-Landshut (Lower Bavaria in Germany) 

As the daughter of Georg der Reiche of Bavaria-Landshut, she and her two sons with Pfalzgraf Ruprecht were heirs, but Duke Albrecht of Bavaria-München opposed their rights and it resulted in a succession war. Both she and her husband died in 1504 and the result was the reunion of the territory with Upper Bavaria. But her two sons became Princes of Pfalz-Neuburg. Elisabeth lived (1430-1504).

1503-05 and 1529-43 Sovereign Countess Jeanne de Hochberg of Neuchatel, Marquise de Rothelin (Rötteln (Switzerland)

1503-22 Sovereign Duchess Suzane de Bourbon of Bourbon, Bourbonnais, Auvergne and La Dombes (France)

Daughter of Pierre III de Bourbon de Beajeau and the former regent of France, Anne de France, Vicomtesse de Thouars who was initially regent in Bourbon. Suzane was married to Charles III de Bourbon-Montpensier, Duke of Bourbonnais, who claimed the inheritance after her death. This was disputed by her first cousin, Louise de Savoie, mother of king François I. Charles entered the service of Emperor Karl V and was declared guilty of leze-majesty, his feudal possessions forfeited to the crown and his personal estate confiscated, but through the intervention of the emperor he was later given his possessions back. She lived (1491-1522).

1503–ca. 21 De-Facto Ruler Costanza d'Avalos of the Island Ischia, Duchess of Francavilla and Lady di Pomanico, (Italy)

1504-55 Queen Juana I of Castilla, Des Asturias and Galicia
1516-55 By the Grace of God, Queen of Castilla, Aragon, Leon, Sicily, Grenada, Toledo, Valencia, Galicia, Majorca, Seville, Sardinia, Cordova, Corsica, Murcia, Jaen, the Algarve, Algeciras, Gibraltar, the Canary Islands, the Indias, the Islands and Mainland of the Ocean Sea, Countess of Barcelona, Roussillon and Cerdagne, Lady of Biscay and Molina, Duchess of Athens and Neopatria, Margravine of Oristano and Gocian (Spain)

Succeeded her mother, Isabel I in 1505 and father Fernando in 1516. Her father had nominated her as heir of all his possession with her son as regent, because of her mental instability, which is why she is known as Juana la Loca. Her husband Felipe I was king and regent 1504-06 and her son, Carlos I (and V of the Holy Roman Empire) became king in 1516. Juana lived (1479-1555).

1504-31 Sovereign Princess Hedwig of Münsterberg, Duchess of Sagan (Żagań-Ziębice) (Then Germany now Poland)

Inherited the territories from her fahter, Duke Karl of Münsterberg, and was married to Margrave Georg the Pious of Brandenburg-Ansbach in 1525 who then became joint ruler. He had inherited some lands from his first wife, Beatrix Frankopani (see 1504) and inherited Oppeln and Ratibor from a relative and later bought Jägerndorf - all duchies in Schlesia that is now a part of Poland. Hedwig was mother of two daughters, and lived (1477-1531). 

1504-10 Sovereign Lady Beatrix Frankopani of Gyula and Hunyad etc. (Hungary), Wraschin Krapina, Medved, Rokonok, Lukavec, Urbovec, Seni, Novigrad etc. (Croatia) and possessions in Austria and Slovonia

1504-26 Regent Dowager Margravine Margherita di Foix of Saluzzo, and the County of Carmagnola (Italy) 

1504-12 Politically Influential Mette Iversdatter Dyre in Sweden 
1515-ca. 27 County Sheriff of the County of Hørby, Denmark

1504-32 Princess-Abbess Elisabeth von Reuss zu Weida of Gernrode and Frose (Germany)

Canoness at Quedlinburg when the desingnated successor to Scholastika von Anhalt, Margarethe von Warberg, refused to take up the position because of the ongoing process against the Bishop of Halberstadt because of a dam that had flodded big parts of the territory's lands. Elisabeth used funds of her own to reach a settlement where the chapter was compensated financially, but the daughter-convent of Frose had to be abandoned as it's lands was under water. In 1519 she send her preacher, Stephan Molitor to Worms, where he heard Martin Luther, in 1521 she introduced the Evangelical service and in 1523 she participated in the Reichstag von Worm, which laid the foundation of Protestant movement and she became the first Abbess of a Chapter of the Realm to join protestant faith. 1525 the inhabitants of the Stift revolted against her plans to raise taxes and revenues, but she prevailed. She was daughter of Heinrich XX zu Reuss von Weida and Agnes Schenkin von Landaberg. (d. 1532).

1504-20 Princess-Abbess Verena vom Feld of Baindt (Germany)

Many members of her family held high ecclesiastical office throughout the years.

1504-31 Princess-Abbess Gertrud von Regenstein und Blankenberg of Gandersheim (Germany)

Her election was confirmed by the Pope with the provision that she had to pay a yearly pension to the "contra-abbess" Katharina von Hohenstein, but she did not fulfil this part of her obligation. Three other women claimed the office during her reign. The ducal castle was expanded in 1528 and neighbouring hoses torn down to get a free shot at the chapter.

1504-36 "Contra-Abbess" Katharina von Hohnstein of Gandersheim (Germany)

In 1506 a compromise was reached with Gertrud von Regenstein-Blankenberg and she was named Dechaness and got a pension for life for resigning the post to which she had been elected, just like Gertrud. But as she did not get her pension the dispute continued. But in 1518 Duke Heinrich zu Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel forced a compromise between the two competitors for the office.

1505-18 Regent Dowager Lady Mechteld van den Bergh of Bronckhorst and Borculo (The Netherlands)

After the death of her husband, Frederik van Bronckhorst en Borculo, she was regent for their son, Count Joost van Bronckhorst-Borculo, who married Maria van Hoya, but died without issue in 1553 leaving the possessions to his niece Ermgard van Wisch.

1505-07 Princess-Abbess Agnes II de Dammartin of Remiremont  (France)

At the time discipline in the chapter was lax and the nuns, without the pope's consent, declared themselves canonesses. They did not take the vows and admitted only novices who could give proof of noble descent.

1505-16 Reigning Abbess Walburga Buck of Gutenzell (Germany)

The Chapter was founded 1230 as a free worldly chapter for noble ladies.

1507-15 and 1518-30 General-Stadholder Margareta von Habsburg of the Netherlands 

First appointed regent by her father, Emperor Maximilian and acted as intermediary between him and his subjects in the Netherlands, negotiated a treaty of commerce with England favorable to the Flemish cloth interests, and played a role in the formation of the League of Cambrai (1508). Her nephew, Karl V, removed her from office but soon recognized her as one of his wisest advisers, and she was again governor of the Netherlands. In 1529, together with Louise of Savoy, she negotiated the Treaty of Cambrai, the so-called Ladies' Peace. Her mother was Duchess Marie of Bourgogne. Divorced from her first husband King Charles VIII of France, her second husband, Juan, the Crown Prince of Aragón and Castilla, died shortly after their marriage in 1497. In 1501 she married Duke Philiberto II of Savoie, who died three years later. She was also Countess of Artois, Bourgogne (Franche-Comté), Mâcon, Auxerre and Charolais, and Dame de Salins from 1493 as Marguerite III. She had no children, and lived (1480-1530).

1507-16 Regent Dowager Empress Eleni of Ethiopia

Born as Jan-zela, she was one of the widows of Emperor Baeda Maryam I (1468-78), and was politically influential during the reign of her son, Naod I (1494-1507), and then became regent for grandson Lebna Dengel (also known as Wanag Sagad or Dawit II). (1994-1507-16). She was author of two works on theology and remained politically influential to her death in 1522.

1507-16 Junior Regent Dowager Empress Noad Mogassa of Ethiopia

After the death of her husband, Naod I, she was junior regent for son Lebna Dengel jointly with mother-in-law. She was the sister of Dori, the Bahr Negus - Ruler of Eritrea. (D. after 1527).

1507-? Iyoba Idia of Uselu in Benin (Nigeria)

Appointed to the position of Queen Mother by her son Oba Ensigie (1504-50), after she helped pressing the attacking Igala back across the Niger River. Since then the Queen Mother was one of Benin's most powerful women. As a senior town chief she was has a voice in palace affairs and rules her own court. Though she is forbidden to see her son once he is crowned king, the Queen Mother is expected to support him spiritually. She lived in her own palace outside the capital.  She did not appear in public and did not have an official role in the political system, but she was always "consulted" by important political decisions, and her vote was necessary in the political decision process. As widow of the former king and mother of the present, she was given semi-male status. She had a "wife" with the title of Amoda, she was surrounded by Amada, naked boys and has a whole court of officeholders. 

1507-53 Sovereign Duchess Luisa Borgia of Valentinos, Countess of Diois, Dame of La Mothe-Feuilly, Vaires and Neves (France)
1514-53 Dame de Chalus
1535-53 Duchess of Borgia (Navarra)

1507-14 (†) Guardian Dowager Duchess Charlotte d'Albret of Valentinos (France)

1508-37 Sovereign Princess Adriana Crispo of Therasia, Nio and Ios (Greek Island-State)
1528-37 Princess Regnant of Antiparos

Succeeded her parents, Marco II and III of Ios and Santhorini and Lucretia Loredani, and co-ruled with her husband, Alessandro Pisani of Anaphi and Antiparos. Succeeded grandmother, Succeeded grandmother, Lucrezia Loredano (1446-1528) in Antiparos, which was conquered by the Osman Turks in 1537.

Until ca. 1508 Arumpone We Tenri Gau Daeng Marowa Aru Majang (Makalappi) of Bone (Indonesia)

Successor of her father, La Saliwu Karampeluwe Pasodowakkae, and was followed by son La Tenri Sukki Mapajunge who ruled ca. 1508-1535).

1508-10 and 1516-25 Regent Margravine Isabella d'Este of Mantova (Italy) 

Before 1508 she reigned when her husband, Federico I Gonzaga, was away from the state, she was regent during his captivity, afterwards during his illness and finally for son, Federico II Gonzaga, who was away from the state. She was very well educated. She was able to speak Greek and Latin as well as play the lute, sing, dance and debate. As regent she founded a school for young women where they had to observe a strict code of morals. She was a patron of the Arts and she also set artistic fashions and standards. She also wrote over two thousand letters and in these she commented on everything from politics to war. Mother of 5 sons and 4 daughters, and lived (1474-1539).

1508-10 Regent Dowager Duchess Kunigunde von Habsburg of Bavaria-Munich (Germany)

Married Albrecht IV of Bayern-München (1467-1508) against the will of her own father, Emperor Friedrich III, and joint regent for son Wilhelm IV (1493-1508-50). She later joined the Convent of Pütrich, which she favoured. In spite of the resignation from the court she tried to influence the politics of the state as she acted in favour of the rights of her younger sons. She was in close contact with her brother, Emperor Maximilian I von Habsburg, and with other rulers and relatives in Europe. She was a political player in her own right and not only an "instrument" of her family. She lived (1465-1520).

1508-09 and 1514-18 Regent Dowager Langravine Anna von Mecklenburg-Schwerin of Hessen (Germany)
1510-25 Reigning Dowager Lady of Geissen, Grünberg, Borken, Felsberg, Wildeck and Rotenburg (from 1511)

Took over the regency for her Wilhelm II, who was unable to govern because of syphilis, but after his death she was removed, as regent by the Estates in spite of his will, which named her guardian and regent. The Estates named their own regents, on the pretext that she was below the age of 25, but the real reason was the fight for power among the different groups in the society. She continued her fight to become regent for Philipp (1504-25). She spoke her case before the Estates; in 1510 she claimed her right to a seat and vote at the Diet of the Realm as the rightful guardian. The emperor sympathised with her, but did not back her, but she also presented her case here. Later that year she withdrew to her dowry, but because of internal disputes in the regency college, she managed to be named regent. She called and chaired a Local Diet (Landtag) and an agreement was made. She named her own regency government and promised to report to the Estates once a year, but reigned independently. In 1518 she had emperor Maximilian I declare her 13 year old son of age, but the nobility continued the fight for power until it was finally defeated in 1523. She was daughter of Magnus II von Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Sophie von Pommern, also mother of a daughter, and lived (1485-1525).

1509-15 Princess-Abbess Anna II Kobold of Heggbach (Germany)

Perhaps also known as Kobodin, she was born as daughter of a citizen of Ulm.

1510-52 Governor Sayyida al-Hurra of Tetouán (Morocco)

Also known as Sayida Al Horra Bent Ali Ar Rachid, she was first confirmed as prefect and then appointed governor of the city state of Tetouán ("Hakima Tatwan"). She was the undisputed leader of the pirates in the western Mediterranean, and in 1520 captured the Governors wife and caused great damage to the Portuguese colonial shipping. She was married to Sultan Al-Mandri and after his death she married Ahmad al-Wattasi, who reigned (1524-49). After her first husband's death, she gained the title al-hurra (Sovereign Lady). She was member of the Andalusian noble family, Banu Rashid, who immigrated to Morocco after the Christian conquest of Muslim Spain. She was deposed in 1552. 

1511 (†) Regent Dowager Princess Elena Salviati of Elba and Piombino (Italy)

Widow of Iacopo IV, who had regained control of the territory after it had been occupied by Cesare Borgia, she acted as regent for her son Iacopo V, but died shortly after taking office. The position of regent was taken over by another relative.

1511-39 Sovereign Duchess Maria of Jülich-Berg-Ravensberg-Heinsberg  (Germany)

Succeeded her father, Wilhelm IV. She married Johann III von Marck-Kleve and their duchies were united. She was a very devout catholic and was sceptic towards the liberal reforms of both her father and husband. One of her daughters, Anne of Kleve, married Henry the VIII of England. Maria lived (1491-1543).

1511-15 Princess-Abbess Magdalena von Anhalt of Quedlinburg (Germany)

Daughter of Fürst Albrecht IV and Countess Elisabeth von Mansfeld. She probably resigned and died later the same year.

1511-13 Reigning Abbess Emerita Lutschern of Königsfelden (Switzerland)

The Chapter acquired many possessions in Argau, Swabia and Alsace, but did apparently not have the dignity of Princess of the Empire (Reichsfürstin).

1512-15 Sovereign Duchess Françoise of Longueville, Countess of Montgomery and Tancarville (France) 

Natural daughter of Daughter of king François II of France, and married to the Viscount de Melun, who died 1512. 

1513-14 Regent Dowager Queen Margaret Tudor of Scotland (United Kingdom of Great Britain)

After her husband, James IV of Scotland, was killed, she became regent for her infant son, James V, but her marriage in 1514 to Archibald Douglas, 6th earl of Angus, led to the loss of the regency to John Stuart, duke of Albany, who soon obtained custody of the king. She fled to England, but returned in 1517, during James Stuart’s absence, and shortly thereafter she became estranged from her husband. Her son was proclaimed king in 1524 and was for several years virtually a prisoner of her husband. In 1527 she obtained a divorce and soon married Henry Stuart, later Lord Methven. The following year her son escaped from her ex-husband and joined her and her new husband, and they were for a time his chief advisers. A plan of of hers for a meeting between her brother Henry VIII of England and her son led James to accuse her of betrayal in 1534. They were further estranged by James’s refusal to allow her to divorce her third husband. For long periods Heiress Presumptive to the English throne, and lived (1489–1541).

1513 Governor of the Realm and Captain General of the King's Forces Queen Catherine of Aragón of England, Wales and Ireland (United Kingdom)

Following the death of her first husband, Prince Arthur of England, she married his brother Henry VIII. When he went to France on warfare she was appointed regent. She had authority to raise troops and to make appointments, and was provided with a council headed by Archbishop Warham, the lord chancellor. And she led the English troops against the invading Scots at the Battle of Flodden (in Northumberland) and, afterwards, sent over to her husband, in Flanders, a grim reminder of her achievements there: the blood-stained tunic of dead James IV of Scots. In 1520, however, the she went to France alongside Henry and was present at the great meeting of the 'Field of the Cloth of Gold'. Of her four children only the later Queen Mary I survived. In 1533 Henry divorced her and broke with the Catholic church, she was deprived of her titles as Queen of England and was forced to revert to 'Princess Dowager of Wales'. She was kept in confinement but never remained long in one place, for she enjoyed great popularity throughout a Country and there were fears of an uprising in her favour.  She was daughter of Queen Isabel I of Castilla and Ferdinand of Aragón and initially heir to her father, but her sister, Juana La Loca, inherited both Countries. Catherine lived (1485-1536).

1513-29 Joint Ruler Queen Burecca of The Maldive Islands

Also known as Buraki Rani, she was educated in the martial arts and out-shone her younger brother and sister. She had expected to succeed her grandfather to the throne. However several years after Siri Bavana Sooja died, it was her brother who came to the throne as King Siri Ananda Sultan Ali V (1512 -13) after several other reigns in between. She quarrelled with her brother, fled the Maldives, and travelled east to the Kingdom of Aceh (known to the Maldivians as Asey Cara) on the island of Sumatra. There she completed her education and perfected her martial arts before returning home to depose her brother. Her fleet entered Malé harbour in the dead of night. She fought a duel with her brother on the square inside the royal palace complex, several hours before dawn that morning. She slew her brother and ascended the throne to rule jointly with her husband King Siri Dhammaru Bavana (Sultan Mohamed the Black). It was his third accession to the throne. In spite of her ambitions, and unlike several other women who occupied the throne, she did not take the title of Rehendi or Sultana. Instead she took the title of Ranin or Queen Consort. 

Until 1513 Sovereign Countess Claudine de Brosse of Penthièvre (France)

Also known as Claude, she succeeded Jean II de Brosse, Seigneur de Boussac, de Sainte-Severe, Count of Penthièvre by the right of his wife, Nicole de Châtillon de Blois, Comtesse de Penthièvre, Vicomtesse de Limoges (d. after 1479) and married Philippe I,  Duke of Savoie 1496-1497, Comte de Bresse. (d. 1513-).

Until 1513 Princess-Abbess Elisabeth zu Dhaun-Kyburg of Elten (Germany)

Daughter of Johann IV, Wild- und Rheingraf zu Dhaun und Kyrburg and Elisabeth von Hanau.

1514-15 (or 1515-20) Acting Governor Maria Alvarez de Toledo y Rojas of Hispaniola/Las Isla Espanola (Dominican Republic and Haïti), Acting Vicereine of las Indias Occidentales (West Indies)

Her husband, Diogo Colón, 1. Duke of Veragua, was Vice-roy 1509-14 and 1520-23, and she also held the title of Vicereine of the West Indies. She was stand-in for her husband when he was in Spain 1515-20, and remained in close contact with the Queen of Spain, Isabel de Portugal, and her husband Emperor Charles V (1516-56). She was daughter of Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, 1st Lord de Villora and Maria de Rojas, and mother of 5 children. Her youngest, Isabel Colón was married to don Jorge de Portugal, Count de Gelves y Mayor de los alcázares de Sevilla, and lived (ca. 1490-1549).

1514-20 Regent Dowager Despina Helena of Serbia

Her first husband was Jovan Brankovic, despot of Sebia in 1493–1502. After his dead she was married to Croatian nobleman Ivanis Berislavic who then became the Serbian despot. After his death, she conducted the affairs of state in place of her minor son, Stjepan Berislavic (1514 – 35).

1514-24 Sovereign Duchess Claude de France of Bretagne, Countess d'Étampes 
1514-17 Sovereign Duchess of Berry (France)

Eldest daughter of King Louis XII of France and successor of her mother Anne as Duchess of Brittany. The same year she married her cousin, who because of the French salic law succeeded her father as king François I. In 1532 the personal union of France with Brittany was made definitive. Their oldest son became duke and was succeeded by his brother, François in 1536. Her life was spent in an endless round of annual pregnancies. Her husband had many mistresses but was usually relatively discreet. She imposed a strict moral code on her household, which only a few like her lady-in-waiting Mary Boleyn chose to flout. Another lady-in-waiting was Anne Boleyn, who later married Henry VIII of England. Claude was short in stature and afflicted with scoliosis that gave her a small hunched back. She was mother of 7 children, among other King Henri III, Duchess Marguerite de Valois de Berry, and Queen Madeleine of Scotland, and lived (1499-1524).

1515-75 Sovereign Duchess Renée de France of Chartres, Countess of Gisoirs et de Montargis (France)

Also known as Renata di Francia. Her mother, Duchess Anne of Bretagne, who had always fought fiercely to keep the state independent of the French crown, tried to will the duchy to Renée, but her father King Louis XII ignored this and instead granted Brittany to his successor, the husband of her sister, Francis I, King of France. In return for renouncing her claims to the duchy of Brittany, she was granted the duchy of Chartres. She was married in 1528 to Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara who ruled 1534-59. After his death she returned to France because she was on bad terms with her son Alfonso II and settled in Montargis. She was mother of 4 children, and lived (1510-74).

1515-50 Sovereign Princess Isabelle-Louise de Bourbon of Carency (France)

Her brother, Betrand died in 1515 as the last male of the line. The following year she married François de Perusse d'Escars, Seigneur de La Vauguyon. Their son Jean de Perusse d'Escars (d. 1595), knight of the Saint-Esprit in 1578, made comte de La Vauguyon in 1586, continued the use the title Prince de Carency.

1515-24 Joint Sovereign Duchess Philiberta di Savoia of Nemours (France)

Also known as Philiberte de Savoie, and her husband, Giuliano de Medici (ca. 1478-1516), had been created joint holders of the duchy. Her brother, Philippe, Comte de Geneve, was given the duchy in 1516. She was daughter of Claude de Brosse and Duke Philippe I de Savoie, and lived (1498-1524).

1515-19 De-facto Governor Alfonsina Orsini of The Republic of Firenze (Italy)

As mother of the de facto ruler of Florence, Lorenzo II de' Medici, she was able to govern during his absence. She was involved in the strategic planning of Florence's war with the French and the plans for making a treaty as well as her oversight of Pope Leo's entry into Florence in November 1515. Her governorship was indicative of the increasingly signora nature of the Medici regime and that she had far more power, influence and authority than the previous generation of Medici women. She was the daughter of Roberto Orsini, Conte Tagliacozzo and Catherine San Severino and married to Piero "il Unfortunato" de' Medici, who lived 1503. Apart from Lorenzo, she was mother of Clarissa de' Medici, and lived (1472-1520).

1515-26 Princess-Abbess Barbara I Ellenbog of Heggbach (Germany)

In 1525 Heggbach was raided by the peasant’s war (Bauernkrieg) that covered parts of Germany at the time. A daughter of a citizen of Augsburg, she entered the chapter in 1487 and some of her brothers were also clerics.

1515-74 Princess-Abbess Anna II zu Stolberg-Weiningsrode of Quedlinburg (Germany)

Elected to the office when she was scarcely thirteen years old, she introduced Lutheranism in all the houses under her jurisdiction. The choir service in the abbey church was abandoned, and the Catholic religion wholly abrogated. The monastic offices were reduced to four, but the ancient official titles retained. Thereafter the institution continued as a Lutheran sisterhood till the secularization of the abbey in 1803. Anna II was daughter of Botho III von Stolberg and Countess Anna von Eppenstein, and lived (1504-74).

1516-20 Sovereign Duchess Jeanne d'Orléans of Valois (France)

Granddaughter of Louis d'Orléans (1392-1407) the son of King Charles V of France. She succeeded her relative, king François of France, and married to Charles de Coëtivy, Count de Tailleburg, and lived (1462-1520). 

1516-49 Sovereign Duchess Marguerite d'Orléans-Angoulême of Berry 
1525-49 Duchess of Alençon and Rodez, Comtesse d'Armagnac, du Perche, Pezenac, de L'Isle-Jourdain, Porhoët, Pardiac, Viscomtesse Fezenzaguet, Brulhois, d'Auvillars, Baroness de Castelnau, Caussade, Montmiral and Dame de La Flêche and Baugé (France)

Sister of Francis I of France, and first married the Duke of Alençon (d.1525) and in 1527, Henry d'Albret (titular king of Navarra). With a strong interest in Renaissance learning, she was much influenced by Erasmus and the religious reformers of the Meaux circle, who looked to her for patronage and protection. She encouraged agriculture, learning, and the arts, and her court was the most intellectual in Europe. The patron of men of letters, including the heretical poet Clément Marot, she was a prolific writer of long devotional poems, dramas, secular poems, and the celebrated Heptaméron, a collection of stories on the theme of love. She lived (1492-1549).

1516-22 Regent Dowager Duchess Margaretha von Münsterberg-Oels of Anhalt-Dessau (Germany)

Widow of Ernst and regent for Johannes II (1504-16-51). She was a respected ruler, and corresponded with Martin Luther, but remained a devout Catholic and refused to accept the reformation, but after her death, her sons jointed the Protestant movement. She lived (1473-1530).

1516 Rani Regnant of Quilon (India)

Quilon or Kollam in Karalla is an old seaport town on the Arabian coast. The state had a sustained commercial reputation from the days of the Phoenicians and the Romans. The port of was frequented by the Chinese, Arabs and the Nestorian Christians from Alexandria, it was regarded by the Arab author, Ibn Batuta, as one of the major five ports, which he had seen in the course of his travels during a period of twenty-four years, in the 14th century. The rulers of Kollam (Desinganadu) and China, exchange embassies and there was flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam.  

1516-67 Ruler Puteri di Dalam Petung of Pasir (Indonesia)

Oldest daughter of a mythical woman, who married a Prince of Grisee - a priest-principality on Java. Puteri di Dalam married Abu Mansyur Indra Jaya, who introduced Islam in Pasir. She was succeeded by her son Aji Mas Pati Indra as ruler of the principality in East-Borneo/Kalimantan

1516-28 Reigning-Abbess Katherina von Waldburg of Königsfelden (Switzerland)

The last reigning Abbess of the Ecclesiastical Territories of Königsfelden, which had vast possessions in Aargau, Swabia and Alsace. As a result of the reformation the Chapter was secularized and its possessions in Aargau were annexed to Bern and the possessions in Swabia and Alsace were sold in 1528.

1516-26 Princess-Abbess Walburga Buck of Gutenzell (Germany)

Since 1521, the Ladies of the chapter (sift) charged the Hofmeister with the task of taking part in the Schwäbian Circle of the Imperial Diet in their name. At the time, the Stift ruled over eight settlements with 1.189 inhabitants.

1517 Sovereign Lady Dorothea Papinga of Jever (Germany)

Daughter of the Frisian chief, Edo Wiemken of West-Friesland, she and her two sisters succeeded their brother, Junker Christoph. Count Enno II of Friesland tried to incorporate Jever into his domain, he occupied the territory, and held the three sisters imprisoned in the castle, where Dorothea died shortly after.

1517-36 Sovereign Lady Anna Papinga of Jever (Germany)

Joint heiress of Jever with her two sisters. In 1531 the Lord Boring von Oldersum sided with the two sisters and secured the land for them. 

1517-75 Sovereign Lady Maria of Jever, Rüstringen, Östringen and Wangerland (Germany)

After the death of her two sisters, and the removal of the West-Frisians, she became sole ruler of the area, with the title of Erbherrin. Also known as Fräulein or Miss Maria, she concentrated on the consolidation and expansion of the Jever-territory and with support from the Emperor she maintained her demands in the Ostfrisean lands and the Frisian village developed into a modern territorial state. She never married and after her death the territory was inherited by her mother's family; the counts of Oldenburg. She lived (1500-75).

1518-56 Politically influential Queen Bona Sforza of Poland and Lithuania
1524-57 Sovereign Princess of Bari, Rossano, Crottaglie, Ostuni and Monteserico (Italy)

Her mother, Isabella de Aragon, had provided Bona with an excellent education. She read classic masterpieces and studied law and history and was fluent in Spanish and Latin. Bona married the 51-year old recently widowed King Sigmund I of Poland. It did not take long before she got involved in politics and economics, and she spent a lot of energy on recovering royal properties that had been in the hands of creditors. She increased the revenues and raised taxes, and remained familiar with the current affairs of Bari and Rosano that legally remained in her hands. Emperor Felipe II was putting a great deal of pressure on Bona to pass her properties in Apulia and Calabria to Spain. In 1556 she returned to Italy and was warmly welcomed by her people, but one of her favourite advisors, Gian Baptista Pappacoda, was a Spanish spy. In November 1557 she turned very ill and she could not return to Poland as planned. Pappacoda tricked the Queen to change her will in favour of Felipe II. When her health improved, she tried to change the will, but she was poisoned by Pappacode, and everything she had owned was stolen and no will could be imposed. She lived (1494-1557).

1518-30 Regent Dowager Margravine Anne d'Alençon of Monferrato
1533-36 Possible Regent of Monferrato (Italy)

After the death of her husband, Guglielmo IX Secondo Lazzaro (1494-1818), she was ruled in the name of her son, Bonifacio IV (1512-18-30), who was succeeded by uncle, the former Bishop Giangiorgio Sebastiano, (1488-1530-33). After her oldest daughter, Maria, had been divorced from Federico II Gonzaga, Anne arranged the marriage between Federico and her second daughter Margherita, who transmitted the claims of the Margravate to her husband, who was appointed Marchese of Monferrato in 1536. Anne might have acted as regent in the remaining period. She was also Dame de La Guerche and lived (1492-1562).

1518-23 De-facto In charge of the Customs Sigbrit Villoms in Denmark
1519-23 "Second in Command" in Denmark
1522-23 De-facto Leader of the Treasury

Generally known as Mor Sigbrit, she was a Dutch tradeswoman who moved Norway and managed a trading company in Bergen of a substantial size. Her daughter, Dyveke, became mistress of the later Christian 2 of Denmark around 1509. When became king in 1513 they moved with him to Copenhagen and Sigbrit's influence grew. Dyveke died suddenly in 1517 - rumoured to have been poisoned. Queen Elisabeth von Habsburg appointed her as her Chief of Court and she also acted as midwife of the king's children. Her brother was a pharmacist and she was knowledgeable about medicine. She was also left in charge of the government when Christian was abroad. 1522 she was given a so-called "General receipt" (generalkvittering), that made her de-facto a kind of Minister of Finance. When the king was deposed in 1523 for his dictatorial rule, she went with the family to the Netherlands where they tried to gain support for the king's return. One of the conditions was that Christian had to part with her. From then on, nothing is heard of her, though the story of an old woman in prison accused of heresy or witchcraft sounds like it could have been her. Sigbrit Willoms also wrote her surname as Villumsdatter and she (d. ca. 1532).

1519-56 Sovereign Margravine Riccairda Malaspina of Massa and Carrara, Lady of Massa dei Malpasina, Sovereign Lady of Carrara, Avenza e Moneta, (Italy)

Inherited the possessions of her father, Alberico II Malpasina. After the death of her sister, Eleonora, she got papal dispensation to marry her close relative, Count Scipione Fieschi. After his death in 1520 she married Lorenzo Cybo - the nephew of Pope Leon X. 1525 Emperor Karl V formally invested her with the fief of Massa e Carrara and the Malaspina territories in 1529. She was an intelligent woman who maneuvered her state during the political turmoils of Italy, but preferred to reside in Rome and Firenze, and in her absence Cardinal Innocenzo Cybo was in charge of the government. Succeeded by son Giulio Cybo-Malaspina, and lived (1497-1556).

1520-25 City Regent Dowager Countess Magdalena von Öttingen of Montfort-Tettnang (Germany)

After the death of her husband Count Ulrich VII, she was named regent of the city (Stadtregentin). In 1521 Emperor Karl V gave her Blutbann as a fief and in 1525 she was faced with a peasant uprising. Her second husband was Count Johann I von Montfort-Rothenfels-Wasserburg (d. 1529). After her death, Emperor Karl V gave the county as a fief to her nephew, Hugo XVI von Montfort-Rothenfels-Wasserburg, Count of Montfort-Tettnag, who was first married to her granddaughter, Maria Magdalena von Schwarzenberg zu Hohenlandsberg (1510-43), the oldest of the 14 children of her daughter, Eva von Montfort-Tettnang (1494-27). Another of Eva's daughters, Maria Jakobe (1515-94) was Princess-Abbess of Buchau. Magdalena lived (1473-1525).

1520 Rebellion Leader Kristina Gyllenstierna in Sweden

The daughter of Nils Eriksson Gyllenstierna (member of the Swedish Council of the Realm) she married Sten Sture in 1511 and Sten Sture was elected regent the following year. From the age of 21 she took part in the national counsel and showed a remarkable knowledge and maturity. In 1520 her husband died of the damages he had got at the battle of Bogesund, and in may the same year she manned the Stockholm and defended the city, with success, against the Danish troops under command of Christian II. In September she had to capitulate and surrendered Stockholm to the Danish king. This was the beginning of the infamous 'Stockholm's bloodbath'. She was imprisoned at Stockholm Castle where she stayed until November 1521 when she was brought to Denmark. 1524 she could return to Sweden, country which now where ruled by the Swedish king Gustav Vasa, the son of her half sister Cecilia of Eka. She once again tried to get involved in politics, but in 1525 she reached a settlement with her nephew, and married Johan Turesson Tre Rosor (a member of the national counsel) in 1527. He died in 1566. She had a son with Svante and one with Johan, and lived (1494-1559).

1520-65 Princess-Abbess Anna II von Limburg-Stirum of Herford and Gerresheim (Germany)

Also known as von Limburg-Styrum, she had been Koadjutorin 1515-20, and was the first to be appointed Princess of the Empire of the territory in 1523. She was strong opponent of the Protestantism which lead to various disputes with the city of Herford, which joined the new faith in the 1520's. She was daughter of Count Adolf von Limburg and Elisabeth von Reichenstein Her sister Agnes was Abbess of Freckenhorst and Metelen, (d.1570) and Katharina was Abbess of Borghorst (d.1572). Anna resigned and lived another 20 years before her death in 1585.

1520-29 Princess-Abbess Anna VII Schlaibegg of Baindt (Germany)

The Chapter and City of Baindt were closely connected during the centuries, but the Peasant’s Uprising (Bauernkrieg) of 1525 the abbey was burned down.

1520-22 Princess-Abbess Marguerite III d'Esne of Nivelles, Dame Temporaire and Spirituelle of Nivelles (Belgium)

Member of an ancient North-French family.

1520-69 Princess-Abbess Barbara II von Aham of Niedermünster in Regensburg (Germany)

Influential in Regensburg, the frequent meeting place of the imperial diet from 1532, and from 1663 to 1806 it was the permanent seat of the Imperial Diet - where she was member of the Bench of Bavarian Prelates. Barbara was member of an old Bavarian noble family.

1520-34 Gülbehar Hatun Mahidevran Valide Sultan of The Ottoman Empire (Covering Turkey, Greece, The Balkans, parts of the Middle East and Northern Africa)

1521-22 Regent Queen Anna Jagiellonka of Austria
1539 Regent of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia

The daughter of king Wladislaw II Jagiello of Hungary and Bohemia and Anne de Foix-Candale. Since 1521 a wife of Ferdinand von Habsburg, Archduke of Austria, since 1526 Anna and Ferdinand were king and Queen of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia. She lived (1503-47).  

1521-50 Reigning Dowager Duchess Anna von Pommern of Lüben (Lubin) (Poland)

After the death of her husband, Georg I von Brieg (Jerzy of Brzeg) (1495-1521), she held the Slesian Principality as her dowry. She lived (142-1550).

1521-47 Reigning Lady Anna von Brandenburg of the Cities and Administrative Offices of Crivitz and Lübz in Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Germany)
1547-67 Reigning Dowager Lady

Wife of Albrecht VII of Mecklenburg and given the territories (Städte und Ämter) as her dowry for life.  Her husband died in 1547 and she moved to the renovated castle of Eldenburg. She was a devout Catholic, but in 1559 her son, Johann Albrecht I expelled the monks and priests from her lordship, which was the only place that had not joined the reformation.

1521-32 Regent Dowager Queen Njai Tjili of Ternate (Indonesia)

Reigned for sons Deijalo and Bohejat. In 1532 Prince Kaitjil became sultan.

1521-39  Princess-Abbess Marie von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel of Gandersheim (Germany)

The 9th of the 11 children of Friedrich II von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel and Hedwig von Württemberg, she was titular ruler of the chapter all of her life, and was succeeded by her 7-year-old sister, and lived (1521-39).

1522-39 Sovereign Countess Ludovica Torello of Gaustalla (Italy)

After the death of her second husband, she became a cleric. The County of Gaustalla, which she had inherited from her father, was claimed by another branch of the family, and the affair was carried before Pope Clement VIII and Emperor Charles V. She settled the matter by disposing of her estates to Fernando Gonzaga, thereby also increasing her resources for the religious foundations she had in mind. In 1536 she entered the Angelicals, a congregation that she had founded, taking the name of Paola Maria. Later she established or assisted in the establishment of several other religious houses in various parts of Italy. When Paul III imposed the cloister on the Angelicals, she instituted another community, also at Milano. Like the Angelicals, they were under the direction of the Barnabites. The members, known as Daughters of Mary, dedicated themselves to the care of orphans of noble family, eighteen being provided for in the endowment.  She lived (1499-1569).

1522-49 Princess-Abbess Adrienne I de Saint Omer of Nivelles, Dame Temporaire and Spirituelle of Nivelles (Belgium)

Her family were lords of the city of St.-Omer in Belgium. 

1523-58 De-facto Ruler Kadin Hürrem Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (Covering Turkey, Greece, The Balkans, parts of the Middle East and Northern Africa)

Western sources refer to her variously as Roxelana, Rosa, Rosanne, Rossa, Ruziac or La Rossa. She is generally believed to have been enslaved during raids by the Crimean Turks on Ukraine and Galcia during the reign of Yavuz Sultan Selim, and presented to the Ottoman palace. Of the diverse theories about her ethnic origin, it is most likely that she was Russian or Polish, and there is evidence that she considered herself to be Polish. She was given the name Hürrem, on account of her cheerful temperament. And became Süleyman the Magnificent's premier wife, the birinci kadin. To ensure that one of her own sons would succeed to the throne, she did everything in her power to turn Süleyman against his eldest son and heir Mustafa. She also conspired to bring about the execution of Grand Vezir İbrahim Paşa, who was a staunch supporter of Şehzade Mustafa. She persuaded Süleyman to appoint as grand vizier their daughter Mihrumâh's husband Rüstem Paşa, and the three schemed to bring about the death of Şehzade Mustafa. From her letters written to Süleyman when he was on campaign, we learn that she advised him on political matters. The letters of congratulation and gifts sent to the Polish King Zigsmund II by Hürrem and Mihrumâh, and the correspondence between Hürrem and the sister of Shah Tahmasp of Iran are cited as evidence of her influential role in politics and foreign affairs. During her later life, Hürrem Sultan became more concerned with charitable works and founded a number of institutions, becoming the first woman to endow a mosque complex in Istanbul. She lived (ca. 1507-58).

1523-40 Princess-Abbess Elisabeth von Hohengeroldseck of Buchau (Germany)

In 1497 she was Canoness and participated in the election of her predecessor. In 1524 the territory became a member of the Swabian League (Schwäbische Bund) and member of the Geistlischen Fürstenbank - Bench of the Lords Spiritual of the Schwäbischer Kreis (Swabian Circle) - the regional assembly. In 1529 she signed a decision of the Imperial Diet (Reichstagsabscheid), she participated in the Assembly of the Swabian Circle (Kreistag) in 1531 and in the Reichstag of Worms with the Prelates of Swabia 1535 and the following year she was represented in the Imperial Diet by the Counts of Swabia. According to the older literature she was driven out of the Chapter for a period during a peasant revolt. She was daughter of Gangolf von Hohengeroldseck and Kunigunde von Montfort and lived (before 1480-1540).

1523-26 Politically Active Queen Elisabeth von Habsburg of Denmark

Accompanied her husband, Christian 2. (1481-1513-23-59) of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, in exile, and she was active on his behalf on the European stage, working for his reinstatement. In 1524 she spoke in his favour at the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire in Nürnberg. He later tried to reclaim the throne, but was taken captive and died in imprisonment. She was daughter of Queen Juana la Loca and king Felipe de Austria of Castilla, and lived (1501-26).

1525-50 Sovereign Duchess Françoise d'Alençon of Beaumont-Maine, Princesse d'Alençon (France)

Succeeded brother, Charles IV, who had no children with his wife Marguerite d'Orléans-Angoulême, Duchesse de Berry. Françoise was married to François d'Orléans, Duc de Longueville and to Charles IV de Bourbon, Duc de Vendôme. Her sister Anne d'Alençon was Dame de la Guerche and married to Guillaume Paléolouge, Marquis de Monferrato, and lived (1492-1562). Françoise lived (1490/91-1550). 

1525-29 Reigning Abbess-General Leonor de Sosa de Mendoza of the Monastery of Santa Maria la Real de Las Huelgas in Burgos (Spain)

1526-29 Sovereign Princess Anna of Mazowsze-Bełz (Poland)

Księżna Anna Mazowiecka succeeded her father, Duke Konrad III. Her mother was Princess Anna Radziwiłłówna, and she lived (1498/1500-after 1557).  

1526-33 Reigning Dowager Countess Anna von Schönberg
 of Schaumburg (Germany)

Took over the castle (Die Schaumburg auf dem Nesselberg) and surrounding territory as her dowry after the death of her husband, Anton, the last count to reside in the castle and territory as her dowry after the death of her husband, Anton, the last count to reside of the castle.

1526-35 Acting Governor Isabel Manrique, Isla de Margarita (Venezuela/Spanish Possession)

Together with her husband, the judge of the High Court of Santo Domingo, Marcelo de Villalobos, she had been installed in the island since 1512. In 1525 he obtained, by pact with the Spanish Crown, the Governorship of Margarita, but he passed away the following year, and Isabel asked for the rights of governorship to be transferred to her daughter, Aldonza. Isabel appointed a number of governor-lieutenants, but continued to take care of her daughter's interests until she married in 1535.

1526-32 Princess-Abbess Walpurgis Bitterler of Heggbach (Germany)

Member of a Noble family from Basel in Switzerland and died of breast cancer.

1526-28 Princess-Abbess Barbara von Stottingen of Gutenzell (Germany)

In 1526 the peasants attacked the Chapter and looted the rooms and the same year the citizen of Biberach wanted to introduce the reformation but did not succeed.

1527-28 Regent Dowager Queen Maria von Habsburg of Bohemia-Hungaria
1527 Presided over the Hungarian Assembly (December)
1530 Presided over the Austrian Landtag (January)
1530-55 General-Stadholder of the Netherlands
1530-58 Governor of Franche-Comté (France)

At the age of 17, she married King Lajos II Jagello of Hungary, who was 15. Four years later, the Turks over-ran half his kingdom, including the capital, Budapest. Louis was killed at the battle, and Maria fled west, taking the Hungarian treasury with her, and she called the Assembly, which elected her brother, Archduke Ferdinand von Österreich king of Hungary. In 1530 she Presided over the Landtag in his name. Her brother, Karl V, appointed her Governor of the Netherlands after the death of their aunt, Margaretha and she was also put in charge of Franche-Comté. Maria was granddaughter of Duchess Marie of Burgundy, had no children, and lived (1505-58). 

1527-35 Sovereign Duchess Giulia da Varano of Camerino (Italy)

Succeeded to the title when her father died of plague, but was deposed by a male relative. She was daughter of Giovanni Maria, Lord and 12th Pontifical Vicar of Camerino and Count since 1503 Duke of Camerino, who was deposed in 1521, reappointed the following year and confirmed by papal bull with the right of succession for her in 1524, and of Caterina Cybo. Married to Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke di Urbino (1514-74), and lived (1523-47).

1527-ca. 75 Governor-in-absentia Aldonza de Villalobos Manrique, Isla de Margarita (Venezuela/Spanish Possession)

Normally known as Aldonza Manrique. After her father's death, her mother, Isabel Manrique, had the king transfer the governorship to her in 1527 - with the condition that while she was under age or was unmarried, the governorship was held by "a man with appropriate age", and her mother therefore appointed a number of governor-lieutenants.  In 1535 she married the conqueror Pedro Ortiz de Sandoval, who came to Santo Domingo from Peru. In 1539 the Council of the Indians confirmed her rights, but she did not take over before 1542, when she and her husband ruled as lieutenant-governors.  There are no documents evidencing she ever travelled to the island, and it cannot be taken for granted that her husband did it either. After her husband's death in 1546, she retained the title of Governor of Margarita, but continued to live in Santo Domingo, until her daughter, Marcela, got married aged 14 with Juan Gómez de Villandrando, who became the new lieutenant-governor on her behalf. In 1561 the island was invaded, and Marcela's husband killed. In 1565 she travelled to Spain with her daughter and two grandsons, and requested to the Council of the Indians the island Governorship to be transferred to one of those, Juan Sarmiento de Villandrando. The petition was accepted after 10 years, after she had already died. She lived (ca. 1520-75).

1527-47 Princesse-Abbesse Magdalena de Choiseul of Remiremont, Dame of Saint Pierre and Metz etc. (France)

As sovereign of the territory she had the right to choose the mayor of Remiremont from a list proposed by the nobles of the city. The mayor's deputy, the Grand Eschevin, was chosen by the mayor from a list of 3 candidates presented by the bourgeois of the city with her advice. She resigned from the post as sovereign of the ecclesiastical state and 74 lordships in northern France. She resigned from her position.

1528, 1529-33, 1535-36 and 1538-39 Regent Queen Isabel de Portugal of Spain

In charge of the government during her husband emperor Carlos (V) of the Holy Roman Empire (1516-56)'s travels in the Empire. A strong willed woman, though delicate, she governed the country and her children with a strong hand. Though a rarity in arranged marriages it is believed Charles and Isabella shared a strong love for one another. When she died following a miscarriage, Charles was heartbroken. He collected all the paintings that were done of her and had more commissioned to keep the memory of her alive. She was granddaughter of Ferdinand and Isabel I and mother of 6 children - among others king Felipe II (Husband of Queen Mary of England). She lived (1503-39).

1528-42 Princess-Abbess Magdalena von Freyberg of Gutenzell (Germany)

The Chapter was founded in 1230 and started the process towards independence as a princely territory in the Holy Roman Empire in 1417.

1528-70 Feudal Duchess Isabella Colonna of Traetto, Contess di Fondi and Ceccano, Lady of Paliano, Olevano, Serrone, Zancati, Morulo etc, Acquaviva, Maranola, Carpello, Sperlonga, Monticelli, Imola, Pastena and S. Chigia, Capranica Prenestina, Genzano, Genazzano, Guliano, Montecmopatri, Sgurgola, Nettuno, Ciliano, Castel Mattia, Supino, San Lorenzo, San Vito, Ceccano, Ofi, Falvaterra, Sonnino and Vallecorsa (Italy)

Official heiress of Traetto and Fondi and pretender to the other fiefs. Fist married to Lodovico II Gonzaga, 3rd Count di Sabbioneta (1500-32) and then to Philippe de Lannoy, Prince de Sulmona. She lived (1513-70).

1529-30 Regent Dowager Sultan Dudu of Janupur (India)

1529.... Sovereign Baroness Renée de Bourbon-Montpensier of Mercoeur (France)

The barony was given to her and her husband, Antoine, duc de Lorraine. Her son was made a prince of Mercoeur.

1529-35 Princess-Abbess Margaretha IV Brock of Baindt (Germany)

In 1521 the Princess-Abbess was mentioned as an Imperial Prelate in an inventory of the Reichsstände - the territories of the Realm.

1529-36 Reigning Abbess-General Leonor Sarmiento of the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria la Real de Las Huelgas in Burgos (Spain)

She was the Supreme Head of the congregation consisting of the monasteries of  Torquemada, Gradefes, Carrizo, Perales, San Andrés de Arroyo, Santa Maria de Otero, Cañas y Fuencaliente, Villamayor de los Montes, Renuncio, Barría y Avia and the temporal territory of Vileña.

1529 Hereditary Countess Irmgard von Sayn of Limburg an der Lenne and Broich (Germany)

Daughter of Count Johann VIII zu Sayn (1493-1529) and Otille of Nassau-Saarbrücken, she was married to Wirich von Daun-Falkenberg.

1529-31 County Sheriff Sophie Henriksdatter Gyldenstierne of the County of Hagenskov, Denmark

As Lensmand (County Sheriff) Sophie Gyldenstierne til Buckenhagen acted as the king's representative and was in charge of various aspects of the local administration. She was widow of Bendix von Ahlefeldt til Haseldorf og Gelting (1418-1517) and mother of Anne Benedictsdatter von Ahlefeldt (1515-50), and (d. after 1529).

1529-35 Politically Influential Queen Anne Boleyn of England (United Kingdom)

1530-99 Rani Abbakka Devi Chowta of Ullal (India)

Sources and historical analysis confirm that there were three Abbakkas: mother and two daughters, who fought against the Portuguese Army, but the folklore treats all three Abbakkas as one great Queen and a brilliant personality; Abbakka Mahadevi or Rani Abbakka. She was married to a neighbouring local king of Bangher, but the marriage did no last long, and the husband thus nurtured revenge against her and later on joined the Portuguese to fight her. The Portuguese had made several attempts to capture Ullal, but she had repulsed each of their attack. The first attack by the Portuguese in south Kanara coast was in 1525, when they destroyed the Mangalore port. Rani Abbakka was alerted by the incident and started preparing herself to protect her kingdom. In 1555, the Portuguese sent Admiral Don Alvaro da Silvereira against the Abbakka who had refused to pay them the tribute. She fought with courage and intelligence and pushed them out. In 1558 the Portuguese Army perpetrated another wanton cruelty on Mangalore, putting to death a number of men and women, both young and old, plundering a temple, burning ships and finally setting the city itself on fire. Again, in 1567, the Portuguese army attacked. Queen Abbakka Devi Chowta (Bucadevi I) resisted it. The same year one general Joao Peixoto was sent by the Portuguese Viceroy Antony Norohna with a fleet of soldiers.  He captured the city of Ullal and also entered the royal court. However the Queen escaped and took asylum in a mosque.  The same night, she counter-attacked the Portuguese army, with a help of 200 of her soldiers and killed General Peixoto and 70 Portuguese soldiers. The invaders were forced to flee to their ships in disgrace. In 1569, the Portuguese Army not only regained the Mangalore Fort but also captured Kundapur (Basrur). The Portuguese won the confidence of her estranged husband, kind of Bangher and started attacking Ullal.  She fought vigorously, and formed an alliance in 1570 with Bijapur Sultan Ahmed Nagar and the Zanmorine of Calicut.  Kutty Pokar Markar, a general of the Zamorine fought on her behalf and destroyed the Portuguese fort at Mangalore but while returning he was killed by the Portuguese. She was finally arrested and jailed. However, she revolted in the prison and died as a soldier - fighting.

1530-33 Acting County Sheriff Anne Jørgensdatter Rud of the County of Roskilde Vor Frue Kloster, Denmark 

Anne Rud married Rigsråd Henrik Krummedige, who was Councillor of the Realm in both Denmark and Norway. In 1502 she was in charge of the defence of the Norwegian boarder-castle Båhus in his absence. She was an extremely able land-owner, farmer and trader. Since 1531 she also had possession of a number of minor fiefs in Norway, administered by her son-in-law, married to her only daughter, Sofie. She left an extensive correspondence with her daughter, son-in-law and other relatives, and according to the custom of the time, she were in charge of the upbringing of her grandchildren, before her death in 1533. 

Until 1530 Queen Tlaxco Cihuapilli of Xochimilco (Mexico)

1531-36 Pretender Caecilia of Paros (Greek Island-State)
1536-37 Princess Regnant

Successor of her father, Nicolo II (1520-31), and reigned jointly with her husband, Bernado Sagredo (d. 1603) The state was conquered by the Osman Turks 1537, and among the captured was the future Sultan Valide Nurbanu. Caecilia (d. 1543).

1531-... Sovereign Countess Guyonne XVII of Laval (France)

Daughter of Guy XVI and Charlotte de Aragon. She was originally named Catherine Anne, but took the feminized version of Guy upon her succession. She married Claude de Rieux, and was succeeded by daughter Renée in 1547, who took the name Giyonne XVIII.

1531-78 Princess-Abbess Katharina I von Bodman of Lindau   (Germany)

The Fürstäbtissin of the Ecclesiastical Territory had been member of the Geistlichen Fürstenbank (Bench of Lords Spiritual) of the Schwäbischer Kreis (Swabian Circle) the Regional Assembly since 1500 with a seat in the Imperial Diet (Reichstag). Her family was Lords (Freiherren) of Bodman, Espasingen, Wahlwies, Freudental, Langenrain and Liggeringen.

1531-77 Princess-Abbess Margaretha IV van Brederode of Thorn (The Netherlands)

Obtained papal dispensation since she was only 17 at the time of her election. She was daughter of Waleram II, Lord of Brederode and Vianden, Burgrave van Utrecht and Anna von Neuenahr. The abbesses no longer used the nun's habit and in 1544 and 1549 emperor Karl V confirmed, that Thorn was a separate entity outside the Netherlands, and also declared that the Abbey belonged to the Westphalian Circle within the Diet of the Realm. Margaretha seems to have been the first to use the right of the principality to make it's own money - and she was accused of using base metal in the coins.

1532-43 Joint Guardian Dowager Duchess Elisabeth von Hessen of Pfalz-Zweibrücken-Neuburg (Germany)
1541-43 Joint Regent of the Duchy

After the death of her husband, Duke Ludwig II, she was regent for son, Wolfgang, jointly with her brother-in-law, Ruprecht. In 1541 her son was granted the fief of the realm (reichslehn) and two years later he officially took over the government, and in 1557 his childless relative, Pfalzgraf Ottheinrich of Pfalz-Neuburg, abdicated in his favour. In 1541 she married Georg Count Palatine von Simmern (Pfalz-Simmern) (1518-69) and lived (1503-63).

1532-48 Princess-Abbess Anna I Reuss von Plauen of Gernrode and Frose (Germany)

The chapter was mismanaged during her reign, it was marked by internal disputes and the Archbishops of Magdeburg and Bishops of Halberstadt perused a policy of acquiring the lands of the Stift. 1544 the possessions of the once so powerful and rich community had fallen back to 5 villages and a limited amount of land. In 1549 she gave the city of Gernrode the right of "lower court" 10 years after it had required the position of a town. She was daughter of Heinrich III Reuβ von Plauen, Burgrave von Meiβen, Landvogt von Niederlausitz and Barbara von Anhalt, and lived (1506-48).

1532-39 Princess-Abbess Maria zu Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel of Gandersheim (Germany)

Because of the dispute following the double-election of two Abbesses in 1504, her father was able to have her appointed without an election even though she was a minor and had been K She newer set foot in the chapter. The administration was taken over by Ducal civil servants. She lived (1527-39).

1532-39 Princess-Abbess Margaretha I Hauptmann of Heggbach (Germany)

Initiated extensive renovations of the central buildings of the chapter. Her father, Hans Hauptmann, was Secretary of the Abbey of Salem. One brother was Priest in Griesingen and another brother citizen of Lindau.

1532 County Sheriff Sophie Predbjørnsdatter Podebusk of the County of Malmøhus with the Shires of Oxle, Ingelstad and Jærestad and the County of Högby (At the time part of Denmark, now Sweden)
1532-40 County Sheriff of the County of Ellinge, Denmark
1538-40 County Sheriff of the County of Isløf

Sophie Podebusk administered the tenantcies after the death of her husband, Albert Jepsen Ravensberg, who had been invested with the fief in 1529. She was later given Isløf for life. (d. 1540).

1533-38 (†) Regent Dowager Grand Duchess Yelena Vasilevna Glinskaya of Russia

Елена Васильевна Глинская or Elena Glinskaya, assumed power in the name of her three year old son Ivan IV, later known as "the Terrible". Her brother-in-law, Yuri challenged his rights to the throne, was arrested and imprisoned in a dungeon. She deposed a member of the regency-council, Prince George III of Dimitrov, and had another brother-in-law killed, but a short time afterwards she suddenly died, almost surely poisoned. A week later her confidant, Prince Ivan Obolensky, was arrested and beaten to death by his jailers. She was not very interested in her son, who was left to the care of Agrafena Oblenskaya, who was imprisoned in a convent, and Ivan was neglected during the rest of his upbringing. Yelena lived (Ca. 1506-38).

1533-66 Margravine Margherita Palaiologina of Monferrato 
1540-50 Regent of Mantova
1540-60 Sovereign Countess of Carmagnola (Italy) 

In 1530 her brother, Bonifacio IV (1512-18-30), had been succeeded by their uncle, the former Bishop Giangiorgio Sebastiano, and she and her older sisters became heiresses presumptive. After her sister Maria had divorced Federico II di Mantova and entered the Convent of Casale, Margherita took over her claims to the Margravate and married Federico, who was given the title of Margrave of Mantova in 1536. After his death she became regent for son Gugliermo jointly with brother-in-law, Cardinal Ercole. She lived (1510-66).

Until 1533 Sovereign Princess Louise de Coëtivy of Mortagne-sur-Gironde, Countess de Taillebourg, Baroness de Royan (France)

Her father, Charles de Coetivy, was styled prince of Mortagne in 1487. She married Charles de La Trémoïlle, prince de Talmon in 1501. She lived (1481-1533).

1533-77 Reigning Dowager Lady Dowager Duchess Margarete von Brandenburg of and Administrative Unit and Town of Tribsee in Pommern (At the time part of Germany, now Poland)

Second wife of Georg I von Pommern (1493-1531) who died after one year of marriage. Mother of one daughter, Georgia (1531-74), who later married Stanislaus Latalski Count von Labischin, Stardost von Inowrazlaw und Schlochau. Margareta settled her dowry with her stepson, Phillip, and moved there in 1533. She was daughter of Elector Joachim von Brandenburg and Elisabeth of Denmark, and lived (1511-77).

1533-36 Princess-Abbess Katharina II von Redwitz of Obermünster in Regensburg (Germany)

It is not certain who she was elected to succeed.

1534 or 1547 Regent Dowager Queen Maha Tewi of Lan Xang (Laos)

King Photisarath, who reigned (1520-1547) was devoted to Buddhism but failed to eradicate animism and witchcraft. To improve trade with Siam and Annam he moved his capital to Vientiane. After Chiangmai's line of kings was ended by assassination in 1543, Photisarath accepted the crown for his young son Sethathirat and sent a regent. Siam's King Phrajai led an army but was persuaded by Princess Maha Tewi to return home. After Photisarath died in 1547, Sethathirat had to go back to Lan Xang to prevent his brothers from partitioning the kingdom, and Phrajai invaded again. Princess Maha Tewi fought back, and the Siamese army retreated and was routed by the Laos army. Sethathirat managed to withstand Burmese invasions, first by fleeing to Ayutthaya and then by moving his capital to Vientiane in 1563. After he died in 1570, Burmese king Bayinnaung had Sethathirat's brother Oupahat put on the throne in 1575, replacing Sethathirat's father-in-law Saensurin.

1534-34 Acting Governor Ana Pimentel of the Capitania de São Vicente (Brazil)

Her husband, Martim Afonso de Sousa, arrived in Brazil and explored the country in 1531. He founded the first formal Portuguese settlement in the village of São Vicente, and in 1533 he left her in charge of the administration as he left for Portugal. The following year the captaincies system was introduced and she became the Acting Capitana, and besides sugar cane plantations, she also stimulated cattle breeding in the region. Her husband never returned to Brazil.

1534 Joint Sovereign Lady Rosina von Wildenstein of Breitenegg (Germany)

The daughter of Alexanders II von Wildenstein inherited half of the Lordship. Succeeded by husband, Karl von Welden.

1534-51 Princess-Abbess Sibylla von Montfort-Rotenfels of Essen (Germany)

As the territory got more character of an actual state, three estates developed like in other German States, with the Ladies of the Chapter constituting the First Estate. The Second Estate was the Male Canons in the Male Chapter and the Third Estate was constituted by the Office-Holders (Ministerials) of the Chapter and State, who were of low nobility. The three estates were constituted the members of the Landtag (Local Diet) Sibylla was daughter of Count Hugo von Montfort and Countess Anna von Zweibrücken, and her sister; Margarete II was abbess of Buchau (1540-56/59).

1534-43 Princess-Abbess Kunigunde II von Geroldseck und Sulz of Säckingen (Germany)

Her family had been lords of Hohengeroldseck through many years, and in 1519 the family was given Sulz as a fief but had to give it back to Württemberg 1532, though they continued to use the name of von Hohengeroldseck und Sulz. In 1534 the lordship became an Austrian fief. 

1534-75 Reigning Abbess Louise I de Bourbon of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud (France)

A woman of sincere but gloomy piety, and during her tenure the order suffered many losses at the hands of the Protestants, who even besieged the great abbey itself, though without success; many nuns apostatized, but twelve more houses were reformed. She was daughter of Marie de Luxembourg, Sovereign Countess of Saint Pôl, Ligny, de Marle, Soissons and Conversano, Sovereign Princess of Condé-en-Brie etc. (1472-82-1546) and François de Bourbon, Count of Vendôme.

1535-37 Sovereign Baroness Caecilia Sangredo of Naupila (Greece)

Reigned Jointly with Bernardo Sangredo. The island had been in the hands of Venezia 1531-35.

1535-83 Princess-Abbess Anna VIII Wittmeyer of Baindt (Germany)

In 1560 the church of the chapter got a new arch in the late gothic style, and in 1573 the General Abbott Nicholas I Bucherat demanded that the chapter and its rules were reformed.

1536-39 Queen Bakwa Turunku of Zaria and Abuja (Nigeria)

Succeeded grandfather king Nohir Tuknariki, succeeded first by son-in-law Karama then by two daughters, Amina and Zaria.

1536-41 Reigning Dowager Duchess Anna of Münsterberg and Sagan in Slesia (Poland)

Also known as Anna of Schlesia-Sagan, she was married to Prince Karl I Albrecht of Münsterberg-Oels (1476-1536) and reigned in Münsterberg after his death. She lived (1483-1541).

1536-40 Joint Guardian Dowager Lady Magdalena von Mansfeld of Lippe (Germany)

After the death of her husband, Simon V, she became guardian for her 8-year-old son, Bernhard VIII, the 15. Noble Lord to Lippe and 2. Count to Lippe (Edler Herr und Graf zur Lippe), and Count Adolf von Schaumburg, Koadjutors von Köln, Count Jobst von Hoya were regents until 1438. She lived (1509-40).

1536-42 Princess-Abbess Wandula von Schaumberg of Obermünster in Regensburg (Germany)

It is not certain who succeeded her, but Barbara II von Sandizell reigned until 1564.

1536-39 and 1543-55 Reigning  Abbess-General Isabel de Navarra y Mendoza  of the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria la Real de Las Huelgas in Burgos (Spain)

1537-60 Sovereign Duchess Adrienne II of Estouteville (France)

Daughter of Jean III, Seigneur d'Estouteville, and married François de Bourbon-Vendôme, Duc d'Estouteville and Count of Saint-Pôl, and was succeeded by daughter, Marie de Bourbon-Saint-Pôl, Countess of St. Pol from 1546. She lived (1512-60).

1537-57 Reigning Dowager Lady Elisabeth zu Hessen of the Castle, City and Administrative Unit of Rochlitz, the Castle and Administrative Unit of Kriebstein with the cities of Waldheim and Hartha in Sachsen (Germany)

Also known as Elisabeth von Rochlitz she received the lordships as dowry after the death of her husband, Johann zu Sachsen (1498-1537). She was the first territorial ruler in Germany to give her citizen freedom of confession and conscience, but her father-in-law, Duke Georg of Sachsen, "makes sure" that she is excommunicated, which meant that all citizen were declared free and she was no longer under princely protection. But she accepted the Evangelical preacher Magister Schütz aus Kassel, who was send to her lordship by her brother, Landgrave Philipp von Hessen, who had already introduced the reformation in her lands. She was a very effective administrator and developed her fief economically and culturally. She lived (1502-57).

1537-ca. 54 Lady Regnant Anna von Haracourt of Bettingen, Dollendorf, Fischbach, Falkenstein and Everlingen (Germany)

Already old when she inherited the "Haracourt Inheritance" from the last male of the family, Count Wilhelm von Haracourt-Dollendorf-Brandenburg. Her daughter Anna von Solm, Heiress of Dollendorf (d. 1557) married as his second wife, Count Jakob von Manderscheid-Kail, and Anna von Haracourt declared that her granddaughter, Anna von Manderscheid (1630-61) should be her sole heir, but in the end the inheritance was divided among the Manderscheid-Kail and Solm families. 

1537-65 Sovereign Duchess Anne de Pisseleu of Étampes (France)

Created Duchess jointly with husband, Jean de Brosse. She was mistress of King François I.

Ca. 1538-68 Rani Regnant Abbaka Devi of Ullal (India)

Allied herself with Malabar Kings and feudal lords, challenging the Portuguese invasion into Mangalore. For three decades, she defied the Portuguese supremacy refusing to pay tribute to them. However, at the famous siege of Mangalore in 1568, the Queen and her Moorish allies suffered a crushing defeat by the Portuguese army.

1539-44 Acting Governor Inés de Bobadilla, Cuba (Spanish Colony)

Left in charge of the government when her husband, Hernando de Soto (1496/1500-42) left for an expedition where he died in 1542. Two years later Juan de Avila was appointed governor.

1539-47  Princess-Abbess Klara von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel of Gandersheim (Germany)

In 1542 the Sclamalkaldic League forcibly introduced Protestantism to the area. In 1547 her father, Duke Heinrich of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, reintroduced the catholic faith, but only a few years later Lutheranism was permanently introduced by her brother, Duke Julius of Braunschweig (1528-1589). She was appointed in succession to her sister, Maria, who was Fürstäbtissin all her life (1521-39). Klara or Clara resigned in order to marry Duke Philipp II von Braunschweig-Grubenhagen (d. 1596). She lived (1532-95).

1539-53 Princess-Abbess Veronica Berenike Krel of Heggbach (Germany)

Her surname might also have been Kröhl. In August 1546 an Evangelical ordinance banns the ladies of the chapter to pray in the choir, to celebrate mass and take communion, but in December the Chapter is granted freedom of religion. She lived (1487-1559).

1539-47  Princess-Abbess Klara von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel of Gandersheim (Germany)

In 1542 the Sclamalkaldic League forcibly introduced Protestantism to the area. In 1547 her father, Duke Heinrich of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, reintroduced the catholic faith, but only a few years later Lutheranism was permanently introduced by her brother, Duke Julius of Braunschweig (1528-1589). She was appointed in succession to her sister, Maria, who was Fürstäbtissin 1532-39. Klara or Clara resigned in order to marry Duke Philipp II von Graunswheig-Grubenhagen (d. 1596). She lived (1532-95).

1539-43 Reigning Abbess-General María de Aragón of the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria la Real de Las Huelgas in Burgos (Spain)