Margaret of Parma: A Life presents a woman who had a vital part in the political dramas of Reformation Europe. A natural child of Charles V, she was educated in the courts of Brussels, Florence, Rome, and Parma, and then was thrust into religious and political tumult in the Netherlands, where she showed ability and character. At eight she was moved to Italy to be educated and then married to Alessandro de’Medici. Alessandro’s murder enabled Charles to marry her to Ottavio Farnese, the grandson of Pope Pius III. The union gave her years of experience in Rome. Her father’s abdication took Margaret back to the Netherlands as regent for Philip II. His authoritarian rule and the Calvinist uprising rendered the position horrifying. When rebuked and replaced by the Duke of Alba, Margaret returned to Italy as ruler of Abruzzo.The character of Margaret assured her importance as she dealt with essential issues of life and rule. This biography reveals a woman dedicated to compromise and conciliation in public affairs.