Born in 1522, she had been married at the age of fourteen to Alexander de' Medici, a nephew of Clement VII; becoming a widow in the following year she was in 1538 married to Ottavio Farnese, a nephew of Paul III, at that time only fourteen years old.

Given as her dower the cities of Parma and Piacenza, she had become thoroughly Italian in feeling.
[Sidenote: Anthony Perrenot Cardinal Granvelle, 1517-86] To guide her Philip left, besides the Council of State, a special "consulta" or "kitchen cabinet" of three members, the chief of whom was Granvelle.

The real fatherland of this native of the Free County of Burgundy was the court.

As a passionate servant of the crown and a clever and knowing diplomat, he was in constant correspondence with Philip, recommending measures over the head of Margaret.

His acts made her intensely unpopular and her attempts to coax and cozen public opinion only aroused suspicion.
{251} [Sidenote: Egmont, 1522-68] Three members in the Council of State, Granvelle and two others, were partisans of the crown; three other members may be said to represent the people.