Matilda of Habsburg

Matilda of Habsburg or Melchilde (1253 in Rheinfelden – 23 December 1304 in Munich, Bavaria) was, by marriage, a duchess of Bavaria. She was regent of Upper Bavaria during the minority of her younger son, Louis IV in 1294-1301. Marriage Matilda was the eldest daughter of Rudolf I of Germany and Gertrude of Hohenberg. She became the third wife of Louis II, Duke of Bavaria, on 24 October 1273 in Aachen. Matilda and Louis had the following children: Agnes (d. 1345); married firstly, in 1290 in Donauwörth, Henry the Younger of Hesse. Married secondly, in 1298/1303, Henry I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal. Rudolf I (4 October 1274, Basel – 12 August 1319). Mechthild (1275 – 28 March 1319, Lüneburg), married 1288 to Duke Otto II of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Louis IV (1 April 1282, Munich – 11 October 1347 in Puch, near Fürstenfeldbruck). Regency On her husband's death in 1294, Matilda acted as regent for her younger son Louis. A decision was made for Matilda to take part of the duchy with her younger son Louis, for whom she became regent, and her elder son Rudolf (who was an adult) to take the other part. Matilda took a large part of Upper Bavaria while Rudolf took the cities such as: Ingolstadt, Langenfeld and Rietberg. Within a couple of years her son came of age and ruled the kingdom by himself.