Mary of Burgundy ruled over the territories of the Duchy of Burgundy, most of which are in now in modern day France. Her father, Charles the Bold, ruled the extremely wealthy lands consisting of the Duchy of Burgundy, several ‘Low Countries’ and the Free Country of Burgundy. Charles did not have any sons and Mary being his only child, was the natural heir to her father’s legacy. Mary began to administer her father’s lands, after he died on the battlefield in 1477. King Louis XI of France was most eager to occupy the lands for himself, so he proposed Mary’s marriage to his son Charles. Given the fact that Mary was ruling the richest lands, she received many such marriage proposals, but she ended up getting married to Archduke Maximilian of Austria. He later became the Holy Roman Emperor. Under her rule, peace prevailed across her land and she also focused on establishing good relations with all the neighbouring lands. She passed away in 1482, after suffering from injuries during a hunting trip.