Page "Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor" Paragraph 5

The wedding contract between Maximilian and Mary stipulated that only the children of bride and groom had a right to inherit from each, not the surviving parent.

Mary tried to bypass this rule with a promise to transfer territories as a gift in case of her death, but her plans were confounded.

After Mary's tragic death in a riding accident on 27 March 1482 near the Wijnendale Castle, Maximilian's aim was now to secure the inheritance to one of his and Mary's children, Philip the Handsome.