Burgundian inheritance (1477) in the context of "Philip the Bold"

Mary of Burgundy (French: Marie de Bourgogne; Dutch: Maria van Bourgondië; 13 February 1457 – 27 March 1482), nicknamed the Rich, was a member of the House of Valois-Burgundy, and ruler in her own right (sui iuris) over much of the Valois-Burgundian lands, from 1477 to 1482. Her effective rule extended over major part of the Burgundian Netherlands, while she also claimed the rest of the Burgundian inheritance, including domains that were seized by her cousin, the French king Louis XI in 1477, such as the Duchy of Burgundy, the Free County of Burgundy and several other lands, both within the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire.

As the only child of Charles the Bold, ruler of the Valois-Burgundian State, and his wife Isabella of Bourbon, Mary became the heiress of Valois-Burgundian lands, and at the age of 19, upon the death of her father in the Battle of Nancy on 5 January 1477, she claimed the entire inheritance, being accepted as the new ruler in several domains. Her claims were not recognized by the French king Louis XI, who quickly seized various Valois-Burgundian domains, not only those that belonged to the French realm (such as the Duchy of Burgundy), but also some that belonged to the Holy Roman Empire (such as the Free County of Burgundy). Those disputes led to the War of the Burgundian Succession.

The Treaty of Arras was concluded at Arras on 23 December 1482, between King Louis XI of France and Archduke Maximilian I of Austria, thus ending the first phase of the War of the Burgundian Succession, that broke out in 1477 over the Burgundian inheritance, a collection of Valois-Burgundy domains that included the Burgundian Netherlands and several other possessions of the House of Valois-Burgundy.

The Treaty of Senlis concerning the Burgundian succession was signed at the French city of Senlis on 23 May 1493, between King Charles VIII of France and Maximilian I, at the time King of the Romans and future Holy Roman Emperor, who acted on behalf of his young son Philip the Handsome, the Habsburg claimant to the Burgundian inheritance. The treaty contained 48 clauses, dealing with various political, dynastic and territorial questions that were previously addressed by the Treaty of Arras (1482).