Career
She was the regent of Parma 1626-1628. The first child of Gianfrancesco and Olimpia Aldobrandini (1567–1637), grandchildren of pope Clement VIII. The marriage guaranteed Ranuccio a rich dowry and the independence of his duchy, still a fiefdom of the church entrusted to the Farnese family. The couple"s first child, Alessandro, was finally born in 1610, but he was born deaf.
In 1612 Odoardo was born, followed in 1615 by Maria, who married Francesco I d"Este, in 1618 by Vittoria and in 1619 by Francesco Maria, the future cardinal.
He died on 5 March 1622 and at first his heir Odoardo was put under the regency of cardinal Odoardo then, on Odoardo"s death, of his mother, who then held it until he reached sixteen. She then continued living at the court until her death in 1646, which also saw Odoardo"s death.
Margherita and Ranuccio had five children:
Alessandro;
Odoardo (1612-1646);
Maria (1616–1631), married Francesco I d"Este;
Vittoria (1618–1649), married Francesco I d"Este after Maria"s death;
Francesco Maria (1619–1647), the last Farnese cardinal, appointed in 1645.
