The Empress, the Queen, and the Nun: Women and Power at the Court of Philip III of Spain - Paperbackby Magdalena S. S? nchez (Author) Honorable Mention for the Book Award ifrom the Society for the Study of Early Modern Women In the early seventeenth century, when Spanish interests often competed with those of the House of Austria, three women in the court of Philip III of Spain Empress Mara, Philip's grandmother; Margaret of Austria, Philip's wife; and Margaret of the Cross, Philip's aunt worked behind the scenes to win favor for the causes of the