Infanta Catherine Michelle of Spain

Catalina Micaela was born on 10 October 1567, the younger surviving daughter of Philip II of Spain and Elisabeth of Valois. She married Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and became Duchess of Savoy. When her husband left on campaign, she took the reins — ruling the duchy as regent multiple times, most notably during his 1594 expedition. She died on 6 November 1597, thirty years old, having spent her short life shuttling between the inheritance of empire and the mechanics of holding territory in her husband's absence.