▁Gr imm ’ s ▁Fair y ▁T ales . ▁According ▁to ▁S ander , ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁Snow ▁White ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁Marg are tha ▁von ▁Wal deck , ▁a ▁German ▁count ess ▁born ▁to ▁Philip ▁IV ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 3 . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 6 , ▁Marg are te ▁was ▁forced ▁by ▁her ▁ste pm other , ▁Kath arina ▁of ▁H atz feld , ▁to ▁move ▁away ▁to ▁Br uss els . ▁There , ▁Marg are te ▁fell ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁a ▁prince ▁who ▁would ▁later ▁become ▁Philip ▁II ▁of ▁Spain . ▁Marg are te ' s ▁father ▁and ▁ste pm other ▁disapp ro ved ▁of ▁the ▁relationship ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁‘ polit ically ▁incon ven ient ’ . ▁Marg are te ▁myster iously ▁died ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 1 , ▁apparently ▁having ▁been ▁poison ed . ▁Historical ▁accounts ▁point ▁to ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁Spain ▁who , ▁in ▁oppos ing ▁the ▁rom ance , ▁may ▁have ▁dispatch ed ▁Spanish ▁agents ▁to ▁murder ▁Marg are te . ▁ ▁Sch olar ▁Graham ▁Anderson ▁comp ares ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Snow ▁White ▁to ▁the ▁Roman ▁legend ▁of ▁Ch ione , ▁recorded ▁in ▁O vid ' s ▁Met am orph oses . ▁The ▁name ▁Ch ione ▁means ▁" S now " ▁in ▁Greek ▁and , ▁in ▁the ▁story , ▁she ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁beautiful ▁woman ▁in ▁the ▁land , ▁so ▁beautiful ▁that ▁the ▁gods ▁Apol lo ▁and ▁Mercur y ▁both ▁fell ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁her