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Why was the Treaty of Cambrai called the Peace of the Ladies?

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Francis I King Francis I of France, portrait by Pierre Dumonstier, after a drawing by Jean Clouet; in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.

The Treaty of Cambrai, signed on August 3, 1529, is known as the "Peace of the Ladies" (Paix des Dames) because it was negotiated by two prominent women acting as representatives for their respective monarchs.12

The negotiations were conducted by:

Louise of Savoy: The mother of Francis I, who frequently served as regent during the king's absences and acted on his behalf during these talks.12
Margaret of Austria: The aunt of the Holy Roman emperor Charles V and the regent of the Netherlands, who represented her nephew's interests.13

By facilitating this agreement, these two regents successfully brought a temporary end to one phase of the Italian Wars between France and the Habsburg Empire, allowing both exhausted sides to pause their conflict.1