The De la Gardie family (also de la Gardie) is the name of a distinguished

Swedish noble The Swedish nobility ( sv, Adeln eller Ridderskapet och Adeln) has historically been a legally and/or socially privileged class in Sweden, and part of the so-called ''frälse'' (a derivation from Old Swedish meaning ''free neck''). The archaic term ...

family of

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

origin.

History

The family's social status in France is uncertain; the founder, Ponce d'Escouperie, son of a tradesman, came to Sweden as a

mercenary A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...

in 1565 and took the name

Pontus De la Gardie Baron Pontus De la Gardie (c. 1520 – 5 November 1585) was a French nobleman and a general in the service of Denmark and Sweden. Life and career He was born Ponce d'Escouperie in Caunes-Minervois (Aude), Languedoc, a son of Jacques Esc ...

when registered by the House of Knights. He was given the title

friherre (; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...

in 1571 and married

Sofia Johansdotter Gyllenhielm Sofia Johansdotter Gyllenhielm (1556/59 – June 1583), was a Swedish noble, the illegitimate daughter of King John III of Sweden and Karin Hansdotter. Life She spent her early childhood with her mother in Turku Castle in the Duchy of Finl ...

, an illegitimate daughter of king John III in 1580. The baronial title ended with his eldest son John De la Gardie. Pontus De la Gardie's second son,

Jacob De la Gardie Field Marshal and Count Jacob Pontusson De la Gardie (Reval, 20 June 1583 – Stockholm, 22 August 1652) was a statesman and a soldier of the Swedish Empire, and a Marshal from 1620 onward. He was Privy Councilor from 1613 onward, Governor o ...

, was given the title

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

of Läckö in 1615; his grandson Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie became a favourite of Queen Christina and married her cousin, Countess Palatine Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrücken (a sister of

Charles X Gustav of Sweden Charles X Gustav, also Carl Gustav ( sv, Karl X Gustav; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. Afte ...

). The De la Gardie of Läckö comital lineage is extinct. The current head of the family, Carl Gustaf De la Gardie (1946– ), lives outside

Linköping Linköping () is a city in southern Sweden, with around 105,000 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linköping (Church ...

Members

Notable members include: *

(1520–1585), Governor of

Swedish Estonia Estonia under Swedish rule (1561–1710) signifies the period of time when large parts of the country, and after 1645, entire present-day Estonia, were under Swedish rule. In the wake of the breakup of the State of the Teutonic Order, the Balti ...

(1574–1575) and (1583–1585), married Sofia Johansdotter Gyllenhielm, illegitimate daughter of

John III of Sweden John III ( sv , Johan III, fi, Juhana III; 20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592) was King of Sweden from 1569 until his death. He was the son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife Margaret Leijonhufvud. He was also, quite autonomous ...

(1583–1652), son of Pontus, led Swedish army to

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. * ''Johan De la Gardie'' (1582–1642), Governor of

1626-28) * Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie (1622–1686), Swedish statesman, son of Jacob. *

Maria Sofia De la Gardie Maria Sofia De la Gardie (1627 – 22 August 1694) was a Swedish noble, countess, courtier, banker and industrialist entrepreneur. She is most known for her industrial enterprises, and she has been referred to as the first female grand entrepren ...

(1627–1694), industrialist *

Axel Julius De la Gardie Axel Julius de la Gardie (1637–1710) was a Swedish Field Marshal and was appointed Governor-General over Estonia. Axel Julius was the son of military commander Jacob De la Gardie and Ebba Brahe. He became colonel of an infantry regiment and a ...

(1637–1710), Swedish field marshal, son of Jacob. *

Johanna Eleonora De la Gardie Johanna Eleonora De la Gardie (1661 in Hamburg – 1708 in Stockholm), was a Swedish writer, poet, lady-in-waiting and noblewoman. Biography Johanna was the daughter of Pontus Fredrik De la Gardie and Beata Elisabet von Königsmarck. She receiv ...

(1661–1708),

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

, poet *

Magnus Julius De la Gardie Magnus Julius De la Gardie (14 April 1668 – 28 April 1741), son of Axel Julius De la Gardie, was a Swedish general and statesman, member of the Swedish Hats Party. Magnus Julius De la Gardie was born in 1668 in Stockholm. He started his milita ...

(1668–1710), Swedish general and statesman, son of Axel. *

Brita Sophia De la Gardie Brita Sophia De la Gardie (22 April 1713 – 1797) was a Swedish noble and amateur actress who later converted to Catholicism and became a nun. She was a central member of the cultural life in Stockholm in her time. She played a part in the hist ...

(1713–1797), amateur actress, culture personality *

Catherine Charlotte De la Gardie Countess Catherine Charlotte De la Gardie (née Catharina Charlotta Taube; 5 April 1723 – 24 March 1763), also known as Catherine Charlotte de La Gardie, was a Swedish countess and courtier. She is famed for her support of the smallpox vaccina ...

(1723–1763), heroine *

Eva Ekeblad Eva Ekeblad (née De la Gardie; 10 July 1724 – 15 May 1786) was a Swedish countess, salon hostess, agronomist, and scientist. She was widely known for discovering a method in 1746 to make alcohol and flour from potatoes, allowing greater use ...

''née'' Eva De la Gardie, (1724–1786), scientist *

Hedvig Catharina De la Gardie Hedvig Catharina von Fersen, née De la Gardie (Stockholm, 20 May 1732–Stockholm, 24 April 1800) was a Swedish noble. She was the daughter of the General and ''riksråd'' count Magnus Julius De la Gardie and the political salonist Hedvig Catha ...

(1732–1800), daughter of Magnus Julius, wife of

Axel von Fersen the Elder 250px, Fredrik Axel von Fersen Count Fredrik Axel von Fersen (5 April 171924 April 1794) was a Swedish statesman and soldier. He served as Lord Marshal of the Riksdag of the Estates, and although he worked closely with King Gustav III before and ...

and mother of

Axel von Fersen the Younger Hans Axel von Fersen (; 4 September 175520 June 1810), known as Axel de Fersen in France, was a Swedish count, Marshal of the Realm of Sweden, a General of Horse in the Royal Swedish Army, one of the Lords of the Realm, aide-de-camp to Rochamb ...

. *

Hedvig Ulrika De la Gardie Hedvig Ulrika De la Gardie (29 November 1761 in Stockholm, Sweden – 7 February 1832 in Stockholm), was a Swedish lady-in-waiting. She was married to Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt. She was the head governess of the Swedish royal children in 1799–18 ...

(1761–1832), lady-in-waiting

References

External links

*
Ancestry.com De la GardieThe De la Gardie Archive
Swedish historic documents and family archives a
Lund University Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:De La Gardie Swedish noble families De la Gardie family Swedish families of French ancestry

History

Members

See also

References

External links