Elsa Beata Persdotter Brahe (1629 – 7 April 1653), ''Elizabeth Beatrice'' was a Swedish countess and duchess, married to

Adolph John I, Count Palatine of Kleeburg Adolph John I (German: ''Adolf Johann I.'', Swedish: ''Adolf Johan'') (11 October 1629 – 14 October 1689) was Count Palatine of Kleeburg from 1654 until 1689 and was considered Prince of Sweden until 1660. He was the younger brother of King C ...

, Duke of

Stegeborg Stegeborg Castle is a ruined castle in St Anna parish, Söderköping, Östergötland, located on an island in a narrow sound at the bay of Slätbaken. Brief history The oldest part of the castle is a square brick tower in the southeast corn ...

, the brother of king

Charles X 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 ...

Life

She was the daughter of Per Brahe the Younger and Kristina Katarina Stenbock, and was raised by her paternal grandmother Elsa Gyllenstierna at

Rydboholm Castle Rydboholm Castle (''Rydboholms slott'') is a castle located near the village of Rydbo in Österåker Municipality, Stockholm County, Uppland, Sweden. Building The castle dates back to the medieval period. The castle, with the three interconn ...

. As the majority of female nobles at the time, her education mainly focused on how to manage an estate, and how to act in a representational social life. Prior to her marriage, she served as

maid of honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Role Traditionally, a queen r ...

queen Christina of Sweden Christina ( sv, Kristina, 18 December (New Style) 1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Queen of Sweden in her own right from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. She succeeded her father Gustavus Adolphus upon his death ...

. The queen introduced her to Adolph John, and the couple was engaged in 1646. The wedding took place at

Tre Kronor (castle) Tre Kronor (; "Three Crowns") was a castle located in Stockholm, Sweden, on the site where Stockholm Palace is today. It is believed to have been a citadel that Birger Jarl built into a royal castle in the middle of the 13th century. The name "T ...

1649 in the presence of the monarch. The marriage was described as unhappy, and her spouse was said to neglect in favor of his personal pleasures. While the second spouse of Adolph John has been described as his equal in his bad habits, his first spouse has in contrast been described as his opposite in this regard and as the superior of them both.Nanna Lundh-Eriksson (1947). Hedvig Eleonora. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. ISBN The economic circumstances of the ducal couple was solved when Adolph John was appointed general governor of Västergötland in 1651. Elsa Beata had only one child: a son who lived a few months after birth in 1652. She died during a visit to Vadstena after a period of ill health.

References

* Nanna Lundh-Eriksson (1947). Hedvig Eleonora. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. ISBN * Ingrid Larsson Haglund - Grevarna Brahes vinterbok * Erik Petersson - Vicekungen - en biografi över Per Brahe den yngre {{DEFAULTSORT:Brahe, Elsa Beata 1629 births 1653 deaths 17th-century Swedish women Swedish duchesses Swedish countesses Swedish princesses Swedish ladies-in-waiting People of the Swedish Empire 17th-century Swedish nobility