Count Magnus

Brahe Brahe (originally ''Bragde'') is the name of two closely related Scanian noble families who were influential in both Danish and Swedish history. Danish family The first member of the family using the name Brahe is speculated to have been Verner B ...

(1564–1633) was a Swedish noble. Being both Lord High Constable and

Lord High Steward The Lord High Steward is the first of the Great Officers of State in England, nominally ranking above the Lord Chancellor. The office has generally remained vacant since 1421, and is now an ''ad hoc'' office that is primarily ceremonial and ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, he was a notable figure in 17th century Sweden.

Early life

Magnus Brahe, a son of

Per Brahe the Elder Per Brahe the Elder (1520–1590) was a Swedish statesman. Brahe was the son of Joakim Brahe (died 1520 in the Stockholm Bloodbath) and Margareta Eriksdotter Vasa, the sister of Gustav Eriksson Vasa, who became King of Sweden in 1523. Brahe wa ...

and Beata

Stenbock The Stenbock family is an old Swedish noble family, of which one younger branch established itself in Finland and another younger branch in Estonia, both of them in the mid 18th century, of which the first was entered into the rolls of the Finnis ...

and nephew of queen dowager

Catherine Stenbock Catherine Stenbock (Swedish: ''Katarina Gustavsdotter Stenbock''; 22 July 1535 at Torpa, Tranemo Municipality, Västergötland – 13 December 1621 at Strömsholm, Västmanland) was Queen of Sweden from 1552 to 1560 as the third and last wife of ...

, was born at

Tynnelsö Castle Tynnelsö Castle ( sv, Tynnelsö slott) is a castle in Sweden. It is on Tynnelsö island in Lake Mälaren, a few kilometres north-east of Strängnäs. The castle was built during the Middle Ages by the Diocese of Strängnäs, bishops of Strängn� ...

on 25 September 1564. He was the brother of Erik Brahe (1552–1614),

Gustaf Brahe Gustaf Brahe (8 March 1558 – 10 January 1615) was a Swedish ''riksråd'' and a Polish Field marshal. Gustaf Brahe was the son of Per Brahe the Elder and Beata Stenbock, and related to the royal family. He was the paternal grandson of Margareta ...

(1558–1615),

Margareta Brahe (1559–1638) Margareta Brahe (2 July 1559 – 26 April 1638) was a Swedish courtier; ''hovmästarinna'' (Mistress of the Robes) to princess Anna Vasa of Sweden, from 1591. Born to count Per Brahe the Elder and Beata Stenbock and niece of queen dowager Catheri ...

Sigrid Brahe Sigrid Brahe (1568–1608), was a Swedish countess, known for the great scandal ''Onsdagsbröllopet'' (The Wednesday Wedding) in 1595. Sigrid Brahe was the daughter of count Per Brahe the Elder and Beata Stenbock and niece of queen dowager Cathe ...

and

Abraham Brahe Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jew ...

(1569–1630).

Career

He became a chamberlain of King

Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it '' Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...

in 1590. Four years later, he left Sigismund and started to support Sigismund's cousin Duke Carl, who was an enemy of Sigismund and challenged the king for the throne. Brahe received various important assignments from Duke Carl, and eventually, in 1602, Brahe became Lord High Constable (Swedish: ''riksmarsk'') and a member of the Swedish Privy Council. Brahe's older brothers had supported Sigismund which led to them losing the Visingsborg earldom. Having been a trustful supporter of Duke Carl, who became regent of Sweden in 1599 and king 1604, Brahe was declared Count of Visingsborg instead. When King Carl IX died and was succeeded by his son

Gustavus Adolphus Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...

in 1611, Brahe remained a close confidant of the new king. The same year, he was appointed

(Swedish: ''riksdrots''), becoming arguably the most prominent member of the Privy Council. In 1614, he was made the first president of

Svea Court of Appeal Svea Court of Appeal ( sv, Svea hovrätt), located in Stockholm, is one of six appellate courts in the Swedish legal system. It is located in the Wrangel Palace, on Riddarholmen islet in Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm. History The Svea Co ...

, when this court was created. Brahe was knighted at the coronation of Gustavus Adolphus in October 1617.

Family life and death

Brahe married Countess Brita Stensdotter

Leijonhufvud Leijonhufvud (also Germanized as Lewenhaupt) is the name of a Swedish noble family, from which some of the family members were granted baronial title. The baronial branch was 1568 granted the status of counts, and changed their family name to Lew ...

(1567–1611) at Gräfsnäs Palace on 10 November 1594. They were parents of

Ebba Brahe Ebba Magnusdotter Brahe (16 March 1596 – 5 January 1674) was a Swedish countess, landowner, and courtier. She is foremost known for being the love object of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, and because he wished to marry her prior to his marria ...

(1596–1674), who was the subject of king Gustav Adolphus' love. The countess died in 1611, and Brahe remarried at

Strömsholm Palace Strömsholm Palace, sometimes called Strömsholm Castle ( sv, Strömsholms slott), is a Swedish royal palace. The baroque palace is built on the site of a fortress from the 1550s, located on an island in the Kolbäcksån river at the west end of ...

on 18 October 1618, this time with Baroness Helena Bielke (1592–1651). He died in Stockholm on 3 March 1633 due to an illness, which possibly was caused by the great grief Brahe felt when king Gustavus Adolphus died four months earlier. He was buried on 12 May the same year in Västerås Cathedral.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brahe, Magnus 1564 births 1633 deaths Swedish nobility

Magnus Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...

16th-century Swedish politicians 17th-century Swedish politicians