Maria Sofia De la Gardie

Maria Sofia De la Gardie (1627 – Stockholm, 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 entrepreneur of her country. She served as överhovmästarinna to Queen Christina of Sweden.

Maria Sofia De la Gardie was born to count Jacob De la Gardie and Ebba Brahe. She was the sister of Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie, the favorite of queen Christina, and the sister-in-law of Princess Countess Palatine Maria Eufrosyne of Zweibrücken, the cousin of the queen. She was born and raised in Swedish Estonia, where her father was governor of Reval.

In 1643, she married baron Gustaf Gabrielsson Oxenstierna, nephew of regent Axel Oxenstierna, who succeeded her father as governor of Estonia. As was the custom in 17th century Swedish nobility, however, she kept her own name also after marriage. Both her own family and the family of her spouse was extremely wealthy. During his absence, she managed his estates.

After the death of her spouse in 1648, she became the guardian of her two underage daughters and responsible of the vast estates of the family. After the death of her father in 1652, she was given the responsibility of several estates also after him, making her one of the greater landowners in Sweden.

Maria Sofia was appointed Mistress of the Robes to the queen in 1648: first with the title hovmastarinna (Court Mistress) and from 1651 to 1654 with the rank of overhovmastarinna (Chief Court Mistress). Maria Sofia are described as a great beauty, temperamental and forceful and also talented: she could speak both French and German fluently. She was close to her brother Magnus Gabriel, the favorite of the monarch. It was possibly because of him she was showered with gifts from the monarch: among other things, she was given an allowance which helped her sort out her affairs, and her late spouse was also posthumously granted the title of count, giving her the title of countess so that she would not have to stand back to the countesses in rank at court. She often hosted the queen at her residence Tyresö Palace, were the monarch liked to hunt.

...
Wikipedia