Beata Oxenstierna

Beata Oxenstierna (1591 in Reval Castle – 16 March 1652), was a Swedish aristocrat and courtier. She served as överhovmästarinna to Christina, Queen of Sweden, from 1639 to 1647. Life Beata Oxenstierna was born to Baron Erik Gabrielsson Oxenstierna (1540s–1594) and Bengta Gera. Her father had been a courtier to Princess Cecilia Vasa of Sweden, and governor in Swedish Livonia, and she was born in Reval in Livonia during his tenure as governor there. She served as maid of honor to the queen of Sweden, Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, in 1610–1613. In 1613, she married Erik Göransson Ulfsparre af Broxvik (1577–1631), but as was the custom at the Swedish nobility up until the late 18th century, she kept her name even after her marriage. Her spouse served as governor in Stegeborg 1615–18, Norrköping 1618–21, Kronoberg 1621–26, and Östergötland 1627–1631; Beata Oxenstierna was widowed in 1631. Court life On 2 February 1639, she was appointed överhovmästarinna (mistress of the Robes) to queen Christina. After the death of the queen's foster mother and aunt Catherine of Sweden, Countess Palatine of Kleeburg, the Royal Regency Council under Axel Oxenstierna saw a need to appoint a new foster mother to the underage monarch (her mother being exiled), which resulted in a reorganization of the queen's household. In order to avoid the young queen from being dependent upon a single individual and favorite mother figure, the Royal Council decided to split the office of head lady-in-waiting (responsible for the queen's female courtiers) and the office royal governess (or foster mother) in four, with two women appointed to share each office. Accordingly, in 1639 Ebba Leijonhufvud and Christina Natt och Dag was appointed to share the position of royal governess and foster mother with the title Upptuktelse-Förestånderska ('Castigation Mistress'), while Beata Oxenstierna and Ebba Ryning was appointed to share the position of head lady-in-waiting, all four with the formal rank and title of Hovmastarinna.