Magdalena Stenbock

Magdalena Stenbock (1649-1727), was a politically active Swedish Noble (countess) and salon holder. She was married to the statesman (Council President) Count Bengt Gabrielsson Oxenstierna from 1667. She was a contact for many foreign ambassadors and promoted an anti-French policy through her husband and his office.

Magdalena was born to Count Erik Stenbock, a descendant to Queen Katarina Stenbock, and the sister of the lady in waiting Hedvig Eleonora Stenbock.

Her salon was a gathering place for the foreign ambassadors posted in Stockholm and it was said that her gambling table was a centre of the Swedish alliance- and foreign policy. Her influence was well acknowledged in dimplomatic reports by foreign powers, who named her as an important contact in Swedish politics. She was described as a skillfull intriguer and "In wisdom above her husband and her gender", and in foreign reports about the views of her spouse, which were important due to his political position, it was in fact not mentioned what the Count thought about something, but rather what "The Count and the Countess" thought as a couple. Stenbock was strictly anti-French and pro-Habsburg: she worked well with the Austrian ambassador Stahremburg and the Danish reported that she was politically bought by the Holy Roman Emperor. She promoted an alliance with Austria toward Poland.

As a person, she was described as very haughty. In 1697, during the fire of the royal palace Tre kronor (castle), the royal family sought refuge in her home.

See also

• Hedvig Catharina Lillie

Literature

• Norrhem, Svante (in Swedish): Kvinnor vid maktens sida : 1632-1772 (In English: "Women by the side of power: 1632-1772") (2007) Lund (Nordic Academic Press)
• Wilhelmina Stålberg, Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor (1864)