Oxenstierna family

Oxenstierna (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈʊksɛnˌɧæːɳa]) is an ancient Swedish noble family, originally from Småland in southern Sweden, and can be traced up to the middle of the 14th century. The Oxenstierna family held vast estates in Södermanland and Uppland during the late middle ages and renaissance. In the 15th century, the family at times held the position of Regent of Sweden during the turbulent civil wars of the Kalmar Union. The family began to adopt its armorial designation of Oxenstierna as a personal name towards the end of the 16th century. In the case of earlier members of the family, the name has been applied by later historians.

Several members of the family, notably the influential Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, rose to prominence, high political office and titles during the age of the Swedish Empire in the 17th century. The only male-line branch still in existence today is Oxenstierna af Korsholm och Wasa, the comital branch descended from Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna, 1st Count of Korsholm and Vasa (1586–1656). Other branches of the family, such as Oxenstierna af Croneborg, Oxenstierna af Eka och Lindö, and Oxenstierna af Södermöre, are now extinct in the male line.

The family's most notable members include the following (in chronological order):

The Oxenstierna brought the blood of Agnes Hákonardottir and Charles VIII of Sweden back into the throne of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in the persons of Christian IX of Denmark and Haakon VII of Norway, and Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, the current monarch. All three monarchs today descends from the Oxenstierna through their common ancestor, Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, whose paternal grandmother was Countess Charlotte of Dohna-Schlobitten, great-great-granddaughter of Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna, 1st Count of Korsholma and Vaasa, himself father of Bengt Gabrielsson the aforementioned and first cousin of Axel and Bengt Gustafssöner, as well as great-great-great-great-grandson of regent Bengt Jönsson the aforementioned. Oxenstierna was also the distant descendant of the aforementioned Charles VIII of Sweden and Agnes Hákonardottir.

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