Magnus Julius De la Gardie (14 April 1668 – 28 April 1741), son of

Axel Julius De la Gardie Axel Julius de la Gardie (1637–1710) was a Swedish Field Marshal and was appointed Governor-General over Estonia. Axel Julius was the son of military commander Jacob De la Gardie and Ebba Brahe. He became colonel of an infantry regiment and a ...

, was a Swedish general and statesman, member of the Swedish Hats Party. Magnus Julius De la Gardie was born in 1668 in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropolita ...

. He started his military career in the French army, where he fought for the French in the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

. After the Battle of Malplaquet in 1709, he became a Swedish

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

at the Royal

Dalarna Regiment The Dalarna Regiment ( sv, Dalregementet), designation I 13, is a Swedish Army infantry unit that traced its origins back to the 16th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the province of Dalarna, where it was later gar ...

, which he led in the

Battle of Gadebusch The Battle of Gadebusch or Wakenstädt (20 December 1712) was Sweden's final great victory in the Great Northern War. It was fought by the Swedes to prevent the loss of the city of Stralsund to Danish and Saxon forces. Prelude During 1712, ...

in 1712. After the successful battle, he was appointed Swedish

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

, and in 1717 he became a

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

. After the dramatic death of King

Charles XII Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII ( sv, Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden (including current Finland) from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of ...

in 1718, Magnus Julius De la Gardie became a member of the

Privy Council of Sweden The Council of the Realm, or simply The Council ( sv, Riksrådet or sv, Rådet: sometimes in la, Senatus Regni Sueciae), was a cabinet of medieval origin, consisting of magnates ( sv, stormän) which advised, and at times co-ruled with, the K ...

. The newly appointed Privy Councillor commissioned architect Joseph Gabriel Destain to design

Tullgarn Palace Tullgarn Palace ( sv, Tullgarns slott) is a royal summer palace in the province of Södermanland, south of Stockholm, Sweden. Built in the 1720s, the palace offers a mixture of rococo, Gustavian and Victorian styles. The interior design is reg ...

. In 1719 he was appointed President of the Kommerskollegium, and in 1727 he became a

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

. Magnus Julius De la Gardie was a vocal friend of the French kingdom. When the

Riksdag of the Estates Riksdag of the Estates ( sv, Riksens ständer; informally sv, Ståndsriksdagen) was the name used for the Estates of Sweden when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to t ...

was summoned in 1734, he proposed closer ties between Sweden and France. Inspired by French customs, he arranged political

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

s, a novelty never heard of in Sweden at the beginning of the 18th century. It is believed that the Swedish Hats Party was founded at one of these receptions. He was married to Hedvig Catharina Lilje and became the father of

Eva Ekeblad Eva Ekeblad (née De la Gardie; 10 July 1724 – 15 May 1786) was a Swedish countess, salon hostess, agronomist, and scientist. She was widely known for discovering a method in 1746 to make alcohol and flour from potatoes, allowing greater use ...

and

Hedvig Catharina De la Gardie Hedvig Catharina von Fersen, née De la Gardie (Stockholm, 20 May 1732–Stockholm, 24 April 1800) was a Swedish noble. She was the daughter of the General and ''riksråd'' count Magnus Julius De la Gardie and the political salonist Hedvig Ca ...

. He died in Stockholm in 1741.

References

Peter Wieselgren Peter (Per) Wieselgren, born Jonasson (1 October 1800 – 10 October 1877) was a Lutheran priest, librarian, archivist, literary historian, and leader of the Swedish temperance movement who formed the first organised temperance society in Sweden ...

, ''Handlingar ur Grefl. De la Gardiska bibliotheket på Löberöd'', Lund : 1831. * '' Nordisk Familjebok'', Stockholm : Nordisk familjeboks förlags aktiebolag, 2 ed. 1904. {{DEFAULTSORT:De La Gardie, Magnus Julius 1669 births 1741 deaths Swedish generals 18th-century Swedish military personnel Members of the Privy Council of Sweden Swedish people of French descent Marshals of the Realm Caroleans 18th-century Swedish politicians Magnus Julius