Beate Clausdatter Bille (30 April 1526 – 18 October 1605) was a Danish

noblewoman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteri ...

, a member of the

royal court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...

, Chief

Lady-in-Waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom ...

( da, Hofmesterinde, corresponding to

Mistress of the Robes The mistress of the robes was the senior lady in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. Formerly responsible for the queen consort's/regnant's clothes and jewellery (as the name implies), the post had the responsibility for arranging the rota ...

in the UK) to Queen Sophie from 1584 to 1592, the wife of statesman

Otte Brahe Otte Brahe (; 2 October 1518 – 9 May 1571) was a Danish (Scanian) nobleman and statesman, who served on the privy council ( Rigsraad, "Council of the Realm"). He was married to Beate Clausdatter Bille and was the father of astronomers Tycho a ...

, and a feudal fiefholder in her own right following the death of her husband. She succeeded her sister-in-law

Inger Oxe Inger Johansdatter Oxe (c. 1526 - 1591) was a Danish noblewoman and court official. She was Hofmesterinde to the Danish Queen Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. She was the sister to Peder Oxe Steward of the Realm, daughter of Johan Johansen Oxe and ...

, who held the office from 1572 to 1584, as chief

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom ...

to Queen Sophie. Beate Bille was the mother of astronomers

Tycho Brahe Tycho Brahe ( ; born Tyge Ottesen Brahe; generally called Tycho (14 December 154624 October 1601) was a Danish astronomer, known for his comprehensive astronomical observations, generally considered to be the most accurate of his time. He was ...

and Sophia Brahe.

Biography

Born at Skarhult Castle into the powerful and ancient noble Bille family, at 18 years old she married

Knutstorp Castle Knutstorp Castle ( sv, Knutstorps slott, da, Knutstrup borg) is a manor house situated in the Svalöv Municipality of Scania, Sweden. History A manor already in the middle of the 14th century, it was owned by the Danish Brahe noble family from t ...

( da, Knudstrup borg, link=no), a member of the equally powerful noble

Brahe Brahe (originally ''Bragde'') is the name of two closely related Scanian noble families who were influential in both Danish and Swedish history. Danish family The first member of the family using the name Brahe is speculated to have been Verner ...

family. Otte Brahe was a member of the ( Privy Council), as were two of their sons, Steen and Axel Brahe. Her husband held substantial

fiefdom A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of ...

s. After his death in 1571, Beate Bille kept the fiefdom of Froste in

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skå ...

and Vissenbjerg Birk on

Funen Funen ( da, Fyn, ), with an area of , is the third-largest island of Denmark, after Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy. It is the 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 469,947 as o ...

until 1575, and fief in Scania until 1592. Beate Bille occupied a prominent position in Danish society in the 16th century, as and because she and her husband both belonged to some of the country's most prominent noble families, and through her outstanding personality. She was also noted as a supporter of the arts. She died at in 1605 and is buried with her husband in in Scania. Her children included Steen Ottesen Brahe, as well as

and Sophia Brahe.

References

Literature

Danmarks Adels Aarbog Danmarks Adels Aarbog (''Yearbook of the Danish Nobility'') is an annual – now tri-annual – publication that details the genealogies, titles, and coats of arms of Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of ...

VII, 1890 67. *W. Mollerup og Fr. Meidell, ''Billeættens historie 1'', 1893 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bille, Beate Court of Frederick II of Denmark Danish ladies-in-waiting 17th-century Danish nobility Beate Clausdatter Brahe family 1526 births 1605 deaths 16th-century Danish people 17th-century Danish people