Claus Bille (ca. 1490 – 4 January 1558 at Lyngsgård, Scania) was a Danish landlord and statesman.

Early life

Claus was born as the youngest son of a Danish nobleman, Steen Basse Torbensen Bille of Søholm (1446–1520) and his wife, Margrethe Rønnow (1450–1490).

Biography

He was a major estate owner, knight (the highest rank of Danish nobility), fief lord of Båhus Castle and a member of both the Norwegian and the Danish Councils of the Realm. He was an important participant in the Stockholm Bloodbath, when he together with Søren Norby arrested the Swedish nobility. He was a first cousin of Eske Bille, and the Bille family became the most politically powerful noble family of Denmark during his lifetime.

Personal life

Claus was married to Elisabeth Ulfstand (1502–1540), daughter of

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

and

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Jens Holgersen Ulfstand (1450–1523) and his first wife, Margrethe Arvidsdatter Trolle (1475–1523). Bille was the father of Beate Clausdatter Bille and thus the maternal grandfather of the astronomer Tycho Brahe.Bille, Claus
in '' Dansk biografisk Lexikon'' Direct notable descendants include British actress Judi Dench and French and Danish lawyer Steen Andersen Oluf Bille (b. 1964).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bille, Claus 16th-century Danish politicians Claus 1490s births 1558 deaths People from Skåne County Stockholm Bloodbath