Bengt Oxenstierna

Count Bengt Gabrielsson Oxenstierna (1623–1702) was a Swedish soldier and statesman, who served as Foreign Minister from 1680 to 1697. During this period, he ensured Sweden remained neutral and moved away from its traditional French alliance. Life Bengt Gabrielsson Oxenstierna was born in Stockholm, Sweden on 16 July 1623, eldest surviving son of Gabriel Bengtsson Oxenstierna (1586–1656), and Anna Gustafsdotter Banér (1585-1656). He had eleven brothers and sisters. He was married twice, to Eva Juliana Wachtmeister (1639-1666), then Magdalena Stenbock (1649-1727); the two marriages produced over 20 children in all. His marriage to Eva connected Oxenstierna to Hans and Axel Wachtmeister, senior Swedish nobles who were both anti-French. His second wife Magdalena came from one of the leading families in Sweden; she was an intelligent and influential individual in her own right and often acted as his political colleague.