Catherine Charlotte De la Gardie

Countess Catherine Charlotte De la Gardie (née Catharina Charlotta Taube; 5 April 1723 – 24 March 1763), also known as Catherine Charlotte de La Gardie, was a Swedish countess and courtier. She is famed for her support of the smallpox vaccination in Sweden, and for stopping the last witch trial in her country. Life Born to Count Edvard Didrik Taube of Odenkat and Kristina Maria Falkenberg, Catherine was the younger sister of the royal favourite Hedvig Taube, who was the royal mistress to king Frederick I of Sweden from 1731 to 1744. Catherine Charlotte served as hovfröken to Crown Princess Lovisa Ulrika from 1744 until 1748. Catherine Charlotte De la Gardie has been described as talented, brave, beautiful and clear sighted, without prejudices and with an open mind. She received but a customary shallow lady's education of accomplishments meant to make her attractive on the marriage market, but she educated herself in various subjects through autodidacticism, and became a supporter of the age of enlightenment. She was a life friend of Olof von Dahlin and Carl von Linné, who expressed his admiration of her.