De la Gardie family
The De la Gardie family (Swedish pronunciation: [ˌd̠eː² la ˈɡaːɖiːɛ²]; French: [d(ə) la ɡa̠ʁ̞ˈdi]; also de la Gardie) is the name of a distinguished Swedish noble family of French origin, whose members held significant political and military positions throughout the history of the Kingdom of Sweden. == History == The family's social status in France is uncertain; the founder, Ponce d'Escouperie, son of a tradesman, came to Sweden as a mercenary in 1565 and took the name Pontus De la Gardie when registered by the House of Knights.