Torkel Knutsson, who hails from an old…

Torkel Knutsson, who hails from an old noble family of West Geatish ancestry, is related to the Folkungs, the royal family, and like them, he has a lion in his coat of arms.

He was first mentioned in 1282, and in documents from 1288, he is mentioned as a knight and a member of the privy council (riksråd).

When king Magnus Ladulås died, Torkel had become regent for the underage king Birger, being the highest state official and because Magnus' foreign-born widow, Hedwig of Holstein, was not yet trusted to hold such a powerful position.