Princess Stephanie of Windisch-Graetz

HSH Princess Stéphanie of Windisch-Graetz (b 9 July 1909 -d 7 September 2005) - (in German: "Stéphanie Eleonore Maria Elisabeth Kamilla Philomena Veronika zu Windisch-Grätz"), was born in Belgium.

She is the daughter of Prince Otto Weriand of Windisch-Grätz (1873-1952. Her mother was Archduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria, who was the only child of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria (1858–1889) and Princess Stéphanie of Belgium. Stéphanie was thus their grandchild.

Stéphanie had three brothers:
* Prince Franz Joseph zu Windisch-Grätz {1904-1981} father of Princess Stéphanie van Windisch-Graetz (1939),
* Prince Ernst zu Windisch-Grätz {1905-1952} and
* Prince Rudolf zu Windisch-Grätz{1907-1939}.

Princess Stéphanie made an international career as an artist.

In particular, her photographic portraits using only candles as a source of light and sensuality of her images from the animal world caught the attention of the international press.

In 1933 Stéphanie married Count Pierre d'Alcantara de Quirrieu (1907-1944), and in 1945 she married Karl-Axel Björklund (1906-1986). She had one child with each husband:
* Alvar Etienne d'Alcantara di Querrieu (July 30, 1935)
* Bjorn-Axel Björklund (October 20, 1944 - September 7, 1995)

If there had never been a Salic Law in Belgium denying women accession to the throne, Stéphanie would have become Queen of the Belgians as the eldest direct descendant of King Leopold II. However, the Salic Law was only abolished in 1991, meaning that Belgium's current head of state is Albert II.

External links

* [http://graetz.seedforest.net/ Homepage of Stéphanie Windisch-Graetz]