Princess Stephanie of Windisch-Graetz

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Princess Stephanie of Windisch-Grätz (* 9 July 1909 - 7 September 2005) (in German: Stephanie 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. Stephanie was thus their grandchild.

Elisabeth and Otto also had three sons:

• Prince Franz Joseph zu Windisch-Grätz,
• Prince Ernst zu Windisch-Grätz and
• Prince Rudolph zu Windisch-Grätz.

Princess Stephanie made an international career as an artist. Visit the Official Web Site - Visitez le site officiel de Stéphanie Windisch Grätz

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 Stephanie married Count Pierre d'Alcantara de Quirrieu (1907-1944), and in 1945 she married Karl-Axel Björklund (1906-1986).

If there had never been a Salic Law in Belgium denying women accession to the throne, Stephanie 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.