Monday, July 15, 2019

Princess Stephanie of Windisch Graetz (1939-2019)


Private collection


HSH Princess Stéphanie Marie Eva of Windisch-Graetz died on July 12 at St. Pierre Hospital in Brussels.  She was 79 year old.

Stéphanie was born at Brussels on July 17, 1939, the elder of two children of  Prince Franz Josef of Windisch-Graetz (1904-1981) and Countess Ghislaine d'Arschot Schoonhaven (1912-1997).





She was the granddaughter of Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria (1883-1963) and Prince Otto of Windisch-Graetz (1873-1952.)  This marriage was dissolved by divorce in 1948 and Erzi, as she was known to her family, married Austrian  Socialist politician Leopold Petznek shortly after her divorce.  Due to her left wing leanings, Erzi was known as the Red Archduchess.

Thus, Stephanie was a great-granddaughter of Archduke Rudolf and Princess Stephanie of Belgium and a great-great-granddaughter of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria and King Leopold II of the Belgians.

Her engagement to Dermot Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell, a Captain in the Grenadier Guards (1935-2009), was announced on October 3, 1966. They were married in London on February 16, 1967 and were divorced in 1973.

(Dermot married for a second time to Sally Leigh (nee Creer) on March 11, 1976).

Princess Stéphanie is survived by her two sons,  Henry Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell (and his wife, Lisa Abadjian) and Alexander Windisch-Graetz (and his wife, Ann Charlotte Le Sellier de Chezelles), five grandchildren, Eléonore and Bryan Blundell-Hollinshead-Blundell and Elisabeth-Marie, Otto and Hermine Windisch-Graetz.

In 2011, Alexander  changed his surname to Windisch-Graetz.

Princess Stephanie was a gifted photographer who often shot her portraits using candle light.

https://www.lalibre.be/lifestyle/people/cousine-d-albert-ii-la-princesse-stephanie-de-windisch-graetz-est-decedee-5d2b79b6f20d5a58a82b7d27


https://www.google.com/search?q=princesse+stephanie+de+windisch+graetz&sa=N&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS659US659&biw=942&bih=891&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=R3orWNiajdM4aM%253A%252CzBMHweT9p1SJeM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTlCjjOuE8IEdE__DnE0-NdazEWmQ&ved=2ahUKEwiTq4OLx7fjAhVYaM0KHfWmAQ84ChD1ATABegQIBhAG#imgrc=wcKt_jv_xw2RzM:&vet=1


5 comments:

Allan said...

A sad occasion.

Princess Stephanie was a gifted painter as well as a photographer. Her paintings of animals were quite exquisite

Unknown said...

Very,very sad.
Go in peace my dear friend and paint the horses of the paradise...

Danays Potolinca di Sperlinga said...

Very,very sad.
Go in peace my dear friend and paint the horses of paradise...

Danays & Dorin Potolinca di Sperlinga

Unknown said...

Hello, do you know, if some of the children of Elisabeth Marie Windich-Graetz, mother of princess Stephanie still live? Or children of princess Stephanie? Do you think they can be reached for an interview?

Thank you

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

The obituary mentions Stephanie's survivors. Elisabeth's children are all long deceased. Stephanie's 2 sons live in Belgium. You could try a belgian phone directory or google them