Florence Stephens
Encyclopedia
Florence Elisabet Stephens (5 October 1881 in Skatelövs församling, Kronobergs län - 2 April 1979) was a Swedish landholder, the owner of the estate Huseby. She was known as Fröken på Husaby ("The Huseby Lady") and the main figure of the Huseby Affair, one of the most media covered court cases in Sweden during the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Florence Stephens was the eldest daughter and heir of the landholder Joseph Stephens and Elisabeth Kreuger; her paternal grandfather was from Liverpool
in Great Britain
. There are speculations that Florence Stephens was the natural daughter of king Oscar II of Sweden
, and after her death, her correspondence with Oscar II was given to the Swedish royal archives. As a child, she and her sisters Mary and Maggie was given no education except what was considered suitable to make an aristocratic marriage; yet, Florence never married. When she inherited the large Husaby estates in 1934, she had no knowledge as to run it, and became completely dependent on advisors. As a royalist
, she made Prince Carl Bernadotte her financial advisor and heir. Because of bad economic advice, Husaby and its lands was severely misused and drained of assets and in 1956, the communal council applied for her to be placed under legal guardianship to prevent any further misuse of the property. In 1957, she was persuaded to give up her legal majority and be placed under a legal guardian. The process, however, was dragged out until 1962. Stephens was given sympathy from the public because of the humiliating treatment she was given by her guardian Berl Gutenberg. In parallel, the media coverage of her "escorts" was considered scandalous. Stephens was declared of legal majority again in 1975, but was not given back the control of her estate. Florence Stephens gave Husaby to the Swedish state in her will in 1979.
Florence Stephens was the eldest daughter and heir of the landholder Joseph Stephens and Elisabeth Kreuger; her paternal grandfather was from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. There are speculations that Florence Stephens was the natural daughter of king Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
, and after her death, her correspondence with Oscar II was given to the Swedish royal archives. As a child, she and her sisters Mary and Maggie was given no education except what was considered suitable to make an aristocratic marriage; yet, Florence never married. When she inherited the large Husaby estates in 1934, she had no knowledge as to run it, and became completely dependent on advisors. As a royalist
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
, she made Prince Carl Bernadotte her financial advisor and heir. Because of bad economic advice, Husaby and its lands was severely misused and drained of assets and in 1956, the communal council applied for her to be placed under legal guardianship to prevent any further misuse of the property. In 1957, she was persuaded to give up her legal majority and be placed under a legal guardian. The process, however, was dragged out until 1962. Stephens was given sympathy from the public because of the humiliating treatment she was given by her guardian Berl Gutenberg. In parallel, the media coverage of her "escorts" was considered scandalous. Stephens was declared of legal majority again in 1975, but was not given back the control of her estate. Florence Stephens gave Husaby to the Swedish state in her will in 1979.