Born in Freiburg im Breisgau, Graefle studied in Munich with two artists of the 'Nazarene movement', Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794-1872) and Peter von Cornelius (1784-1867). He was a close associate of Franz Xaver Winterhalter and was sometimes employed by the royal family as a worthy and more tractable substitute.

Princess Alexandra, or Alix, as she was known in the family, was Queen Victoria's daughter-in-law. She had married the Queen's eldest son, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and the future Edward VII, in 1863. The Prince's elder sister, Victoria, the Crown Princess of Prussia, described her as having 'a lovely figure but very thin, a complexion as beautiful as possible. Very fine white regular teeth and very fine large eyes ? with extremely prettily marked eyebrows. A very fine well-shaped nose, very narrow but a little long ? her whole face is very narrow, her forehead too but well shaped and not at all flat. Her voice, her walk, carriage and manner are perfect, she is one of the most ladylike and aristocratic looking people I ever saw' and 'outrageously beautiful'. Queen Victoria thought her a 'dear, lovely being'. Queen Victoria and Princess Alexandra gave this portrait as a joint present to the Prince of Wales on 10 March 1864.

Signed and dated: A. Graefle pt / 1864.