My primary contact with Marie Claire Baroness von Alvensleben was through the phone when making arrangements for our ensuing meeting. Many have portrayed her as adamant, challenging and difficult to deal with. While conversing along with her on the phone, she gives the impression of being matter-of-factly and distant, though her little bursts of giggles every now and again could possibly indicate otherwise. Soft spoken but with an authoritative voice that launches a flood of instructions, her relentless and unyielding yet gracious poise makes it clear to apprehend how things always effortlessly flow towards her direction. This is a woman who does not take no for an answer.

As I wait for her pondering as to what is in store for me, I reiterate everything I had read or heard about her. Certainly, her background and nobility title were the facets that intrigued and fascinated me the most. From the manner in which this designation is located between her first and last name I knew that she is a baroness by marriage. In pre-republican Germany all knightly families often distinguished by the prefix 'von', were eventually recognized as of baronial rank, with those families permanently holding this status being named Uradel or otherwise Original Nobility. The von Alvensleben is such a family.

My contemplation comes to an end the instant I am informed that the Baroness has arrived. Across me there is a woman like nothing I had imagined. Surely vociferous and forceful, she greets me with a smile and a firm handshake, her airy and bright presence lighting the room straight way. Even more stunning than the photographs I had seen of her either chatting away to a member of the upper crust or attending an event at Ascot, she is dressed in dark-coloured jeans, adorning a blouse of the same hue. Notwithstanding her casual wear, she radiates glamour and sophistication. At the same time, there is a noticeable familiarity and friendliness about her rendering her approachable. My contemplation comes to an end the instant I am informed that the Baroness has arrived. Across me there is a woman like nothing I had imagined. Surely vociferous and forceful, she greets me with a smile and a firm handshake, her airy and bright presence lighting the room straight way. Even more stunning than the photographs I had seen of her either chatting away to a member of the upper crust or attending an event at Ascot, she is dressed in dark-coloured jeans, adorning a blouse of the same hue. Notwithstanding her casual wear, she radiates glamour and sophistication. At the same time, there is a noticeable familiarity and friendliness about her rendering her approachable.

"My ex-husband comes from a very old family that dates back to the 12th century. It is one of the oldest in Germany," she explains with a hint of pride for forming part of such an esteemed family. "They were originally from Prussia and his father was a very well educated man being able to speak seven languages. He enjoyed moving around and in fact, he lived in Darmstadt, Germany where he opened a theatre, he then got married and spent one month of his honeymoon with Lord Mountbatten in Corfu, another month in Alexandria at the palace of King Farouk in Egypt and one month at the Palace Hotel in Lugano, carrying 30 pieces of luggage ." Living at a time when the deadly infectious disease tuberculosis was thriving, von Alvensleben was unfortunate enough to be infected. Even as deaths were climaxing and the study, as well as treatment of the disease was still underdeveloped, the Baron had no other choice but to move to Arosa, a municipality in Switzerland famed for its tuberculosis sanatorium built by Dr Otto Herwig-Hold. His affluence was his ticket to being cured and once nursed back to health he continued to live the opulent life he was so accustomed to.
His laid-back life altered in disarray once the Second World War reached its peak and the family was directly impinged on by the landmark events of 1938. Whilst Adolf Hitler was forming the High Command of the Armed Forces that gave him direct control of the German military, the country was planning to go to war with Czechoslovakia and concentration camps such as the Mauthausen started being built, the Baron unwisely took the decision to scorn the Germans by writing with his stationary a vulgar word across the swastika, an action that could have proven to be grave during this dangerous and constantly shifting period. The move led to the confiscation of the von Alvensleben's belongings and wealth, driving the family towards total poverty. What in effect saved them from a more detrimental ending was him becoming a Swiss citizen, seeing that Switzerland had kept a stance of armed neutrality and was not involved military during the war.

But aware that when one divorces his spouse the noble title is dropped, I wondered why she still makes use of it. Illustrating that the designation has become a very part of her, she says: "We got divorced in a very friendly way and he allowed me to keep the name. After all we were married for 15 years." she justifies.
Belgian-born, Baroness von Alvensleben's education reveals a truly sterling and diverse schooling. "After secondary in Belgium, I moved to different countries to learn their language. I went for nine months to Cambridge, England to learn the language, I moved to Heidelberg in Germany to learn German, I then went to Venezuela and Spain to learn Spanish and finally to Geneva." Astounded by her urge to build fluency for a large amount of languages, I deemed that her initial aspiration and ambition were associated to a vocation in languages. "In Geneva I enrolled in the Interpreters School but I only did the translation part of the course since I thought that being an interpreter is very boring. But at the same time, I also did Political Science which I found very interesting and continued studying at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Internationales ." Nonetheless, there was one more fundamental reason for precluding to becoming a diplomat . Being Belgian meant that she could only work for the government and strongly opposing the political ideology of that period she refrained from joining this field. Her thirst for learning did not weaken, thus opting to add to her list of degrees gemology which she read in Idar Oberstein, Germany.Calling to mind a pleasant instance of that period, she exclaims:" In those days I was involved with a wonderful man, Sigfried Otto , owner of Giesiecke & Devrient , a company that prints banknotes in Munich. That relationship was probably the most important one in my life . For six years , while I was a student, we travelled all over the world in Sig's private plane and we went to the best hotels and restaurants . I was very spoilt indeed "

Much of her career has been centralized in publishing and public relations, something of a far cry in comparison to her education. Baroness von Alvensleben maintains that she embarked on this profession by coincidence. "I happened to meet somebody who was publishing a magazine called Members and was asked to start representing it. The publisher was German and the magazine was based on the idea of having people pay an amount of money and provide them with a card called Members. With this card they could go to the best clubs all over the world without having to be a member and we would then write about these clubs, the parties held there, while we also did some portraits of individuals. It was a small magazine in the beginning, but we went on to develop it into something bigger." From then onwards, she engaged in representing a score of French publications amongst which included The Best and Joyce. At the same time, she embarked on endeavors like launching a Swiss Vogue, with her friend Genevieve Armleder, ex-wife of the son of the owner of Le Richemond Hotel with whom she also did several "Livre du Richemond" which were published by Franco Maria Ricci . Regrettably despite her resilient efforts , the Swiss Vogue did not bear any fruit and folded.Without any formal education on journalism and no prior experience in the discipline, I speculated that difficulties and obstacles would often come to the fore. "I did a lot of writing and interviews, but because I am not a journalist I would write articles in a very rough form, just including the basic information and then have someone edit them in the style of the magazine. But it was amazing !" she exclaims, going on to say that meeting different sorts of people was the most alluring aspect of the job.Her marriage to Baron Bodo von Alvensleben in 1985 earmarked the dawn of a fascinating occupation in public relations. Mostly working part-time, she joined international luxury good company Hermés in Geneva, where she worked for seven years as a free lance , following a spell at Bulgari and ensuing for clients like Piaget, Boucheron and Van Clef & Arpels who were in need of someone to organize their events.Involved in the hotel business all his life , her husband Bodo played a crucial role in expanding her contacts which would later on help her when publishing her very own magazine. Commencing by working for a series of luxury hotels such as the Suvretta in St Moritz, Les Bergues in Geneva and Brown's in London with the Bon family, Bodo spent the following 22 years in Bermuda where he built the Princess hotels with D.K. Ludwig, ensuing with building Casa de Campo together with Charlie Bludhorn in Santo Domingo . He then ran the Waldorf Towers in New York, ending his career at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne .