He didn't ask for the cameras. Honestly, most people who recognize the name Prince Alexander von Auersperg only do so because of a courtroom drama that felt more like a Hollywood script than real life. We are talking about the Claus von Bülow trials—the "Reversal of Fortune" era that gripped the 1980s. But if you look past the grainy archival footage of a young man in a sharp suit standing by his sister, Ala, you find a story that is less about European royalty and more about the gritty, painful work of protecting a mother.
Alexander is the son of Martha "Sunny" von Bülow and her first husband, Prince Alfred von Auersperg. When his mother fell into a permanent coma in 1980 at their Newport estate, Clarendon Court, Alexander wasn't just a grieving son. He became a central protagonist in a legal battle that would define the American upper class for a generation.
The Newport Nightmare Nobody Saw Coming
Imagine being in your early twenties and realizing your stepfather might have tried to kill your mother. That is the weight Alexander carried. While the media obsessed over Claus von Bülow's silk ascots and cold demeanor, Alexander and Ala were the ones doing the actual legwork. They hired a private investigator. They pushed for the forensic testing of a black velvet bag. They were convinced that the insulin injections that put Sunny into a persistent vegetative state weren't an accident.
It’s easy to look at the "Prince" title and assume a life of easy leisure. That’s a mistake.
The reality was a decade spent in wood-paneled courtrooms. Alexander’s role was pivotal because he represented the emotional core of the prosecution's case. He wasn't just a witness; he was the primary driver behind the private investigation that led to the initial charges. When Claus was eventually acquitted in the second trial in 1985, the public narrative shifted toward the brilliance of Alan Dershowitz. But for Alexander, it wasn't a legal game. His mother was still in a coma. She would stay in that coma for nearly 28 years.
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You’ve got to wonder what that does to a person's psyche. To have your family's private medical trauma turned into a televised circus.
Beyond the Von Bülow Shadow
People often forget that Alexander didn't just disappear after the trials ended. He had to build a life while his mother remained in a New York hospital, a living ghost of the Newport social scene. He eventually co-founded the National Center for Victims of Crime. It makes sense, right? After seeing the legal system from the inside—seeing how money and high-priced defense teams can tilt the scales—he leaned into advocacy.
He didn't just lean into it. He funded it.
The settlement that eventually ended the legal hostilities between the Auersperg children and Claus von Bülow required Claus to drop all claims to Sunny's $40 million fortune and, crucially, to never speak of the case for profit. This allowed Alexander and Ala to focus on the Sunny von Bülow National Night Editorial Services and other philanthropic ventures. They turned a headline-grabbing tragedy into a functional support system for people who didn't have "Prince" in front of their names.
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The Business of Being Alexander
Alexander isn't just a figurehead. He moved into the world of finance and investment, largely staying out of the tabloids that once hunted him. He’s lived a relatively quiet life in New York, a sharp contrast to the flashbulbs of 1982.
If you look at his trajectory, it’s a lesson in controlled narratives. He rarely gives interviews about the "old days." Why would he? Every time he speaks about Claus or the insulin or the Newport mansion, it drags up the image of his mother in a hospital bed.
There is a specific kind of dignity in that silence.
Some critics at the time suggested the Auersperg children were motivated by the inheritance. That's a cynical take that doesn't hold water when you look at the timeline. They spent millions of their own money to investigate the case before they ever knew what the final financial outcome would be. They were kids trying to figure out why their mom didn't wake up.
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What We Get Wrong About the Auersperg Name
The title "Prince" sounds like something out of a fairy tale, but the Auerspergs are part of a very real, very old Austrian noble house. However, Alexander is thoroughly American in his professional life. He’s an investor. He’s a father. He’s a guy who survived a trauma that would have broken most people under the age of 25.
What people get wrong is the idea that he was a passive victim. Alexander was the strategist. Alongside his sister, he managed a legal and public relations battle against some of the most powerful lawyers in the country.
The Lasting Impact of the Sunny von Bülow Legacy
Even now, decades after Sunny's death in 2008, the work Alexander started continues. The Sunny von Bülow Victim Advocacy Center remains a major part of his legacy. It’s one of the few instances where a "true crime" story resulted in a long-term benefit for the public.
He didn't write a "tell-all" book.
He didn't star in a reality show.
He just worked.
The fascination with Prince Alexander von Auersperg usually starts with morbid curiosity about a high-society attempted murder. But it should end with an appreciation for a man who took a chaotic, televised tragedy and used the remnants to build something that actually helps people.
If you are looking for the "Hollywood" version of his life, watch the movie. If you want the real version, look at the crime victim legislation he’s supported over the last thirty years. That’s where the real story is.
Actionable Takeaways for Understanding This History
- Verify the Legal Nuance: Understand that Claus von Bülow was found guilty in the first trial and not guilty in the second. Alexander's pursuit was based on the evidence found in the first trial, which remains a subject of intense forensic debate among experts to this day.
- Look at the Advocacy: If you’re interested in the impact of the case, research the National Center for Victims of Crime. This is the tangible result of the Auersperg family's efforts to find meaning in their mother's condition.
- Contextualize the Wealth: Sunny von Bülow’s fortune came from her father, George Crawford, the founder of Columbia Gas & Electric. Alexander’s life is as much a story of American industrial wealth as it is European nobility.
- Separate Fact from Film: While "Reversal of Fortune" is a great movie, it is told largely from the perspective of the defense team. To understand Alexander, you have to look at the court transcripts and the civil suits that followed, which provide a much more balanced view of the family's evidence.