Stephanie Countess von Pfuel (65) has spoken about her love life. In an interview with "Bunte", the castle lady, entrepreneur, and mayor of the Bavarian municipality of Tüßling publicly announced her separation from her partner Edmond Fokker van Crayestein. The two were a couple from 2018 to 2022, followed by a second attempt that has now ended: "We tried again, but half a year ago we separated for good. It didn't work out, for very different reasons", said the Countess.
Distance wasn't the problem
Von Pfuel firmly denies that the physical separation was the deciding factor. Long-distance and weekend relationships are nothing unusual for her: "I've been used to having weekend and long-distance relationships for decades. I wouldn't want it any other way now. I don't feel alone and I'm never lonely in the castle either."
Living together permanently was rarely part of a partnership for her anyway. "I've hardly lived together permanently with any of my former partners. That wasn't the problem", she clarifies.
The loss of her son
In the same conversation, the 65-year-old addresses what is probably the deepest turning point in her life: Her son Karl "Charlie" Bagusat died in 2019 at the age of only 26 after a traffic accident in Berlin. The grief remains ever-present, as von Pfuel makes clear. "Such a loss divides life into a before and after. Children should never pass before their parents. You have phantom pains and feel a grief that never goes away. It never stops." She finds comfort in the thought that her son is still close to her: "Maybe he's in heaven, but maybe he's also right here. His energy is not lost."
According to her words, her son's death had consequences that reached far beyond grief - even into her partnership with Edmond Fokker van Crayestein. "It's hard to deal with - for everyone involved. My relationship with Edmond also broke down back then. Such a loss changes everything."
