She served for a period in the household of Louise of Hesse-Kassel, before she was employed in the household of Louise's daughter Princess Dagmar, who married the future tsar Alexander III of Russia in 1866 and became empress in 1881.
Marie von Flotow was technically a lady's maid,[1] with the responsibility of her jewels and wardrobe and the payment of her bills.
The influence of Marie von Flotow during the reign of tsar Nicholas II is described by Aleksandr Mosolov Methuen (where she is incorrectly referred to as a lady-in-waiting): "Marie Feodorovna could not refuse anything to the members of her suite.. And Nicholas II agreed to everything that his mother asked.
This lady was officially responsible for the care of her mistress's jewels and wardrobe; but she had succeeded in gaining a position of altogether extravagant influence.
As soon as the name of Mme Flotow was to be found in the papers of an applicant it was a foregone conclusion that the Tsar would grant the request, even if at first he was for rejecting it.