He was the son of Barbara von Krüdener, a Baltic German writer and mystic affiliated with the Friends of God.

His father was Baron Bourkhardt-Alexis-Constantine Krüdener, with whom Barbara did not have a good relationship.

His father was appointed by Catherine the Great as Ambassador to the Republic of Venice in 1785, and Pavel spent the first two years of his life there.

He subsequently followed his father's assignments in Munich until 1787, Copenhagen until 1794 and finally Madrid until 1800.

Paul von Krüdener became chargé d'affaires and embassy secretary in 1804 to Paris.