Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave has gained distinction as a photojournalist, author, and poet over the past fifty years. Her photographs have been featured on the covers of worldwide publications, such as Newsweek and Paris Match, and her portraits of such notables as the late President George H.W. Bush, the late King Hussein, Dr. Henry Kissinger and the late President Sadat have hung in government offices around the world.

Alexandra de Borchgrave is the co-author of VILLARD: The Life and Times of an American Titan (Doubleday, March 20, 2001), a biography of her great-grandfather, railroad magnate and financier Henry Villard, who built the Northern Pacific Railroad and masterminded the creation of General Electric.

On the night of September 11, 2001, Alexandra de Borchgrave prayed for a way to bring comfort to those who had lost their loved ones. The result, four years later, was the publication of HEALING LIGHT: Thirty Messages of Love, Hope and Courage (Glitterati Incorporated 2005), a collection of her inspirational poetry illustrated with details from Indian Mughal art paintings from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

In October 2008, Glitterati published Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave’s second book of inspirational poetry, HEAVENLY ORDER: Twenty Five Meditations of Wisdom and Harmony, illustrated with details of 17th century Japanese art by the celebrated painter Hon’ami Koetsu.

Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave then completed her third book of inspirational poetry, BELOVED SPIRIT: Pathways to Love, Grace, and Mercy, illustrated with details of 16th century Persian art from the unique Haft Awrang manuscript, courtesy of the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution. The book was published by Glitterati in 2011.

That prayer on the night of September 11, 2001 also led Alexandra to found in May 2010 the 501(c)(3) public charity, Light of Healing Hope Foundation, whose mission was to provide books of hope to hospitals and hospices to comfort patients and their families at a time of adversity.

For over 11 years, LHHF donated Alexandra's books of love, hope, and courage to those in need at Johns Hopkins Hospital, NIH, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Suburban Hospital, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the Wounded Warrior Project, Fisher House, Ronald McDonald Houses, INOVA, and VITAS Innovative Hospice Care, among many others. Over 70,700 gifts were delivered as of January 2022.

In August 2014, LHHF received another generous grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for Alexandra de Borchgrave’s pocket-sized book connecting verses of inspirational poetry with stunning photographs of nature to instill love, hope, and courage. TO CATCH A THOUGHT: 50 Reflections for the Heart, was released in late September 2014. After the successful distribution of 5,000 print copies, SNF renewed the grant in November 2015 making a second print edition possible.

All three original books, HEALING LIGHT, HEAVENLY ORDER, and BELOVED SPIRIT, have been reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committees at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and the NIH Clinical Center as well as the legal counsel at NIH.

In December 2017, Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave completed another inspirational gift book, LOVE & WISDOM: 37 Timeless Reflections which was published on September 4, 2018 by D Giles Ltd. This endeavor married 16th century Illumination images courtesy of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of Art and the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, with contemporary images of the heavens from National Geographic Creative, among others. Timeless quotes from ancient philosophers complement the images.

Her sequel to LOVE & WISDOM, LOVE & PEACE :37 Eternal Reflections, was published by D Giles Ltd on September 4, 2020. This gift book married 16th century Illumination images courtesy of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of Art and the Freer Gallery of Art, with contemporary images of water. Eternal quotes from ancient philosophers complete the images. Alexandra de Borchgrave also co-authored CATCH A HAPPY THOUGHT, a picture book for children, published by LHHF July 1, 2020. Her latest inspirational book, REVERIES: In Search of Love Hope, & Courage, was published on November 1, 2021.

Alexandra is an accomplished motivational speaker and has spoken at The Asia Society, The Freer Gallery of Art, the Strategic Investment Group, the Four Arts Society Library, and the Woodrow Wilson Center. She has chaired events and served on committees for the American Ballet Theatre, Arts for the Aging, the Washington Opera, Washington Ballet and Meridian House. She was elected to the Board of Blair House in 1998 and served on the Advisory Committee of the Asia Society.

Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave was born in Washington, D.C. the daughter of former United States Ambassador and Mrs. Henry S. Villard and spent most of her formative years living abroad in such countries as Norway, Libya, Switzerland and Senegal. She was educated at Brillantmont in Lausanne and graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in Political Science. She also attended the Islamic Institute in Paris where she met her late husband, internationally renowned journalist Arnaud de Borchgrave.

The Arnaud and Alexandra de Borchgrave Papers Collection at Georgetown University was published online on November 4, 2025.