by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2015
Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine – photo: Wikipedia
Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (Marie Viktoria Feodore Leopoldine) was the youngest of seven children of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine. Known as ‘May’, she was born on May 24, 1874, at the Neues Palace, in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in the German state of Hesse.
May was described as “enchanting” by her mother and was closest to her sister Alix, the next youngest child. The two were inseparable, sharing a nursery and often being dressed identically.
May had six siblings:
- Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, Marchioness of Milford Haven (1863-1950), married Prince Louis of Battenberg, had two daughters and two sons
- Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia (1864-1919), married Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, no children
- Irene of Hesse and by Rhine, Princess of Prussia (1866-1953), married her first cousin Prince Heinrich of Prussia, had three sons
- Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse (1868-1937), married (1) his first cousin Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, had one daughter, divorced (2) Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich, had two sons
- Prince Friedrich of Hesse and by Rhine (1870-1873), hemophiliac, died after a fall
- Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia (1872-1918), married Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia, had four daughters and one son
Princess Marie (center front) with her siblings, 1878. photo: Wikipedia
In November 1878, the Grand Ducal Family of Hesse and by Rhine began to fall ill with diphtheria. Her father Ludwig and his children Victoria, Irene, Ernst Ludwig, Alix, and Marie all came down with diphtheria. Elisabeth, known as Ella, was the only member of the family to remain unaffected. May’s mother Alice quickly slipped into her role as caregiver, nursing her husband and children. May fell ill with diphtheria on November 12, 1878, and sadly was the only one of the children not to recover. She died on the morning of November 16, 1878. May was interred in Neues Mausoleum at Rosenhöhe Park in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine, now in Hesse, Germany. May’s death devastated her brother Ernst Ludwig. It was their mother Alice’s efforts to console him, with a hug and kiss, which led to her contracting the illness and passing away less than a month later.
Tomb of Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine (She is hugging her daughter Marie on her left side); Photo Credit – findagrave.com
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