Princess Marie Of Hesse And By Rhine

Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (Marie Viktoria Feodore Leopoldine) was born on 24 May 1874 and died on 16 November 1878. She was a member of the House of Hesse-Darmstadt and held titles associated with Hessian and Rhenish nobility. Her parents were Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, a daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Marie was the youngest child and fifth daughter of her parents. She had six older siblings: Victoria, Elizabeth, Irene, Ernest Louis, Frederick, and Alix. In her family, she was referred to as "May." Contemporary family correspondence notes her resemblance to her deceased brother Friedrich (Frittie) at a similar age, describing her as having quick eyes and deep dimples, with fair skin, light brown hair, and deep blue eyes.

As she grew, family observations indicated she frequently smiled and resembled her older sister Victoria, with fair hair, marked eyebrows, and expressive eyes. She and her sister Alix, two years older, shared a close relationship, often dressed alike and sharing a nursery. The family took trips, including a seaside visit in the summer of 1877, during which her mother described her as charming and delightful.

In 1878, the family experienced a diphtheria outbreak. The illness presentation began on 5 November when Victoria developed a stiff neck. Despite initial assumptions that it was mumps, the symptoms rapidly progressed. By the early hours of 12 November, Princess Victoria was diagnosed with diphtheria, and soon after, her younger sister Alix was also diagnosed. The family took measures such as using steam inhalers to prevent choking.

On 12 November, Princess Marie showed symptoms, including a high fever and a white membrane in her throat. Her sister Irene became ill later that day, followed by her brother Ernest and her father Louis. Grand Duchess Alice and medical personnel attended to the family continuously. Marie's condition worsened, and she died from choking on the membrane in her throat on 16 November.

Following her death, her mother, Alice, temporarily concealed the severity of the situation from her other children. The other sick children were informed of Marie’s death at the beginning of December. Ernest initially refused to accept her passing but later was overwhelmed with grief. On 7 December, Grand Duchess Alice herself developed diphtheria and died on 14 December, with her body laid to rest beside Marie’s. A statue by Joseph Boehm depicting Alice holding Marie is located on their shared tomb.

It is believed that Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia, the third daughter of Alix (Princess Alice of the United Kingdom) and Tsar Nicholas II, was named after Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine, as was the tradition of honoring relatives within the royal family.

There are no additional details about Marie’s ancestry beyond her lineage as a member of the House of Hesse-Darmstadt and her direct family connections to the British royal family and German nobility.