Maria Alexandrovna, Empress of Russia

Marie of Hesse-Darmstadt (1824–1880) was the first wife of Tsar Alexander II, with whom she reigned from 1855 until his death.
At the age of 14, this German princess, born in the Grand Duchy of Hesse, caught the attention of Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich. This led to their marriage in 1841 and Maria’s conversion to Orthodox Christianity. She then took the name Maria Alexandrovna and became fully integrated into Russian society.
When she became Empress of Russia in 1855, upon Alexander II’s accession to the throne, Maria worked alongside him in the healthcare, education and arts sectors, as well as on the important bill to abolish serfdom. However, she suffered from poor health and depression following the death of her eldest son, Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich, and died of tuberculosis in 1880.