Photograph of Empress Marie Alexandrovna in a head and shoulders length portrait. She faces three-quarters to the left and wears a black lace ruff around her neck.

Maria Alexandrovna was born in Darmstadt on the 8 August 1824. Her father was Louis II Grand Duke of Hesse and her mother, Princess Wilhelmine of Baden. On the 16th April 1841, Maria married Tsarevitch Alexander in St Petersburg. On the 2nd March 1855, the Tsarevitch became the Russian Emperor and Maria became Grand Duchess Tsesarevna of Russia. They had 8 children together. Maria died at the Winter Palace on the 3 June 1880.