Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine
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Princess Marie of Hesse and the Rhine (Marie Victoria Feodore Leopoldine) (24 May 1874 - 16 November 1878) was the youngest daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Ludwig IV, the Grand Duke of Hesse. Her mother was the second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
She had six older siblings, Victoria, Elisabeth, Irene, Ernest, Frederick (who died a year before her birth), and Alix. She was known as May in the family.
Tragedy struck the Grand Ducal family in 1878 when May's eldest sister Victoria contracted diphtheria. Soon afterwards, Alix, May, Irene, Ernest and the Grand Duke became ill. Ella was the only one unaffected by the disease, as she was away at that time.
May died of diphtheria on 16 November 1878. She was only four years old. Weeks later, her mother Princess Alice also succumbed to the disease.
