Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel


Princess Marie of Hesse-Kassel was the consort of George, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Early life

Princess Marie was born on 21 January 1796 as the second daughter of Prince Frederick of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Caroline of Nassau-Usingen, she was born at Hanau, Hesse-Kassel. Through her father, she was a great-granddaughter of George II of Great Britain. Her father's older brother was the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. In 1803, her uncle's title was raised to Elector of Hesse—whereby the entire Kassel branch of the Hesse dynasty gained an upward notch in hierarchy.
Her sister Augusta married Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, the seventh son of George III of the United Kingdom.

Marriage

On 12 August 1817 in Kassel, Marie married George, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, son of Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg. Together, they had four children:

Later life and death

[file:1796 Marie.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Photograph of Princess Marie in her later years, ]
She became widowed when her husband, Georg, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, died on 6 September 1860. In preparation for life as a widow, she had earlier arranged the construction of the Marienpalais residence in Neustrelitz.
During her widowhood, Marie remained socially and culturally active. She kept supporting charity projects and the arts. In 1861, she organized a gold laurel wreath in honour of Queen Maria Sophie of the Two Sicilies, asking over thirty German princesses to donate inscribed gold leaves. During the Austro-Prussian War, although her native Hesse allied with Austria, she issued appeals and backed relief efforts for wounded soldiers in Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
In June 1876, Marie’s two youngest children, Duchess Caroline and Duke Georg, died within a few weeks of each other. Following their deaths, she assumed the patronage of the Carolinestift hospital, which had previously been under her daughter’s oversight. In 1878 she commissioned the construction of a memorial church at Remplin, dedicated to her children.
Marie died on 30 December 1880 at 6:15 am in Neustrelitz, at age 84. Her funeral was held on 7 January 1881 in Mirow. She was buried beside her husband in the family crypt of the Johanniterkirche, Mirow.