17 October 1853 Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia
On October 17th. 1853 a girl was born at Tsarskoye Selo in St. Petersburg. This girl received the name and title Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia. Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia Source picture: Wikipedia Her parents were Tsar Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. This made her an aunt of Tsar Nicholas II (last Tsar of Imperial Russia). In 1871, Grand Duchess Maria was introduced to Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and second son of Queen Victoria, during a family holiday in Denmark. On January 23rd. 1874 Maria and Alfred married at the Winter Palace in St.Petersburg. They would have 6 children. Their eldest daughter Marie (Missy in the family) married later King Ferdinand I of Romania. On March 12th. 1874 the new couple arrived in London where they made their public entry in the Society. However the bride wasn't popular. First of all a large discussion took place between Queen Victoria and