Chronology of Alexandra's Hessian relatives 1862-1906

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CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE EMPRESS ALEXANDRA’S
PATERNAL RELATIONS, 1862-1906

[NOTE]:  The primary purpose of this chronology is to establish a clearer understanding of Alexandra’s paternal German relatives and their effect on the Empress both as a child and as an adult. Of course a chronology can only achieve such a goal by implication, by putting births, marriages and deaths in chronological order which reveal thought provoking issues.  I have included Alexandra’s paternal great-uncles and great-aunts and their issue.  I have referred to the children of Alexandra’s great-uncles and great-aunts as her “second cousins once removed” and the children of her “second cousins” as her “third cousins twice removed.” 

But most importantly, I have included Heinrich, Wilhelm, and Anna, the two brothers and sister of Alexandra’s father, the Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse.  By tracking the morganatic marriages of Heinrich and Wilhelm one gains a more intelligent context for Alexandra’s father’s brief morganatic marriage to Alexandrina Hutten-Czapska, Countess von Romrod.   

The only paternal relations that do not appear in the chronology are Alexandra’s great-aunt, Princess Elisabeth of Hesse, who died at the age of five in Lausanne on May 27, 1826 and Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duchess Alexandra, who died at the age of seven in St. Petersburg on July 10, 1849.  I wanted to integrate the Empress’s Windsor (Saxe-Coburg_Gotha) relatives but have confined myself only to those British marriages that directly involved Alexandra’s paternal German family. However I have included the issue of the Emperor Alexander II and his issue as he was the husband of Alexandra’s great-aunt, the Empress Marie.

The chronology begins 20 years before the birth of Alexandra, in the year 1862 with the passing of the Grand Duchess Mathilde, the wife of Alexandra’s great-uncle the reigning Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse.  The chronology ends when Alexandra is thirty four, in May 1906, with the marriage of her niece Ena to Alfonso XIII of Spain.  May 1906 seemed appropriate because it also includes the official opening of the Duma by Alexandra’s husband, Nicholas II and the inauguration of the first parliamentarian, dualist government in Russia.   

All the dates of the chronology are taken from the Georgian, New Style, Calendar.

1862
May 25, 1862:  25.5.1862 Alexandra’s Great Aunt Mathilde, Grand Duchess of Hesse, dies in Darmstadt.

July 1, 1862:  1.7.1862 Alexandra’s father, Prince Louis of Hesse and the Rhine marries Princess Alice of Great Britain, at Osborne House, the Isle of Wight. 

1863
April 5, 1863: 5.4.1863 Alexandra’s sister, Victoria, is born in Windsor Castle.

1864
May 12, 1864: 12.5.1864  Alexandra’s Aunt, Princess Anna of Hesse is married in Darmstadt to the Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.  Princess Anna, who is twenty years younger than her husband, is the Grand Duke Friedrich’s second wife and inherits six children from his first wife.  The Grand Duchess Anna’s step-daughter, Princess Marie, will eventually marry Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia.

Sept. 28, 1864:  (confirmed) The Tsarevich Nikolai, favorite son of Alexandra’s great-aunt, the Empress Marie, is engaged to Princess Dagmar of Denmark.

Nov. 1, 1864: 1.11.1864  Alexandra’s sister Elisabeth is born at Bessungen.

1865
April 16, 1865: 16.4.1865  Alexandra’s Aunt, the Grand Duchess Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, dies during the childbirth.  Her daughter Anne survives childbirth.

April 24, 1865:  24.4.1865  The Tsarevich Nikolai, the favorite son of Alexandra’s great-aunt, the Empress Marie of Russia, dies in Nice.     

1866
June 23, 1866:  The new Tsarevich Alexander, Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, is engaged to his late brother’s fiancée, Princess Dagmar of Denmark.

July 11, 1866: 11.7.1866  Alexandra’s sister Irene is born in Darmstadt.

Nov. 9, 1866: 9.11.1866  The new Tsarevich Alexander, Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, is married in St. Petersburg to Princess Dagmar of Denmark, who takes the name Maria Feodorovna.

1867
1867:  Princess N Lubomirska, mistress of Alexandra’s great-uncle by marriage, Alexander II, gives birth to an illegitimate son, Joseph Raboxicz. 

1868
May 18, 1868: 18.5.1868  Alexandra’s future husband and her third cousin twice removed, Nicholas Romanoff, is born in St. Petersburg.

June 9, 1868:  9.6.1868  Magdalene Appel, mistress of Alexandra’s great-uncle Ludwig III, is created Countess von Hochstädten.

June 20, 1868: 20.6.1868 Alexandra’s great-uncle the Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse contracts a morganatic marriage to Magdalene Appel, Countess von Hochstädten, at Darmstadt. 

Nov. 25, 1868: 25.11.1868  Alexandra’s brother, Ernst, is born at Darmstadt.

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1869
June 7, 1869:  7.6.1869  Alexandra’s third cousin twice removed, Alexander, the son of the Tsarevich Alexander, is born in St. Petersburg. 

1869/1870:  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed and son of her Aunt, the Empress Marie, the Grand Duke Alexei, is said to have contracted a morganatic marriage with Alexandra Wasilijewna Zhukovskaya in Italy.

1870
May 2, 1870:  2.5.1870  Alexandra’s third cousin twice removed, Alexander, the infant son of the Tsarevich Alexander, dies in St. Petersburg.   

Oct. 7, 1870: 7.10.1870  Alexandra’s brother Friedrich is born in Darmstadt.

1871
April 29, 1871: 29.4.1871  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Princess Marie von Battenberg is married to Gustav, Duke of Erbach-Schonberg in Darmstadt. 

May 9, 1871:  6.5.1871  Alexandra’s third cousin twice removed, the
Grand Duke Jurij, the son of the Tsarevich Alexander, is born in Tsarskoie Selo.

Nov. 26, 1871:  26.11.1871  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Alexei and his morganatic wife, Alexandra Wasilijewna Zhukovskaya, have a son, Count Alexei Belevsky-Zhukovsky in Salzburg.   

1872
May 12, 1872:  12.5.1872  Catherine Dolgoruky, mistress of Alexandra’s great-uncle by marriage, Alexander II, gives birth to an illegitimate son, Prince Gigoriji in St. Petersburg.  Prince Grigorij will be legitimized on July 18, 1880 when Alexander II marries Catherine Dolgoruky and he will be created Prince Grigorij Yurievsky on Dec. 17, 1880 when his mother is created Princess Yurievska.   

June 6, 1872: 6.6.1872  Alexandra is born at Darmstadt. 

1873
1873:  Antoniette Bayer, the illegitimate daughter of Alexandra’s great-uncle by marriage, Alexander II, and his former mistress, Wilhelmine Bayer, is married in Portici to Federico Stolte. 

May 29, 1873: 29.5.1873  Alexandra’s brother Friedrich dies as a result of a fall from a window in Darmstadt.

1874
Jan. 23, 1874:  23.1.1874  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duchess Marie, is married to Alexandra’s uncle, Prince Alfred of Great Britain and Ireland, in St. Petersburg.

May 24, 1874:  24.5.1874  Alexandra’s sister, Princess Marie, is born at Darmstadt.

Aug. 28, 1874: 28.8.1874   Princess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, step-daughter of Alexandra’s deceased Aunt the Grand Duchess Anne, marries the Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia in St. Petersburg.  Princess Marie refuses to adopt the Russian Orthodox religion. 

Oct. 15, 1874:  15.10.1874   Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duchess Marie, and her husband, Alexandra’s uncle, Prince Alfred of Great Britain and Ireland have a son, Prince Alfred in Buckingham Palace.   

Nov. 7, 1874:  7.11.1874  Catherine Dolgoruky, mistress of Alexandra’s great-uncle by marriage, Alexander II, gives birth to an illegitimate daughter, Princess Olga, in St. Petersburg.  Princess Olga will be legitimized on July 18, 1880 when Alexander II marries Catherine Dolgoruky and she will be created Princess Olga Yurievska on Dec. 17, 1880 when her mother is created Princess Yurievska.   

1875
1875 (?)  Prince Michael-Bogdan Oginski, the illegitimate son of Alexandra’s great uncle by marriage, Alexander II and his former mistress, Countess Olga Kalinovskaya, is married to Countess Gabrielle-Marie Potulicka.

April 6, 1875:  6.4.1875  Alexandra’s third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duchess Xenia, the daughter of the Tsarevich Alexander, is born in St. Petersburg.

Aug. 31, 1875:  31.8.1875  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Vladimir and his wife the Grand Duchess Marie, step-daughter of Alexandra’s deceased Aunt, the Grand Duchess Anna, have a son, the Grand Duke Alexander, at Tsarskoje Selo.   

Oct. 29, 1875:  29.10.1875  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duchess Marie, and her husband, Alexandra’s uncle, Prince Alfred of Great Britain and Ireland have a daughter, Princess Marie, in Eastwell Park.   

1876
Feb. 23, 1876:  23.2.1876   Catherine Dolgoruky, mistress of Alexandra’s great-uncle by marriage, Alexander II, gives birth to an illegitimate son, Prince Boris, in St. Petersburg. 

April 11, 1876:  11.4.1876   Prince Boris, the illegitimate son of Alexandra’s great-uncle by marriage, Alexander II, dies in St. Petersburg at two months old.  Prince Boris will be posthumously legitimized on July 18, 1880 when Alexander II marries Catherine Dolgoruky and created Prince Yurievsky Dec. 17, 1880 posthumously when his mother is created Princess Yurievska. 

Oct. 12, 1876:  12.10.1876  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Vladimir and his wife the Grand Duchess Marie, step-daughter of Alexandra’s deceased Aunt, the Grand Duchess Anna, have a son, the Grand Duke Kirill, at Tsarskoje Selo.   

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Nov. 25, 1876:  25.11.1876  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duchess Marie, and her husband, Alexandra’s uncle, Prince Alfred of Great Britain and Ireland have a daughter, Princess Victoria Melita, in Malta.   

1877
March 16, 1877:  16.3.1877  The infant Grand Duke Alexander, son of Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Vladimir and his wife the Grand Duchess Marie, step-daughter of Alexandra’s deceased Aunt Anna, dies in St. Petersburg.

March 20, 1877: 20.3.1877  Alexandra’s grandfather, Prince Karl Wilhelm of Hesse, dies in Darmstadt. 

June 13, 1877: 13.6.1877  Alexandra’s great-uncle, the Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse dies in Seehiem.  He is succeeded by his morganatic wife, Magdalene Appel, Countess von Hochstädten.  (Countess von Hochstädten will live until Dec. 19, 1917 and will die during WWI in Wiesbaden at the age of 71)  (*8.3.1846, +19.12.1917)

June 13, 1877: 13.6.1877  Alexandra’s father, Louis, becomes the Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse. 

Nov. 19, 1877:  19.11.1877  Josephine Bender, mistress of Alexandra’s Uncle Wilhelm, gives birth to an illegitimate son, Gottfried, in Darmstald.  Gottfried’s birth will be legitimized after his parent’s marriage in 1884. 

Nov. 24, 1877:  24.11.1877   Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Vladimir and his wife the Grand Duchess Marie, step-daughter of Alexandra’s deceased Aunt, the Grand Duchess Anna, have a son, the Grand Duke Boris, in St. Petersburg.   

1878
Feb. 28, 1878: 28.2.1878  Alexandra’s Uncle Heinrich contracts a morganatic marriage at Darmstadt to the daughter of General von Pollnitz, Caroline Willich, who is created Countess von Nidda on her wedding day. 

Sept. 1, 1878:  1.9.1878  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duchess Marie, and her husband, Alexandra’s uncle, Prince Alfred of Great Britain and Ireland have a daughter, Princess Alexandra, in Coburg. 

Sept. 9, 1878:  9.9.1878  Catherine Dolgoruky, mistress of Alexandra’s great-uncle by marriage, Alexander II, gives birth to an illegitimate daughter, Princess Catherine, in St. Petersburg.  Princess Catherine will be legitimized on July 18, 1880 when Alexander II marries Catherine Dolgoruky and she will be created Princess Catherine Yurievska on Dec. 17, 1880 when her mother is created Princess Yurievska.   

Nov. 16, 1878: 16.11.1878 Alexandra’s sister Marie dies in Darmstadt. 

Nov. 22, 1878:  22.11.1878  Alexandra’s third cousin twice removed, Mikhail, the son of the Tsarevich Alexander, is born in St. Petersburg.

Dec. 14, 1878: 14.12.1878  Alexandra’s mother, Alice of Great Britain and Ireland, dies in Darmstadt on the anniversary of her father, Prince Albert of Great Britain’s death, Dec. 14, 1861.

1879
Jan. 4, 1879:  4.1.1879  Karl, son of Alexandra’s morganatic Aunt Caroline, Countess von Nidda, and her Uncle Heinrich, is born in Trier.   

Jan. 6, 1879: 6.1.1879  Alexandra’s morganatic Aunt Caroline, Countess von Nidda, wife of her Uncle Heinrich, dies in Trier two days after the birth of her son Karl.

April, 29, 1879: 29.4.1879  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Prince Alexander von Battenberg, is elected reigning Prince to the throne of Bulgaria.

May 14, 1879:  14.5.1879  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Vladimir and his wife the Grand Duchess Marie, step-daughter of Alexandra’s deceased Aunt Anna, have a son, the Grand Duke Andrei, at Tsarskoje Selo.

1880
June 3, 1880: 3.6.1880  Alexandra’s great-aunt, the Empress Marie of Russia, wife of the Emperor Alexander II of Russia, dies in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. 

July 18, 1880:  18.7.1880  Alexander II, husband of Alexandra’s deceased great-aunt Marie, contracts a morganatic marriage with his mistress, Princess Catherine Dolgoruky, at Tsarskoie Selo and their and  four children are legitimized, one posthumously.   

Dec. 17, 1880:  17.12.1880 Princess Catherine Dolgoruky is created Princess Yurievska. The title is also conferred on her four children, one posthumously. (Princess Yurievska will live until Feb. 15, 1922 and die in Nice at the age of 75)

1881
March 8, 1881:  Lily Langtry, mistress of Prince Louis von Battenberg, Alexandra’s second cousin once removed and future brother-in-law, gives birth to an illegitimate daughter, Marie Jeanne Langtry in Paris.

March 13, 1881:  13.3.1881  Alexandra’s great-uncle by marriage, Alexander II, is assassinated at St.Petersburg as he alights to survey the damage done from a bomb that had been thrown at his carriage.  Whilst inquiring after the welfare of victims of the first bomb, a second bomb is thrown at his feet.   

Oct. 1, 1881, 1.10.1881  Antoniette Bayer Stolte Jaeger, the illegitimate daughter of Alexander II by Wilhelmine Bayer, marries for the third time in London to Richard Flemyng de St. Leger. 

1882
Jan. 29, 1882:  29.1.1882   Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Vladimir and his wife the Grand Duchess Marie, step-daughter of Alexandra’s deceased Aunt Anna, have a daughter, the Grand Duchess Elena, at Tsarskoje Selo. 

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Feb. 8, 1882: Alexandra’s cousin, Princess Anne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, daughter of her deceased Aunt Anna and step-sister of the Grand Duchess Vladimir, dies in Schwerin at the age of 17.

June 13, 1882:  13.6.1882  Alexandra’s third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duchess Olga, daughter of the Tsarevich Alexander, is born in Peterhof. 

1883
Nov. 28, 1883:  28.11.1883 Alexandra’s morganatic cousin, Karl, son of her Uncle Heinrich and his late wife Caroline, is created Count von Nidda.   

1884
Feb. 24, 1884: 24.2.1884 Alexandra’s Uncle Wilhelm contacts a morganatic marriage to Josephine Bender at Lorry near Metz, legitimizing their seven year old son, Gottfried.

April 15, 1884: 15.4.1884 Alexandra’s morganatic Aunt Josephine is created Countess von Lichtenberg and Alexandra’s morganatic cousin Gottfried is created Count von Lichtenberg. 

April 20, 1884:  20.4.1884   Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Marie of Russia, and her husband, Alexandra’s uncle, Prince Alfred of Great Britain and Ireland, have a daughter, Princess Beatrice, in Eastwell Park. 

April 30, 1884: 30.4.1884 Alexandra’s sister Victoria is married in Darmstadt to her second cousin once removed, Prince Louis von Battenburg.

April 30, 1884: 30.4.1884  Alexandra’s father, Ludwig IV, contracts a morganatic marriage to Alexandrina Hutten-Czapska, created Countess von Romrod.  The marriage is annulled the same year. (Countess von Romrod will live to 87 and die on May 8, 1941 in Vevey. 8.5.1941

June 15, 1884: 15.6.1884 Alexandra’s sister Elizabeth is married in St. Petersburg to the Grand Duke Sergei of Russia. 

1885
Feb. 25, 1885:  25.2.1885  Alexandra’s sister Victoria gives birth to a daughter, Princess Alice von Battenburg, at Windsor Castle in the same bed that Victoria had been born in twenty-two years earlier.

March 21, 1885: 21.3.1885 Alexandra’s grandmother, Princess Elizabeth of Prussia dies in Bessungen.  (Princess Elizabeth’s sister, Marie who is another great-aunt of Alexandra, had married Maximilin II of Bavaria and her oldest son was the tragic “Mad” King of Bavaria, Ludwig II.  It was through this connection that enemies of Alexandra were able to unsuccessfully suggest that madness was hereditary in the Empress’ family)

July 23, 1885: 23.7.1885  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Prince Henry von Battenberg is married to Alexandra’s Aunt, Princess Beatrice of Great Britain and Ireland at Whippingham Church, the Isle of Wight.  Alexandra’s grandmother, Queen Victoria, elevates Prince Henry to Royal Highness the day of his marriage. 
1886
June 13, 1886: Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, drowns near Berg in the Starnberger See. 

Sept. 3, 1886: 3.9.1886   Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Prince Alexander von Battenberg, pressured by Alexander III of Russia, abdicates the throne of Bulgaria.

Nov. 23, 1886:  23.11.1886  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Prince Royal, Henry von Battenberg and Alexandra’s Aunt Beatrice of Great Britain have a son, Prince Alexander von Battenberg, at Windsor.   

1887
Oct. 24, 1887:  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Prince Royal, Henry von Battenberg and Alexandra’s Aunt Beatrice of Great Britain have a daughter, Princess Eugénie (Ena) von Battenberg at Balmoral.

1888
May 24, 1888: 24.5.1888  Alexandra’s sister Irene is married to Kaiser Wilhelm’s brother, Heinrich, Prince of Prussia, at Charlottenburg.

Dec. 15, 1888:  15.12.1888  Alexandra’s great-uncle, Prince Alexander of Hesse, dies at Darmstadt.  He is survived by his morganatic wife, Julie, Princess von Battenberg and their issue. 

1889
Feb. 6, 1889: 6.2.1889 Alexandra’s second cousin, Prince Alexander von Battenberg (son of the recently deceased Prince Alexander von Hesse), contracts a morganatic marriage with Johanna Marie Luise Loisinger at Mentone after continuous negotiations over several years with the German Royal family have failed to unite him in marriage with the Kaiser’s sister, Princess Victoria “Moretta”.) 

March 20, 1889: 20.3.1889  Alexandra’s sister Irene gives birth to her son, Prince Waldemar of Prussia at Kiel.

May 21, 1889: 21.5.1889  Alexandra’s second cousin, Prince Royal, Henry von Battenberg and Alexandra’s Aunt Beatrice of Great Britain have a son, Prince Leopold von Battenberg at Windsor.

June 17, 1889:  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Pavel, is married to Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark in St. Petersburg. 

July 13, 1889: 13.7.1889 Alexandra’s sister Victoria gives birth to a daughter, Princess Louise, in Heiligenberg Palace. (Princess Louise will marry King Gustaf VI of Sweden on Nov. 11, 1923 in Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace.)

1890
Jan. 16, 1890: 16.1.1890 Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Prince Alexander von Battenburg, ex-Prince of Bulgaria, and his morganatic wife Louise Loisinger, have a son, Prince Arséne, Count von Hartenau, in Graz. 

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April 18, 1890:  18.4.1890 Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Pavel, and his wife, Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, have a daughter, the Grand Duchess Marie, in St. Petersburg.

1891
Sept. 18, 1891:  18.9.1891 Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, the wife of Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Pavel, dies in childbirth in Ilynskoye.  Their son, the Grand Duke Dimitri, survives.     

Oct. 3, 1891: 3.10.1891 Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Prince Royal, Henry von Battenberg and Alexandra’s Aunt Beatrice of Great Britain have a son, Prince Maurice von Battenberg, at Balmoral.  (Prince Maurice will die at age 23 in action at Sonneneck on Oct. 27, 1914 27.10.1914 in the opening months of WWI)

1892
March 13, 1892: 13.3.1892 Alexandra’s father, the Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and the Rhine dies in Darmstadt. 

March 13, 1892:  Alexandra’s brother Ernest becomes the Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse and the Rhine. 13.3.1892   

Sept. 20, 1892: 20.9.1892 Alexandra’s Uncle Heinrich contracts a second morganatic marriage to Emilie Hrzic de Topuska in Darmstadt. 

Nov. 6, 1892:  6.11.1892  Alexandra’s sister, Victoria, gives birth to a son, Prince George von Battenberg, in Darmstadt.

1893
Jan. 10, 1893:  10.1.1893  Alexandra’s cousin, Princess Marie of Great Britain and Ireland, daughter of Alexandra’s uncle Ernest, Prince of Duke of Edinburgh, and Marie of Russia, marries the Crown Prince Ferdinand of Romania in Sigmaringen. 

Aug. 3, 1893: 3.8.1893   Alexandra’s morganatic Aunt Emilie, second wife of her uncle Heinrich, gives birth to a son, Elimar, in Munich.

Aug. 22, 1893:  22.8.1893  Alexandra’s uncle Alfred Ernest, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Edinburgh, inherits the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.     

Oct. 15, 1893:  15.10.1893  Alexandra’s cousin, Crown Princess Marie of Romania, daughter of Marie of Russia and Alexandra’s uncle Alfred Ernest, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Coburg, gives birth to a son, Prince Carol of Romania, in Castle Pelesch.  From 1914-16 Romania and Russia will explore the possible betrothal of Carol with Alexandra’s daughter Olga which will come to nought.       

Oct. 24, 1893: 24.10.1893 Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Prince Alexander von Battenburg, ex-Prince of Bulgaria, and his morganatic wife Louise Loisinger, have a daughter, Princess Zwetana, Countess von Hartenau, in Graz. 

Nov. 17, 1893:  17.11.1893 Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Prince Alexander von Battenberg, ex-Prince of Bulgaria, dies in Graz at the age of 36.  He is survived by his two infant children, Prince Arséne, Count von Hartenau, and Princess Zwetana, Countess von Hartenau and his morganatic wife Louise Loisinger, Countess von Hartenau (Louise will live until July 20, 1951 20.7.1951 and will die in Vienna at the age of 86.) 

1894
April 19, 1894: 19.4.1894 Alexandra’s brother, the Grand Duke Ernest Ludwig, marries his cousin, Princess Victoria Melita of Great Britain, Ireland and Saxe-Coburg Gotha in Coburg. Alexandra and Nicholas are engaged at during the marriage celebrations.

Aug. 6, 1894:  6.8.1894   Alexandra’s future sister-in-law and third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duchess Xenia, is married to the Grand Duke Alexander in St. Petersburg.

Aug. 29, 1894:  29.8.1894   Count Alexei Belevsky-Zhukovsky, the morganatic son of Alexandra’s second cousin twice removed, the Grand Duke Alexei, marries Princess Maria Petrovna Trubetskaya at Ilyinskoye. 

Oct. 12, 1894   12.10.1894  Alexandra’s cousin, Crown Princess Marie of Romania, daughter of Marie of Russia and Alexandra’s uncle Alfred Ernest, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Coburg, gives birth to a daughter, Princess Elizabeth, at Castle Pelesch.   

Nov. 26, 1894:  26.11.1894  Alexandra weds her third cousin twice removed, Nicholas, Emperor of Russia, in St. Petersburg.

1895
March 11, 1895: 11.3.1895 Victoria Melita, Alexandra’s cousin and  sister-in-law (wife of her brother Ernest) gives birth to a daughter, Elisabeth, in Darmstadt. 

May 12, 1895:  12.5.1895   Princess Olga Yurievska, daughter of Alexander II, Alexandra’s great uncle by marriage, is married to Count Georg von Merenberg in Wiesbaden.

July 15, 1895:  15.7.1895  Alexandra’s sister-in-law and third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duchess Xenia has a daughter, Princess Irina of Russia in Peterhof. 

Sept. 14, 1895: 14.9.1895 Alexandra’s morganatic Aunt Emilie, the second wife of her Uncle Heinrich, is created Countess von Dornberg and Alexandra’s two year old morganatic cousin Elimar receives the title, Count von Dornberg. 

Sept. 19, 1895: 19.9.1895 Alexandra’s morganatic great-aunt Julie, Princess von Battenberg dies at Heiligenberg Palace. Princess Julie is survived by her son, Prince Louis Battenberg and his wife Victoria (Alexandra’s sister) and their issue; by her morganatic daughter-in-law, Luise Loisinger, Countess von Hartenau, and their issue (Prince Alexander had died at the age of 36 on Oct. 24, 1893); by her son, the Prince Royal, Henry von Battenberg and his wife the Princess Royal Beatrice of Great Britain (Alexandra’s Aunt) and their issue; by her son, Prince Franz Joseph who will wed Princess Anna of Montenegro (see May 18, 1897); and by her daughter, Princess Marie, and her husband Duke Gustav of Erbach-Schönberg.   

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Nov. 15, 1895: 15.11.1895  Alexandra’s daughter, the Grand Duchess Olga, is born at Tsarskoje Selo. 

1896
Jan. 20, 1896:  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Prince Royal, Henry von Battenberg, husband of her Aunt Beatrice of Great Britain, dies at sea.

April 20, 1896:   20.4.1896  Alexandra’s cousin, Princess Alexandra of Great Britain and Ireland, daughter of Alexandra’s uncle Ernest, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Coburg and Marie of Russia, marries Ernst, Duke of Hohenlohe_Langenburg, in Coburg.   

Sept. 8, 1896:  8.9.1896   Count Alexei Belevsky-Zhukovsky, the morganatic son of Alexandra’s second cousin twice removed, the Grand Duke Alexei, has a daughter, Countess Elizabeth Belevsky-Zhukovsky, in Moscow. 

Nov. 27, 1896:  27.11.1896  Alexandra’s sister Irene, Princess Heinrich of Prussia, gives birth to her second son, Prince Sigismund of Prussia, in Kiel.

1897
Jan. 9, 1897:  9.1.1897  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Pavel and his mistress, Olga Valerianovna Karnovitch Pistolkors, have a illegitimate son, Vladimir, in Paris. Vladimir’s birth will be legitimized when the couple is married on Oct. 10, 1902.   

Jan. 24, 1897:  24.1.1897  Alexandra’s sister-in-law and third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duchess Xenia has a son, Prince Andrew of Russia in St. Petersburg. 

March 24, 1897:  24.3.1897   Alexandra’s cousin, Duchess Alexandra of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, daughter of Alexandra’s uncle Ernest, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Coburg and Marie of Russia, has a son, Duke Gottfried Hohenlohe-Langenburg, in Langenburg.

May 18, 1897:  18.5.1897  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Prince Franz Joseph von Battenberg is married to Princess Anna of Montenegro in Cetinje.  Princess Anne is a younger sister of the Grand Duchess Militza and Stana of Russia. At the time of the marriage Stana had not yet divorced her husband, Duke George von Leuchtenberg and married the Grand Duke Nicholas.  Both Militiza and Stana were devoted friends of Alexandra at the time of the marriage to their younger sister Anna to Alexandra’s second cousin Franz. (Princess Anne will live until April 22, 1971 and die in Montreux at the age of 97)

June 10, 1897:  10.6.1897   Alexandra’s daughter, the Grand Duchess Tatiana, is born at Peterhof. 

1898
Dec. 23, 1898:  23.12.1898  Alexandra’s sister-in-law and third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duchess Xenia has a son, Prince Feodor of Russia, in St. Petersburg. 

1899: The Grand Duchess Victoria Melita of Hesse, Alexandra’s cousin and sister-in-law (wife of her brother Ernest), starts an affair with her cousin, the Grand Duke Kyril. By 1900 the affair is in full bloom as the Grand Duke recalls in his memoirs, “The three weeks which I spent at Wolfsgarten in the autumn of 1900 were decisive for the whole of my life. Thereafter we were to meet as often as possible.”

Jan. 18, 1899  18.1.1899  Alexandra’s cousin, Duchess Alexandra of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, daughter of Alexandra’s uncle Ernest, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Coburg and Marie of Russia, has a daughter, Princess Marie Melita, Hohenlohe-Langenburg, in Langenburg.

Feb. 6, 1899:  6.2.1899  Alexandra’s cousin, Alfred, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Coburg, son of Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, Marie, Duchess of Coburg and her uncle Alfred, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Coburg, dies in Meran.   

March 4, 1899:  4.3.1899  Count Alexei Belevsky-Zhukovsky, the morganatic son of Alexandra’s second cousin twice removed, the Grand Duke Alexei, has a daughter, Countess Alexandra Belevskaya-Zhukovskaya, in Moscow.     

Summer, 1899:  Alexandra’s cousin, the Crown Princess Marie of Romania, daughter of Alexandra’s uncle Ernest, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Coburg and Marie of Russia, has an affair with Zizi Cantacuzene in Constanza. Marie’s name had been linked with Cantacuzene’s since the Autumn of 1897.  Crown Princess Marie’s transgression, along with her sister, the Grand Duchess Victoria of Hesse, affair with the Grand Duke Kyrill, soon become the talk of Europe. 

June 26, 1899:  26.6.1899  Alexandra’s daughter, the Grand Duchess Maria, is born at Peterhof.

Aug. 9, 1899:  9.8.1899   Alexandra’s brother-in-law, the Grand Duke Jurij dies from injuries at Abbas-Touman, Caucasus. 

Aug. 26, 1899:  Alexandra Wasilijewna Zhukovskaya, the morganatic wife of Alexandra’s second cousin twice removed, the Grand Duke Alexei, dies in Wendischbora, Germany at the age of 57.  It is not exactly clear if the Grand Duke actually married his mistress.

1900
Jan. 9, 1900: 9.1.1900 Alexandra’s sister Irene gives birth to her third son, Prince Heinrich of Prussia, in Kiel.

Jan. 9, 1900:  9.1.1900   Alexandra’s cousin, Crown Princess Marie of Romania, daughter of Marie of Russia and Alexandra’s uncle Alfred Ernest, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Coburg, gives birth to a daughter, Princess Marie of Romania, in Gotha.   

Jan. 16, 1900:  16.1.1900   Alexandra’s sister-in-law and third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duchess Xenia has a son, Prince Nikita of Russia, in St. Petersburg. 

[griffh]

Feb. 11, 1900:  Prince Grigorij Yurievsky, the son of Alexandra’s great uncle by marriage, Alexander II, is married to Countess Alexandra von Zarnekau in Nice.  

May 24, 1900:  24.5.1900 Alexandra’s Uncle Wilhelm dies at Rosenhöhe. Wilhelm is survived by his morganatic wife Josephine, Countess von Lichtenberg (who will live until Feb 24, 1942 and die in Darmstadt at the age of 85 24.2.1942); and by Alexandra’s morganatic nephew Gottfried, Count von Lichenberg (who will die at the age of 37 on Sept. 6, 1914, in action near Esternay, 6.9.1914; in the opening months of WWI. For Gottfried’s marriage and issue see July 20, 1901 and Oct. 18, 1902.)      

June 10, 1900:  The Grand Duchess Victoria Melita, Alexandra’s sister-in-law and wife of her brother Ernest, has a miscarriage.  

June 25, 1900:  25.6.1900  Alexandra’s sister, Princess Victoria, gives birth to a son, Prince Louis von Battenberg, in Windsor Castle. (Prince Louis will become Prince Charles of England favorite Uncle “Dicky.” Prince Louis will be assassinated off the coast of Ireland on Aug. 27, 1979.) 27.8.1979  

July 30, 1900:  Alexandra’s uncle Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg Gotha, dies in Rosenau Palace, Coburg.  

Sept. 16, 1900: 16.9.1900 Alexandra’s uncle Heinrich dies in Munich.  Heinrich is survived by a son from his first marriage, Karl, Count von Nidda, who will live until June 11, 1920 11.6.1920 and die in Ahrweiler at the age of 41; by his second wife, Emilie, Countess von Dornberg who will live until Feb. 23, 1961 and die in Munich at the age of 93; and by their son, Elimar, Count von Dornberg who will die during WWI, in action at Riezlern, Allgäu on May, 1, 1917 at the age of 24. 1.5.1917

Dec. 20, 1900:  20.12.1900  Prince Grigorij Yurievsky, son of Alexandra’s great uncle by marriage, Alexander II, has a son, Prince Alexander Yurievsky in Nice.

1901
Jan. 22, 1901:  Alexandra’s grandmother, Queen Victoria of Great Britain dies and Alexandra’s Uncle Edward VII becomes King of England.  

April 2, 1901:  2.4.1901  Alexandra’s cousin, Duchess Alexandra of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, daughter of Alexandra’s uncle Ernest, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Coburg and Marie of Russia, has a daughter, Princess Alexandra Hohenlohe-Langenburg, in Coburg.        

June 18, 1901: 18.6.1901  Alexandra’s daughter, the Grand Duchess Anastasia, is born at Peterhof.

July 20, 1901: 20.7.1901 Alexandra’s morganatic cousin Gottfried von Lichtenberg is married to Elisabeth Muller in Darmstadt.  (Elisabeth will live until Feb. 5, 1961 5.2.1961 and die in Berlin at the age of 81.)

Aug. 9, 1901:  9.8.1901  Alexandra’s sister-in-law and third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duchess Olga, is married to Prince Peter of Oldenburg at Gatschina.  

Aug. 15, 1901:  15.8.1901  Alexandra’s sister-in-law and third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duchess Xenia has a son, Prince Dimitri of Russia, in Gatschina.    

Oct. 18, 1901:  18.10.1901  Princess Catherine Yurievska, daughter of Alexandra’s great uncle by marriage, Alexander II, is married to Prince Alexander Vladimirovich Bariatinsky in Biarritz.  

Oct. 26, 1901:  26.10.1901  Count Alexei Belevsky-Zhukovsky, the morganatic son of Alexandra’s second cousin twice removed, the Grand Duke Alexei, has a daughter, Countess Maria Belevskaya-Zhukovskaya, in Moscow.  

Dec. 21, 1901:  Alexandra’s brother the Grand Duke Ernest of Hesse and his wife, Victoria Melita are divorced. The marriage is dissolved by the Supreme Court of the Grand Duchy of Hesse.  As early as October the divorce was already known in court circles and by November it was rumored in the press.  The court ordered that the couple’s daughter, Elisabeth, would spend six months with one parent and then six months with the other.  When Elizabeth reached maturity, she was to return to her father’s court at Darmstadt permanently until she was married.      

1902
June 30, 1902:  confirmed  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, husband of her sister Victoria, Prince Louis von Battenberg’s, illegitimate daughter, Marie Jeanne Langtry, marries the Scottish aristocrat, Ian Malcolm at St. Margaret’s Westminster, London.

June 30, 1902:  30.6.1902  Alexandra’s third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duke Andrei and his mistress, the ballerina Mathilde Krzessinska (the former mistress of Nicholas II), have an illegitimate son, Prince Vladimir Romanovsky-Kransinsky at St. Petersburg.  Though the son will be legitimized when Andrei marries Mathilde in Cannes on Jan. 30, 1921, 30.1.1921 some believe Vladimir to be the son of the Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovitch.    

July 4, 1902:  4.7.1902  Alexandra’s cousin, Duchess Alexandra of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, daughter of Alexandra’s uncle Alfred, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Coburg and Marie of Russia, has a daughter, Princess Irma Hohenlohe-Langenburg, in Langenburg.  

Aug. 29, 1902:  29.8.1902   Alexandra’s third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duchess Elena, is married in Tsarskoje Selo to Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark. (Their daughter, Marina, will marry Queen Elizabeth II’s uncle, the Duke of Kent.)

[griffh]

Oct. 10, 1902:   10.10.1902  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Pavel contracts a morganatic marriage to Olga Valerianovna Karnovitch Pistolkors in Livorno, Italy, legitimizing the birth of their 5 year old son, Vladimir.  Vladimir will eventually be created Prince Vladimir Paley. (Olga will be created Countess von Hohenfelsen in 1904, and Her Serene Highness, Princess Paley on Aug. 28, 1915. 28.8.1915  The Grand Duke Paul is banished from Russia for marrying Olga and Paul’s two children, Marie and Dimitri, are put under the care of the Grand Duke’s brother Sergei and his wife Ella, who is Alexandra’s sister. 

Oct. 18, 1902: 18.10.1902  Alexandra’s morganatic cousin Gottfried von Lichtenberg and his wife Elizabeth have a son, Gottfried in Mainz. (Gottfried will marry Syvia Trute Knispel in Berlin on May 4, 1942 4.5.1942 and they will have a daughter, Alexandra von Lichtenberg, who will be born April 29, 1946 in Tegernsee 29.4.1946.  Gottfried will die on Jan. 17, 1958 in Frankfurt at the age of 56.  17.1.1958  On July 1, 1971 1.7.1971 Alexandra will marry Rainer de Neufville in Frankfurt. Alexandra de Neufville is the only surviving descendant of the Empress Alexandra’s paternal Uncles and Aunt.  Of course the Empress has descendants through her paternal great-uncles and great aunts, but Alexandra de Neufville is the Empress’ only direct descendant from her Father’s two brothers and sister.)

Nov. 24, 1902:  24.11.1902  Alexandra’s sister-in-law and third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duchess Xenia has a son, Prince Rostislav of Russia in Ai-Todor, Crimea. 

1903
Feb. 17, 1903:  17.2.1903  Count Alexei Belevsky-Zhukovsky, the morganatic son of Alexandra’s second cousin twice removed, the Grand Duke Alexei, has a son, Count Sergei Belevsky-Zhukovsky, in Moscow. 

Aug. 8, 1903:  18.8.1903  Alexandra’s cousin, Crown Princess Marie of Romania, daughter of Marie of Russia and Alexandra’s uncle Alfred Ernest, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Coburg, gives birth to a son, Prince Nicholas of Romania, in Castle Penesch.  In an attempt to stop the gossip about the Crown Princess’ friendship with Waldorf Astor and the paternity of her son, Marie threatens to leave Romania for good.       

Oct. 6, 1903:  6.10.1903 Alexandra’s niece, daughter of her sister Victoria, Princess Alice von Battenberg, marries Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark in Darmstadt. (Princess Alice’s son, Philip, will marry Queen Elizabeth II of England.) Nicholas and Alexandra attend the wedding and give the couple an automobile.   

Nov. 6, 1903:  6.11.1903 Alexandra’s niece Elisabeth, daughter of her divorced brother Ernest and cousin Victoria Melita, dies during a visit with her father to Alexandra and Nicholas in their hunting lodge, at Skierniewice, Poland.

Dec. 21, 1903:  21.12.1903  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Pavel and his morganatic wife Olga Valerianovna Karnovitch Pistolkors, have a daughter, Irina, in Paris. 

1904
Feb. 26, 1904:  26.2.1904   Alexandra’s three year old nephew, Heinrich, her sister Irene’s youngest son, dies from hemophilia at Kiel.   

Aug. 12, 1904:  12.8.1904  Alexandra’s hemophiliac son, Alexei, is born at Peterhof. 

[griffh]

1905
1905:  Alexandra’s third cousin twice removed, the Grand Duke Boris, has an illegitimate son, Jean Boris Lacroix, by his mistress Jeanne Lacroix in France.

Jan. 19, 1905:  On the feast of the Epiphany, during the Blessing of the Waters, a live shell fired from the SS Peter & Paul Fortress barely misses Nicholas II and hits the face of the Winter Palace just below a window where the Court was standing, covering the Alexandra and her ladies in shattered glass.  Though the event was ruled accidental, the Emperor suspected that it was an assassination attempt.  

Feb. 2, 1905:  2.2.1905 Alexandra’s divorced brother Ernest, Grand Duke of Hesse, marries a second time in Darmstadt.  His new wife is Princess Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich.  (Alexandra’s brother Ernest will die on Oct. 9, 1937 at Wolfsgarten. 9.10.1937 A month later, on Nov. 16, 1937, 16.11.1937 Ernest’s wife, Eleonore; her older son the Duke Georg Donatus; his pregnant wife, Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark; and their infant children Prince Ludwig and Alexander will die in a plane crash at Steene, near Ostende, England.  The couple’s youngest child, Princess Johanna, who had been too young to fly, will die a year and a half later at Darmstadt. The family was traveling by air to London for the wedding of the Grand Duke Ernest’s youngest son, Ludwig, to the Hon. Margaret Campbell Geddes.  The wedding took place Nov. 17, 1937, the day after the crash. Ludwig and Margaret will have no issue. Margaret Campbell Geddes will live until Jan. 26, 1997 and die at Wolfsgarten at the age of 84.)  26 .1.1997)

Feb. 17, 1905:  17.2.1905  Alexandra’s brother-in-law and second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Sergei, is assassinated in Moscow when a bomb is thrown under his carriage.

May 18, 1905:  18.4.1905  Alexandra’s niece, daughter of her sister Victoria, Princess Alice von Battenberg and her husband, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, have a daughter, Princess Margarita, in Athens.  

May 31, 1905:  Alexandra’s future nephew-in-law, King Alfonso XIII escapes an assassination attempt in Paris when a bomb is thrown under his carriage.  

Oct. 8, 1905:  8.10.1905  During the critical month of October when all of the Emperor’s energy is being spent in finding a progressive solution for the Revolution of 1905, Alexandra’s former sister-in-law, Victoria Melita, is secretly married to her lover, the Grand Duke Cyril, in the Orthodox Chapel of Count Adlerberg’s villa at Tegerness, near Munich.  Father Smirnoff, the confessor of Victoria Melita’s mother, the Dowager Duchess of Coburg, officiated.  Nicholas II, who warned Cyril that he would be severely punished if he broke his word and married Victoria, stripped Cyril of his military commissions, income, and title and banished him from Russia.  However Nicholas relented by mid-October 1905 and restored Cyril’s title, but he enforced the other punishments.  Though Cyril’s mother, the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, credited the young Empress with the severity of Cyril’s punishment, Nicholas had relied on the judgment and guidance of his state advisors who approved the measures against Cyril.  The punishment was also acknowledged as just by both the Empress Dowager and the Grand Duke Constantine.  By June 1907 Nicholas II had acknowledged the marriage and conferred the title of Grand Duchess on Victoria Melita, creating a legal precedent by allowing Victoria to keep her name, out of respect for her namesake Queen Victoria.    

Dec. 5, 1905:  5.12.1905  Alexandra’s second cousin once removed, the Grand Duke Pavel and his morganatic wife Olga Valerianovna Karnovitch Pistolkors, have a daughter, Natalia, in Paris. Natalia was born Countess von Hohenfelsen, the title conferred on her mother in 1904. The title was also given to her older brother Vladimir and sister Irina.  All three children will be created Prince and Princesses Paley in 1915 when the title is conferred on their mother by Nicholas II.

1906
April 3, 1906:  3.4.1906 Alexandra’s niece, Ena, the daughter of her sister Victoria, is elevated by King Edward VII to the rank of Royal Highness.

May 30, 1906:  30.5.1906   Alexandra’s niece, daughter of her sister Victoria, Princess Alice von Battenberg and her husband, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, have a daughter, Princess Theodora, in Athens.  

May 31, 1906:  31.5.1906  Alexandra’s niece, Ena, the daughter of her sister Victoria, is married in Madrid to King Alfonso XIII of Spain. The Royal couple barely escapes assassination on their way back to the palace after their marriage ceremony.  A bomb disguised inside a bouquet is dropped from a balcony and lands on the wheel horses of their carriage.  The Royal couples were unhurt, though 20 bystanders lost their lives in the blast.  The evening before his wedding, King Alfonso had been regaling his guests with the lurid details of the assassination attempt in Paris exactly a year before, on May 31, 1905.

[Ilana]

Ena was Princess Henry of Battenberg's daughter (Princess Beatrice of Great Britain and Ireland).

[griffh]

Thank you so much Ilana for that correction.  That was a really bad mistake and I can't get in to my chronology to correct it.  Darn.... thanks again.....griff

[Teddy]

What was the relationship between Alexandra and all those morganatic uncles/aunts,cousins?

[Ilana]

No problem, Griff!

[griffh]

Teddy,

I think if we look at the years 1877 to 1879 we can get a comparatively intelligible picture of the morganatic marriages in Alexandra’s family and a sense of their impact of her and her sisters.  If we start with the death of Alexandra’s grandfather, Prince Karl of Hesse on March 20, 1877 when Alexandra is 5 years old, we can get a reasonably clear picture of Alexandra’s immediate morganatic relations. 

When Prince Karl died in Darmstadt on March 20, 1877, there remained:

(1) Karl’s 70 year old wife, Alexandra’s grandmother, Princess Elisabeth of Prussia.

(2) Karl’s 40 year-old son Prince Ludwig, Alexandra’s father; Ludwig’s 34 year old wife, Alexandra’s mother, Princess Alice of Great Britain and Ireland; their issue, Alexandra’s sisters Victoria, Irene, Ella, and Marie and her brother Ernest. Alexandra’s brother, Friedrich, had died from a fall from a window on May 29, 1873.

(3) Karl’s unmarried 39 year-old son, Alexandra’s uncle, Prince Heinrich. 

(4) Karl’s 12 year old granddaughter, Princess Anne of Schwerin, the only child of his daughter, Alexandra’s Aunt Anna, who had died in childbirth in Schwerin on April 16, 1865 a year after her marriage to Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Alexandra’s cousin, Anne will die at the age of 17 in Schwerin on Feb. 8, 1882 when Alexandra is turning 10 years old.
 
(5) Karl’s unmarried 32 year-old son, Alexandra’s uncle, Prince Wilhelm.   

And there remained Prince Karl’s brothers and sisters:

(Karl’s baby sister, Princess Elisabeth, had died at the age of five on April, 27 1826.   

(1) Karl’s 71 year old brother, Alexandra’s great-uncle, the Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and the Rhine and his 31 year-old morganatic wife, Alexandra’s great-aunt by marriage, Magdalene Appel, Countess von Hochstädten.  The Grand Duke’s first wife, Alexandra’s great-aunt Mathilde, Princess of Bavaria had died at the age of 49 on April, 25, 1862. There was no issue from either marriage.   

(2) Karl’s 54 year-old brother, Alexandra’s great-uncle, Prince Alexander and his 52 year-old morganatic wife Julie von Hauke, Princess von Battenburg and their issue: the 24 year-old daughter, Princess Marie and her husband, Duke Gustav zu Erbach-Schönberg; the 23 year-old son Prince Ludwig who will have an illegitimate daughter by the British actress Lily Langtry and eventually marry Alexandra’s sister Victoria; the 20 year-old son Prince Alexander, Prince of Bulgaria who will contract a morganatic marriage with Johanna Loisinger; the 19 year-old son, Prince Henry, who will marry Alexandra’s aunt, Princess Beatrice of Great Britain and Ireland; and the 16 year-old son, Prince Franz Joseph, who will marry Princess Anna of Montenegro the sister of the Grand Duchesses Stana and Melitza of Russia.   

(3) Karl’s 53 year-old sister, Alexandra’s great-aunt, the Empress Marie of Russia, wife of the Emperor Alexander II and their issue; (their daughter the Grand Duchess Alexandra had died at 5 years-old in 1849); (their eldest son, Nicholas, had died at in 1865 at the age of 22); the 32 year-old Tsarevich Alexander, his 30 year-old wife Dagmar of Denmark and their children, (their infant son Alexander had died in 1870), the 9 year-old Nicholas, the 6 year-old Juriji, and the 2 year-old Xenia; the 30 year-old Grand Duke Vladimir and his 24 year-old wife Marie of Mecklinburg-Schwerin and their children, (the 2 year-old son Alexander had died on March 16, 1877, four days before Karl), and the 1 year-old Kirill; the 27 year-old son the Grand Duke Alexis and his 35 year-old morganatic wife (or mistress) Alexandra Wasilijewna Zhukovskaya and their 6 year-old son, Count Alexei Belevsky-Zhukovsky; the 24 year-old daughter the Grand Duchess Marie and her 33 year-old husband Prince Alfred of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Edinburgh (Alexandra’s uncle); the 20 year-old Grand Duke Sergei who will marry Alexandra’s sister Ella in 1884; and the 17 year-old Grand Duke Pavel. In March of 1877 the Emperor Alexander II, husband of Alexandra’s great-aunt Marie also had a number of illegitimate children from several mistresses. There is Alexander II’s 29 year-old illegitimate son, Prince Michael-Bogdan Oginski, by his mistress Countess Olga Kalinovskaya; his 21 year-old illegitimate daughter, Antoniette Bayer (who had married Federico Stolte in 1873) by his mistress Wilhelmine Bayer; his 10 year-old illegitimate son, Joseph Radoxicz by his mistress Princess N. Lubomirska; and his 5 year-old illegitimate son Prince Grigorij and 3 year-old illegitimate daughter Princess Olga by his current mistress, the 30 year-old Princess Catherine Dolgoruky who is created Pincess Yurievska after her marriage to Alexander II 1880. Their infant son Prince Boris died at 2 months in 1876. Alexander II’s issue by this second marriage were legitimated after the marriage, though born before, including Prince Boris who was posthumously legitimated and there was one more child, Princess Catherine who was born in 1878.

[griffh]

Teddy the above post gives you a view of the family with all of the morganatic marriages and issue and the illegitimate unions and issue in March of 1877 when Alexandra’s grandfather, Prince Karl died.  You can feel the long ordeal that Karl’s sister, the Empress Marie, had gone through with number of illegitimate children of her husband.   

Then three months after the death of Alexandra’s grandfather Karl, his brother and Alexandra’s great-uncle, the Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse, died at Seeheim on June 13, 1877 and Alexandra’s father became the Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and the Rhine. 

Then five months later, on Nov. 19, 1877 Alexandra’s uncle Wilhelm’s mistress, Josephine Bender, gaves birth to a son, Gottfried and on Feb. 28, 1878, three months after the birth of Gottried, Alexandra’s Uncle Heinrich, contracted a morganatic marriage at Darmstadt with the daughter of General von Pollnitz, Caroline Willich, who was created Countess von Nidda on her wedding day. 

On Nov. 16, 1878 Alexandra’s little sister, Princess Marie died and a month later, on Dec. 14, 1878 Alexandra’s mother died in Darmstadt. A month after that, on Jan. 6, 1879, Alexandra’s morganatic Aunt, Countess von Nidda, died in childbirth in Trier.

Now it might be helpful to look at the year 1884.

On Feb. 24, 1884 Alexandra’s uncle Wilhelm marries his mistress, Josephine Bender, who is created Countess von Lichtenberg on April, 15, 1884. The birth of their 7 year-old son Gottfried is legitimized and he is created Count von Lichtenberg.  Two weeks later, on April 30, 1884, Alexandra’s sister, Princess Victoria is married to Prince Louis von Battenberg in Darmstadt.  On the same day Alexandra’s father secretly contracts a morganatic marriage with Alexandrina Hutten-Czapska, who will be created Countess von Romrod.  The marriage is immediately dissolved and two months later, on June 15, 1884, Alexandra’s sister, Princess Elizabeth, is married to the Grand Duke Sergei of Russia in St. Petersburg. 

Finally it might be equally helpful to look at the year 1892. 
 
After Alexandra’s father dies on March 13, 1892 in Darmstadt Her Uncle Heinrich contracts a second morganatic marriage to Emilie Hrzic de Topuska on Sept. 20, 1892, who will be created Countess von Dornberg on Sept. 14, 1895, a year after Alexandra marrys Nicholas II of Russia.

I hope some of the information helps to answer your question.  Griff