Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia was the fifth child and only surviving daughter of Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine; she was Duchess of Edinburgh and later Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as the wife of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was the younger sister of Alexander III of Russia and the paternal aunt of Russia's last emperor, Nicholas II.
Photograph by Charles Bergamasco, 1876
From left to right: Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, Emperor Alexander II with Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich in his lap, Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich on the table with his arms crossed, Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich and Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich
Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna wearing the traditional dress of ladies of the Russian Imperial court
Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna and Prince Alfred around the time they met, 1868
Alexander II was Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland and Grand Duke of Finland from 2 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881. Alexander's most significant reform as emperor was the emancipation of Russia's serfs in 1861, for which he is known as Alexander the Liberator.
Photograph, 1878–81
Grand prince Alexander Nikolaevich, 1830
Procession of Alexander II into Dormition Cathedral from the Red Porch during his coronation
The coronation of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna on 26 August/7 September 1856 at the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, painting by Mihály Zichy. The painting depicts the moment when the Emperor crowned the Empress.