Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia
| Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna | |
|---|---|
| Princess Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel | |
A posthumous portrait of Grand Duchess Alexandra, currently on display at Hermitage Museum
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| Born |
24 June 1825 St. Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Died | 10 August 1844 (aged 19) St. Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Burial | Grand Ducal Mausoleum |
| Spouse | Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel (m. 1844) |
| Issue | Prince Wilhelm of Hesse-Kassel |
| House | Romanov |
| Father | Nicholas I of Russia |
| Mother | Charlotte of Prussia |
Grand Duchess Alexandra Nikolaevna of Russia (24 June 1825 – 10 August 1844) was the youngest daughter and fourth child of Tsar Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia, and his wife, Princess Charlotte of Prussia. She was a younger sister of Tsar Alexander II of Russia.
She was the namesake of her paternal aunt, Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna, who died in childbirth along with her stillborn daughter in 1801, but in the family she was known by her affectionate nickname, "Adini". According to her sister Olga's memoirs, Alexandra had inherited her mother's "Prussian look". It was also said that she resembled her late maternal grandmother, Queen Louise of Prussia. Nicholas affectionately spoke of Adini as "... a little moppet, but very sweet".
Alexandra was famous in Saint Petersburg society for both her wit and her lively personality. She was also the musician in the family. A serious student of vocal music, she was talented enough to qualify for lessons from the famous soprano Henriette Sontag.
On 28 January 1844, Alexandra married Prince Frederick William of Hesse (1820–1884) in St. Petersburg. Her husband was the only son of Prince William of Hesse and Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark. "Fritz", as he was called, had come to St. Petersburg as a prospective bridegroom for Olga, but fell in love with Adini instead on the first evening he spent with the family. Although Olga was the elder daughter and also found Fritz to be an engaging young man, she graciously stepped aside in favour of her sister, and even chaperoned the couple when they wanted to spend time together away from the prying eyes of the court. The emperor and empress then gave their permission for Alexandra and Fritz to be married.
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