Maria Alexandrovna (), born Princess Wilhelmine Marie of Hesse and by Rhine (8 August 1824 – 3 June 1880), was Empress of Russia as the first wife and political adviser of Emperor Alexander II. She was one of the founders of the Russian Red Cross Society. Marie was the legal daughter of Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Hesse, and Princess Wilhelmine of Baden. She was raised in austerity but was well educated by her mother, who died when Marie was quite young. Marie was only 14 years old when Tsesarevich Alexander Nikolaevich fell in love with her while he was traveling to Western Europe. She arrived in Russia in September 1840. She converted to the Eastern Orthodox Church under the name Maria Alexandrovna, and she married Alexander the following April. The new tsesarevna did not enjoy court life because of her withdrawn nature, but she identified with her adopted country. After the death of Maria's father-in-law Nicholas I, Alexander and Maria became emperor and empress consort. Maria was known for her intellect. She organized and expanded the funds of the Russian Red Cross, established Russia's first all-female schools, and helped Alexander II to end serfdom. However, she suffered from tuberculosis from 1863 and spent long stays in southern Europe to avoid harsh winters, which worsened after the death of her eldest son Nicholas Alexandrovich. Although she and her husband were unofficially separated shortly afterwards, Maria was treated with respect and love by her surviving family. The Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg and Mariinskyi Palace were built with her help and named after her. Childhood Maximiliane Wilhelmine Auguste Sophie Marie was born on in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany. She was the youngest child among the seven children of Prince Hereditary Ludwig of Hesse and Princess Wilhelmine of Baden, sister of Russian Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna. Although her parents were double first cousins, they were a mismatched couple: Ludwig was dull, shy and withdrawn, while Wilhelmine, eleven years his junior, was pretty and charming. After the birth of three sons, the couple grew apart during the turbulent years of the Napoleonic Wars while Ludwig was in the battlefields. After a gap of eleven years, Princess Wilhelmine went on to have four more children, but court rumors attributed the biological paternity of the second set of children to Baron August von Senarclens de Grancy, Grand Master of the stables of the Grand Duke of Hesse.