On 25 May 1822, after rejecting a marriage proposal from the future King of Sweden,[citation needed] she married Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

The marriage was generally considered unhappy;<[citation needed] Paul Frederick was a military man who had little time for or interest in his wife and family.

Alexandrine, by contrast, was a devoted mother who tenderly raised her children and actively cultivated their cultural pursuits.

[...] At the balls, concerts and dinners at the castle, the Dowager Grand Duchess was always the central figure; she had known the families of the assembled company for generations past and took an active and genuine interest in what happened to everyone.

There, the dear old lady held her 'court', which means that there was a daily pilgrimage of everyone who thought it important to be counted among court society to bid goodmorning to the Dowager Grand Duchess.