Princess Marie Amelie was a cousin of Napoleon III of France, as well as a friend of his and his wife's, Empress Eugénie.

[1][2] The couple had two sons and one daughter: William (later 12th Duke of Hamilton), Charles (later 7th Earl of Selkirk and Lieutenant of 11th Hussars), and Lady Mary Victoria (later wed to Albert I, Prince of Monaco in 1869).

[5] [6] After her wedding, she relocated to Brodick Castle on the Isle of Arran, which was extended and remodeled at her request in the Bavarian style.

[10] She also accompanied the Emperor at an 1855 celebration in honor of King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia[11] and the 1856 baptism of Napoléon, Prince Imperial.

Queen Sophie of the Netherlands, a friend of Stéphanie's, later claimed that Marie Amelie "behaved ill to her" mother, blaming this on her "Catholic bigotry".

[19] Five years later, in an 1867 letter, Queen Sophie described Marie Amelie as "bloodless, fat, sick," and complained that her sons were "restless and bad," while her daughter was "far from handsome.

[2] She was styled Marie Amelie, Princess of Baden, Dowager Duchess of Hamilton after her husband's death.

[25] Marie also paid and received visits to members of the British Royal Family, including the Duchess of Kent[26] and Queen Victoria.

[28] The union was unhappy, however, and Mary left Monaco and her husband after giving birth to an heir, Louis II.

[29] She later married the Hungarian magnate Prince Tasziló Festetics, living from that point onwards mainly in her husband's native country.