As a result of a morganatic marriage, Marie and her siblings were excluded from the succession of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, and bore the title Princes of Battenberg.

Marie grew up in a wholesome family environment which was remarked upon by their royal relatives for its harmony and simplicity.

Her fourth and youngest brother was Prince Francis Joseph of Battenberg, who married a daughter of king Nicholas I of Montenegro, but they had no children.

Marie was a godmother to her niece, Princess Alice of Battenberg, mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The Princess married on 19 April 1871 in Darmstadt, Count Gustav Ernst of Erbach-Schönberg (1840–1908), who was elevated to the rank of Prince (German: Fürst) in 1903.