Marie's mother was the youngest daughter of Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt and Princess Frederica of Prussia, Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau.

On 24 August 1878, Princess Marie married Prince Henry of Orange-Nassau at the Neuen Palais[1] (1820–1879), who had since 1850 been Governor of Luxembourg and Admiralleutnant zur See.

He was the third son of the King William II of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia.

Six years later, on 6 May 1885, Princess Marie married Prince Albert of Saxe-Altenburg in Berlin[2] (1843–1902), a son of Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg and his second wife, Princess Luise Caroline Reuss zu Greiz.

This marriage was to all reports a harmonious one and produced two daughters: The princess died at Schloss Abrechtesberg[3][4] on 20 June 1888 from the effects of puerperal fever and was buried in the Saxe-Altenburg family vault.