[1] Marie was the only surviving child of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg and his wife Princess Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau, as her younger brother Georg died as an infant.

[2] On 9 April 1873 in Berlin, Marie married Prince Albert, a grandson of Frederick William III of Prussia.

[4] Spectators commented that the wedding ceremony was grander than most, with Dragoon Guards opening the procession and the Emperor and Empress in attendance.

[4] They had the following children: In 1885, Albert was appointed Regent for the Duchy of Brunswick, replacing Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover, who had been removed from office by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

[1][3] Emperor Wilhelm II and Empress Augusta Victoria attended her funeral, which was held at the castle where she died.