In 1855, when Alice contracted scarlet fever, her health became permenent weak. She was constantly disfavourable compared with her elder sister Vicky, phisically and intelectually. Vicky had a doll-like face while Alice had more severe and melancholic features. Apparently, Vicky was more intelligent, but, as Jerrold M. Packard says in his book, she spread out her undeniable talents over wide waters while Alice penetrated into a narrow pond but to greater depths. These desfavourable comparissons would push Alice towards his brother Bertie, the Prince of Wales, who was also overshadow by Vicky. Alice and Bertie had a very close relatation during theri childhood.
In 1860, Prince Louis of Hesse Darmstadt arrived at Windsor in order to attend the Ascott Races; the true reason for his visit was that Queen Victoria had chosen him as a marriage prospect for Alice. Prince Louis was the son of the heir to the ducal throne of Hesse Darmstadt, Prince Charles, and his wife Elisabeth of Prussia, who was a granddaughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia. The reigning duke of Hesse was prince Charles' brother and Louis' uncle, Grand Duke Louis III. The Hessian family descended from the dukes of Brabant and from St. Elisabeth of Hungary. Alice and Louis felt mutual attraction but on the Queen's desire, they would wait a year for getting married.
On March 16 1861, Alice was a great comfort for her mother on the event of the death of the Queen's mother, the Duchess of Kent. The previous winter, Alice had spent some days nursing her old grandmother at Frogmore. By the end of that same year, Prince Albert contracted typhoid fever. Alice was devoted in taking care of her father. and satisfaying her mother necesities. Albert didn't recovered and died at 10:45 on the night of December 14, 1861. It was the greatest tragedy on the life of Queen Victoria and Alice was her greatest support. After Albert's death, the Queen entered in a total seclusion, refusing to appear in public; her only communication with her ministers about government affaires was through Alice.
Alice and Louis of Hesse's long postponed wedding finally took place on July 1st., 1862 at Osborne House. The ceremony seemed more a funeral, rather than a wedding. The altar was arranged before a potrait of the Royal Family, painted by Winterhalter, where Prince Albert seemed to be blessing his daughter and was pointing towards the chair where his widow was sitting. Queen Victoria was dressed completely in mourning and all her other children were wipping during the ceremony. Princess Alice was wearing a dress of white satin covered with flounces of Honiton lace.
Life in Darmstadt was hard for Alice. She, as her sister Vicky in Prussia, had chosen to remain an English princess. Several months after the newlyweds arrived in Darmastadt, they finally got installed in wich would be their home, the New Palace, which was built with Queen Victoria's support and with part of the 30,000 pounds of Alice's dowry. The New Palace was decorated in the British style., with portraits of the British Royal family and the manage of the house was in the British way. In April, 1863, Princess Alice gave birth to her first child, Princess Victoria, who in later years would marry Prince Louis of Battenberg and would be the mother of Lord Mountabatten and the grandmother of Queen Eliazabeth II's husband, Prince Philip. A year later a second daughter was born: Princess Elisabeth, who would marry Grand Duke Serge of Russia.
In 1866, when Alice was expecting her third child, a conflict between the Prussian Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck and Austria, sprang out. The conflict was about the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, about which Bismarck had had a previous conflict with Denmark being supported by Austria in that ocassion. Now Austria didn't approve Bismarck's policies about the duchies and Bismarck, in response, had invaded Holstein, which was under Austrian administration and the two countries ran into war. Hesse supported Austria so now Alice was in the opponent side to that of her sister Vicky, who was married to the Prussian heir.
During the war, Alice, though heavely pregnant, devoted herself to nurse the wounded, implementing the nursing methods of her friend Florence Nightingale. She founded the Central Lady's Union for training nurses for wartime duties. The war lasted for seven weeks ending with a defeat for Austria. Prussian troops entered Darmstadt where they stayed for six weeks taking with them all what they found and asking for an indemnity of 3 million florins, in which Alice's restant dowry was spent.As Prussian troops entered the city, on July 11,Alice's third daughter, Irene, was born. Princess Irene would marry her cousin (Vicky's son) Henry of Prussia.
After the war, Alice became obsessive with her nursing mission. She stayed in contact with Florence Nightingale by letter and she received the money support of wealthy Britons for improving conditions in Hessian hospitals, She founded several organizations: The Princess Alice for Women 's Training and Industry, dedicated to educate women, Princess Alice Women's Guild, for training nurses, and Alice's Hospital for treating indigents without charge..
Nevertheless, Louis and Alice had financial problems. Alice's life in Darmstadt was far away from the luxurious life she had as Princess of Great Britain; the family's meals were plain and she had to made herself the clothes for here children. Besides the relations with her husband were not good at all. Louis didn't share Alice's intelectual interests and aspirations so she was dissapointed about her husband. Altough the couple's problems four other children were born: Ernst Ludwig in 1868; Friedrich in 1870; Alix in 1872 and May in 1874.
