Princess Alice of the United Kingdom VA CI was Grand Duchess of Hesse and by the Rhine from 13 June 1877 until she died in 1878 as the wife of Grand Duke Louis IV. Alice spent her early childhood in the company of her parents and siblings, traveling between the British royal residences. When her father, Prince Albert, became fatally ill in December 1861, Alice nursed him until his death. On 1 July 1862, while the court was still at the height of mourning, Alice married the minor German Prince Louis of Hesse, heir to the Grand Duchy of Hesse. Alice showed an interest in nursing, especially the work of Florence Nightingale.