Princess Marie, Princess Consort of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen

Princess Marie Gasparine of Saxe-Altenburg (Marie Gasparine Amalie Antoinette Karoline Elisabeth Luise; 28 June 1845 – 5 July 1930) was a daughter of Prince Eduard of Saxe-Altenburg and his wife Princess Louise Caroline Reuss of Greiz. She was the consort of Charles Gonthier, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.

Marriage Marie was considered as a potential spouse for Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the eldest son and heir of Queen Victoria. A London newspaper speculated (supposedly from "authentic sources" ) that the prince's choices were limited to seven women, who were all of sufficient royal blood, followers of a Protestant religion, and his age or younger. Some of the other candidates included Marie of the Netherlands, Elisabeth of Wied, Anna of Hesse-Darmstadt, Alexandrine of Prussia, Alexandra of Denmark, Wilhelmine of Württemberg, Catherine of Oldenburg and Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein. and the Prince of Wales ultimately married Alexandra of Denmark in 1863.

On 12 June 1869, Marie married Charles Gonthier, Hereditary Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen in Altenburg. Charles succeeded his father on 17 July 1880, and Marie became the Princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Their failure to have children meant the end of the House of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. Charles' cousin Günther Victor succeeded him in 1909.

Marie Gasparine died on 5 July 1930 in Sondershausen, Weimar Republic.

Ancestry