Cat's Historical Doodles

Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg was born on 2 May 1729, in Pomerania, Prussia. She was the eldest child of Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, and his wife, Princess Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp. Sophie had an uneventful childhood and, although she was a princess, her family had very little money. Sophie's rise to power was supported by her mother's wealthy relatives. The choice of Sophie as the wife of her second cousin, the future tsar Peter III, had the goal to strengthen the friendship between Russia and Prussia and to weaken Austria's influence. Sophie first met Peter at the age of ten...and she found him detestable! She disliked his pale complexion and his fondness for alcohol at such an young age. Empress Elizabeth loved Sophie who, on arrival in Russia in 1744, spared no effort to ingratiate herself not only with the Empress, but with her husband and the Russian people. On 28 June 1744, the Russian Orthodox Church receiv...

Friederike Luise Charlotte Wilhelmine, better known as Charlotte, was born a princess of Prussia on 13 July 1798. She was the eldest surviving daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia and his wife, Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Her childhood was marked by the Napoleonic wars and the death of her mother when she was just 12. On February 1814, Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich, the future Tsar of Russia, and his brother. Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich visited Berlin. Arrangements were made by the two families for Nicholas to marry Charlotte and strengthen the alliance between Prussia and Russia. On a second visit, Nicholas fell in love with Charlotte; the feeling was mutual. She wrote: I like him and am sure of being happy with him . By the end of this visit, they were engaged. On 9 June 1817, Princess Charlotte travelled to Russia. When she arrived in Saint Petersburg, she converted to Russian Orthodoxy, and took the Russian name of Alexandra Feodorovna. On her 19th birthday, ...