From Laundress to Empress

 From Laundress to Empress

Catherine I, born Martha Skavronskaya, was the second wife of Peter the Great.

Humble origins: She was born in what is now Latvia or Estonia. She was captured by Russian troops in 1702 during the Great Northern War.

The encounter: She was first a servant (and possibly lover) of Marshal Sheremetev and then of Alexander Menshikov. It was at the latter's house that Peter met her in 1703 and fell in love with her.

War companion: Unlike the Russian nobility, Catherine accompanied Peter on his military campaigns. It is said that she was the only one capable of calming the Tsar's fits of rage and migraines.

Her Place at Court

Secret and Official Wedding: They had a long relationship and several children before formally marrying in 1712.

Unprecedented Coronation: In 1724, Peter personally crowned her Empress Consort, a nearly unprecedented gesture that paved her way to the throne after the Tsar's death a year later.

Interesting Facts

Change of Faith: To marry Peter, she converted from Catholicism (or Lutheranism) to the Orthodox faith, taking the name Ekaterina Alekseyevna.

Resilience: They had 12 children, but sadly only two survived to adulthood: Anna (mother of the future Peter III) and Elizabeth (who would become one of Russia's most famous tsarinas).