Tsarevna Catherine Ivanovna of Russia
Encyclopedia
Tsarevna Catherine Ivanovna of Russia (20 October 1691 – 14 June 1733) was a daughter of Tsar
Ivan V
and Praskovia Saltykova
, and the mother of Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna, Regent
of Russia. She was also a niece of Peter the Great
and sister of Empress Anna of Russia
. She would have been Empress, being older than Anna, but the council
feared that her spouse Karl Leopold of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
would gain influence in Russia and turned to her widowed sister instead.
Catherine was described as a short, dark-haired, and pale beauty and was a popular socialite with her charm and sociability. She was married in 1716 in Danzig to the duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
, Karl Leopold. He had initially proposed to Catherine's sister Anna
, but instead Peter I chose Catherine to be his bride. The marriage created a political alliance between Russia and Mecklenburg
against Sweden
, and was advantageous to Peter, as he wanted to use the port of Mecklenburg to harbour his fleet
.
The marriage was unhappy, as Karl abused Catherine. She escaped to Russia in 1722 with her young daughter Elisabeth Catherine Christine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The couple never divorce
d, but they never saw each other again.
On the death of Peter II
in 1730, Catherine was considered first as a candidate for the tsardom
, but the fear that her spouse would gain influence in Russia made the council turn to her widowed sister Anna, Duchess of Courland
, instead. On 12 May 1733, Catherine was present when her daughter converted to the Orthodox
religion and was given the name Anna Leopoldovna, which made her acceptable as an heir to the throne. Catherine died one month later.
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Ivan V
Ivan V of Russia
Ivan V Alekseyevich Romanov was a joint Tsar of Russia who co-reigned between 1682 and 1696. He was the youngest son of Alexis I of Russia and Maria Miloslavskaya. His reign was only formal, since he had serious physical and mental disabilities...
and Praskovia Saltykova
Praskovia Saltykova
Praskovia Fyodorovna Saltykova was the tsaritsa of Russia as the only wife of Ivan V of Russia. She was the mother of Empress Anna of Russia...
, and the mother of Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna, Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of Russia. She was also a niece of Peter the Great
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
and sister of Empress Anna of Russia
Anna of Russia
Anna of Russia or Anna Ivanovna reigned as Duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730 and as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.-Accession to the throne:Anna was the daughter of Ivan V of Russia, as well as the niece of Peter the Great...
. She would have been Empress, being older than Anna, but the council
Supreme Privy Council
The Supreme Privy Council of Imperial Russia was founded on 8 February 1726 as a body of advisors to Catherine I.Originally, the council included six members — Alexander Menshikov, Fyodor Apraksin, Gavrila Golovkin, Andrey Osterman, Peter Tolstoy, and Dmitry Galitzine. Several months later,...
feared that her spouse Karl Leopold of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Karl Leopold of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Karl Leopold of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1713-1747....
would gain influence in Russia and turned to her widowed sister instead.
Catherine was described as a short, dark-haired, and pale beauty and was a popular socialite with her charm and sociability. She was married in 1716 in Danzig to the duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King Charles IV...
, Karl Leopold. He had initially proposed to Catherine's sister Anna
Anna of Russia
Anna of Russia or Anna Ivanovna reigned as Duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730 and as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.-Accession to the throne:Anna was the daughter of Ivan V of Russia, as well as the niece of Peter the Great...
, but instead Peter I chose Catherine to be his bride. The marriage created a political alliance between Russia and Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
against Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and was advantageous to Peter, as he wanted to use the port of Mecklenburg to harbour his fleet
Fleet
-Vehicles:A fleet is a collection of ships or vehicles, with many specific connotations:*Fleet vehicles, two or more vehicles*Fishing fleet*Naval fleet, substantial group of warships*A group of small ships or flotilla...
.
The marriage was unhappy, as Karl abused Catherine. She escaped to Russia in 1722 with her young daughter Elisabeth Catherine Christine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The couple never divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d, but they never saw each other again.
On the death of Peter II
Peter II of Russia
Pyotr II Alekseyevich was Emperor of Russia from 1727 until his death. He was the only son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, son of Peter I of Russia by his first wife Eudoxia Lopukhina, and Princess Charlotte, daughter of Duke Louis Rudolph of Brunswick-Lüneburg and sister-in-law of Charles VI,...
in 1730, Catherine was considered first as a candidate for the tsardom
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, but the fear that her spouse would gain influence in Russia made the council turn to her widowed sister Anna, Duchess of Courland
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia is the name of a duchy in the Baltic region that existed from 1562 to 1569 as a vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and from 1569...
, instead. On 12 May 1733, Catherine was present when her daughter converted to the Orthodox
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
religion and was given the name Anna Leopoldovna, which made her acceptable as an heir to the throne. Catherine died one month later.