Empress Catherine II - her German family and roots

[RomanovFan]

I get now. Thanks. So Paul was his own third cousin? lol...seriously, was he?

[LisaDavidson]

Duke Charles Albrecht of Holstein-Gottorp - Duke Christian Augustus of Holstein Gottorp - Johanna of Holstein Gottorp - Catherine II of Russia

Duke Charles Albrecht of Holstein Gottorp - Duke Frederick of Holstein Gottorp - Duke Charles Frederick of Holstein Gottorp -  Peter III of Russia

So Catherine and Peter shared a set of great grandparents in the Holstein Gottorp line.

[bluetoria]

Hi, Elisa,   I have vague recollections of reading somewhere that at one time Friedrich was considered as King of/Grand Duke of Prussian Poland. I don't think he was actually given the title though.

[Grand_Duke]

Does anyone have more information on Catherine's siblings Auguste, Wilhelm, Elisabeth and Friedrich?

With 4 siblings, 3 of them died during infancy:

Wilhelm Christian, prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, 1730-1742
Friedrich August, prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, 1734-1793*
Auguste Christina, princess of Anhalt-Zerbst, 1736-1736
Elisabeth Ulrika, princess of Anhalt-Zerbst, 1742-1745


* Friedrich August
1st wedding - 1753 - Caroline of Hesse-Cassel --> no childs.
2nd wedding - 1764 - Friedricha of Anhalt-Bernburg --> no childs.

[Macedonsky]

Friedrich August, prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, 1734-1793

Wasn't he last Fuerst of Anhalt-Zerbst, not merely Prinz?

[Alexandra]

The question of half-siblings for the new Grand Duchess Catherine (in 1744) may also spring from the story that her mother had had a liaison and became pregnant, while at the Court of the Empress Elizabeth. If so, Johanna was packed off in Sept. 1744, and lived for the rest of her days (to 1760) in Paris. I have never found anything about whether or not her accouchement was successful, so I rather think the pregnancy was either a false alarm, or terminated in a spontaneous abortion.

Karl Peter Ulrich, Duke of Holstein, was the son of Anne petrovna (PG's elder daughter) and so PG's grandson.
Catherine's mother's cadet line of the house were 'cousins-germains' to the members of the Holstein-Gottorp line proper.

[Mischa]

Wilhelm Christian, prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, 1730-1742

was lame due to a luxation of the hip. Sophie disliked her brother because he was prefered by their mother for being an boy and the heir.

M.

[cimbrio]

Apart from being second cousin to her husband, Catherine was also the cousin of Gustav III of Sweden (assassinated in 1792), who also had a nasty physical mark on his face, and Charles XIII of Sweden, his brother. It's surprising that no matter how insignificant her family may have been, how high she got, as well as her cousins...I suppose she owded it in part toher plotting mother...

[Marc]

Don't know how many of you are interested but I finally found the portrait in colour of the father of Catherine the Great...

[Marc]

[Marc]

Portrait of Prince Christian August von Anhalt-Zerbst,father of Catherine the Great!