"Young Catherine" I of II Trivia Quiz

Answer: Count Gregory Orlov

Count Gregory Orlov and five other men dressed in furs, hats and jackets crossed the border. They carried with them a large medal with the Empress' coat of arms this apparently signified to the border patrol that he was on Imperial business.

Answer: Her mother

Princess Johanna escorted Sophie to Russia and by Imperial orders her father was expressly excluded. So Prince Christian was in the same carriage as his wife and daughter. They departed at Emperor Frederick's palace in Berlin and Sophie never saw her father again. Following behind them was a coach that would take Christian back to Anhalt-Zerbst and third one contained luggage.

Answer: Prussian Ambassador

Count Ernst von Manheim was Ambassador to Emperor Frederick the Great of Prussia. Somehow Frederick knew all about Russian business before the news officially came to him. Count von Manheim informed her that Emperor Frederick wanted her to be an unofficial spy for Prussia.

Answer: Empress

Count Michael Vorontsov had hired a maid who poured poison into Sophie's tea. Slowly the poison gave her fever, vomiting and fainting spells. The Empress had departed St Petersburg for religious devotions and had sped back to town to her side. She sniffed the tray of food and knew something was a foot.

She ordered everyone out forbidding the girl's own mother to attend her daughter. Princess Catherine Deshkova, Sophie's chief lady-in-waiting, was ordered by the Empress to bring in a cooking stove and cooking supplies.

Answer: Count Gregory Orlov

Archimandrite Todorsky was in the hallway outside Sophie's room when Johanna came out. He insisted that the best doctors be summoned at once but Johanna feared that if the Empress thought her daughter was weak or sickly the marriage would never happen.

When they left the hallway Count Orlov secretly entered her room looked at her for a moment and sped off on his horse. He startled the Empress who was at her religious devotions. He divulged that "Majesty the Princess Sophie is gravely ill." "How do you know?" "I have seen the Princess."

Answer: Empress Elizabeth

Sophie was getting herself ready for the conversion ceremony for her entering the Russian Orthodox Church. Just then the Empress and Count Vorontsov entered her room with a letter Johanna had written to Frederick of Prussia. Elizabeth banished Johanna from Russia but kept Sophie there for the wedding. She never saw her mother again.

Answer: Grand Duke Peter

Archimandrite Todorsky had her brought to the cathedral for prayers for Peter who had become infected with smallpox. Catherine attempted to see him but Vorontsov prevented her and The Empress also said they couldn't allow visitors. When Peter returned completely cured he was forever marked with the scars of the illness. He also became an ill-tempered, horrible man.

Answer: Friendship

This was before Peter recovered from the illness of course. Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, the British Ambassador, was her only dearest friend in St Petersburg. He said if Peter should die she was would essentially be forgotten by everyone. But should he live everyone would be fawning over like puppies.

Answer: Emperor Frederick the Great of Prussia

He wore a Prussian uniform as often as he could and believed he would be a great general like Frederick. Repercussions that would later harm him towards the end.

Answer: 2 years

The Empress was angry that over two years of marriage Catherine still hadn't given Russia an heir. She ordered her personal physician to examine Catherine who was then discovered to still be a virgin.