Catherine the Great & Her Many Lovers

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  • Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
  • Please consider supporting me at / lindsayholiday
    The deliciously witty drama series ‘The Great’ tells the occasionally true story of Catherine II, Empress of Russia. It’s a wonderful example of why historic dramas should be taken as entertainment, not a history lesson. While playing fast and loose with history it actually sanitizes a lot of the scandal in her life by transforming Peter into a romantic antihero and making Catherine fall in love with him. In reality Catherine didn’t keep Peter around for a ‘will they, won’t they’ Hollywood romance. Her lover promptly strangled him in prison. Catherine the Great knew how to use her charm and sexuality, the only tools available to a woman of her time, both for her own advancement and her own pleasure. And while I love the great, it so far only captures a fraction of her true greatness. So let’s take a peek inside the imperial boudoir and get to know the Empress, her twisted relationship with Peter and her many lovers a little more intimately. And we’ll address that horrid rumor about the horse.
    Sergei Saltykov
    Stanislaw Poniatowski
    Grigory Orlov
    Alexander Vasilchikov
    Grigory Potemkin
    Pyotr Zavadovsky
    Semyon Zorich
    Ivan Rimsky-Korsakov
    Alexander Lanskoy
    Alexander Yermolov
    Alexander Dmitriev-Mamonov
    Platon Zubov
    Plus Peter’s Mistress, Elizaveta Vorontsova
    Check out the History Tea Time Podcast:
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    Music: Brandenburg Concerto No4-1 BWV1049 - Classical Whimsical by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommon...
    Source: incompetech.com...
    Artist: incompetech.com/
    For business inquiries, please contact LindsayHoliday@ellify.com

КОМЕНТАРІ • 549

  • @mckinleygrimes9593
    @mckinleygrimes9593 Рік тому +985

    “To distract the emperor who liked to watch things burn” killed me.

    • @spleens4200
      @spleens4200 Рік тому +24

      Anything to distract that man xD

    • @pageribe2399
      @pageribe2399 Рік тому

      ​@@spleens4200😂

    • @ks8084
      @ks8084 Рік тому +13

      I was not sure if I should be disturbed, laugh, or both.

    • @jen-a-purr
      @jen-a-purr 10 місяців тому +3

      Replace emperor with president and that’s America in 2025

  • @wednesday8397
    @wednesday8397 Рік тому +1441

    I can't help but delight in how much her lovers whine and complain at having no control over Catherine even tho they were treated much better by Catherine than most men treated their mistresses throughout history. What's good for the goose...

    • @GBfanatic15
      @GBfanatic15 Рік тому +86

      they were treated better than her own husband treated her

    • @Lucy_Heartfilia822
      @Lucy_Heartfilia822 Рік тому +58

      And the fact that they were given extremely large salaries too…

    • @edwardtodd9734
      @edwardtodd9734 10 місяців тому +4

      So the Romanovs weren't Romanovs

    • @zolobby
      @zolobby 10 місяців тому +15

      they were complaining about the power imbalance like so its fine when its the other way around but now u complain?

    • @ValentineBleton
      @ValentineBleton 5 місяців тому

      😅😅

  • @CosmicChaiLatte
    @CosmicChaiLatte Рік тому +1837

    Emperor Paul's petty grudge against his mother is what inevitably ended the Romanov dynasty by only allowing men to take the throne after him.

    • @oliviaspring9690
      @oliviaspring9690 Рік тому +198

      Especially not letting the throne pass through women at all. Even with that small concession succession becomes we less precarious.

    • @Alusnovalotus
      @Alusnovalotus Рік тому +141

      If what we heard was true. He wasn’t even a Romanov. The line, in effect, died with the previous Czar.

    • @CosmicChaiLatte
      @CosmicChaiLatte Рік тому +98

      @@oliviaspring9690 yeah then it wouldn't have been such a pressing issue for Nicholas II as his eldest daughter could've succeeded him.

    • @ladyagnes7781
      @ladyagnes7781 Рік тому +149

      So Paul put her a law saying that the crown could not go to women or through women, but his claim to the throne was through his grandmother Anna, the daughter of Peter the Great. So with his law he shouldn't have been czar at all.
      I always wonder why Nicholas the second didn't repeal that one. Women had been Czarina regnant. Why not just restore the law and take away the hundred-year-old Loft and go back to the way it had been before that

    • @malissaperry88
      @malissaperry88 Рік тому

      P😅⁰⁰0

  • @EnigmaticLucas
    @EnigmaticLucas Рік тому +1117

    I always thought that if anything, she was demonized rather than sanitized, considering how many people believe the horse myth

    • @Leah-xu2fd
      @Leah-xu2fd Рік тому +17

      Same!

    • @PrincessQ-qb8ly
      @PrincessQ-qb8ly Рік тому +130

      Me too. I mean you would have to have a really misogynistic way of thinking if you can't handle a queen or empress taking lovers, the same way a king or emperor would. Not to mention double standards have always been a thing.

    • @laurendisney
      @laurendisney Рік тому +41

      The Great is a show on Hulu that strongly glosses over the more scandalous parts of her history.

    • @SpinMeaStory
      @SpinMeaStory Рік тому

      The horse thing was mentioned on The Big Bang Theory. It’s a myth like Marie Antoinette saying “let them eat cake.” But I think it’s that over time it was a way to say women who held power did something evil. Joanna of Castille being crazy, Elizabeth I being a man, all the plots of against Mary Queen of Scots, and even how history has portrayed Catherine de Medici.

    • @mochaleeseo
      @mochaleeseo Рік тому +13

      @@PrincessQ-qb8lythey’re talking abt the Hulu show on Catherine that glosses over a large portion of her history

  • @areiaaphrodite
    @areiaaphrodite Рік тому +234

    Actually... We can't say for sure that Sergei Saltykov was Paul's father, either.
    There's actually quite a lot of evidence as to Peter being Paul's father. From what I understand, I dont think Catherine knew who really was Paul's father. In the earlier version of her diary, she wrote that Sergei Saltykov was definitely Paul's father because she had no interest in Peter whatsoever.
    Yet, in the final version of her memoir, that was later given to her son Paul, she claims that Peter was definitely Paul's father because, she felt it was her duty to produce a true Romanov heir for Russia. Only after Paul's birth was she allowed by Empress Elizabeth to have lovers once her duty in producing a strong male heir was done.
    Furthermore, let's face it, Paul had a rather striking resemblance to Peter and apparently shared the same mental malady that Peter had, as well. Catherine literally stated that she hated him for being Peter's son.

    • @cesarzpontu8886
      @cesarzpontu8886 Рік тому +16

      Striking resemblence on portraits doesn't mean anything.

    • @areiaaphrodite
      @areiaaphrodite Рік тому +20

      @@cesarzpontu8886 That and contemporaries at the time said he looked exactly like Peter

    • @cesarzpontu8886
      @cesarzpontu8886 Рік тому +10

      @@areiaaphrodite he said that so his claim was stronger. It would be embarassing to have bastard, without romanov blood on throne.

    • @areiaaphrodite
      @areiaaphrodite Рік тому +24

      @@cesarzpontu8886 He? I'm talking about diplomats from other countries who documented their own observations of Paul while visiting Catherine's Court. Like I said, we for sure don't know who his father was because Catherine didn't really seem to know which one was his father for sure. Until they do a DNA test on his remains, we don't know.

    • @cesarzpontu8886
      @cesarzpontu8886 Рік тому +1

      @@areiaaphrodite yeah because diplomats don't live, sure...

  • @PokhrajRoy.
    @PokhrajRoy. Рік тому +374

    One of the most fascinating and complex people in European Royalty.

    • @lovedove6108
      @lovedove6108 Рік тому

      ​@@blushingroseso, this person likes to comment? And....

    • @natas3301
      @natas3301 Рік тому

      Master drama club

    • @AdinatiShimkua
      @AdinatiShimkua 4 місяці тому +2

      And you are everywhere lol

  • @Leelz247
    @Leelz247 Рік тому +733

    Why am I starting to get the impression that almost every European nation was saved from the brink of total collapse by having a woman ruler at one time or another? Less incompetence, less corruption, more reforms.

    • @ledam2654
      @ledam2654 9 місяців тому +77

      And less pointless wars meant for ego-stroking/"glory"

    • @BenSmith-lv2yl
      @BenSmith-lv2yl 9 місяців тому +24

      Probably because of the more feminist leaning tone of the day. History is read with the glasses of our own prejudices and biases

    • @masfiqratul7559
      @masfiqratul7559 8 місяців тому

      Haha Nice Joke 🤣 Which Other Country ? Name ? When Austria had a Queen Boom My Boy Frederick took over Silesia
      Elizabeth and Mary both Died without any Significance and Then James came and paved the way for English Scottish Union
      Which Other Country? most are You are talking about is Marriage by that they Inherited
      And when France was in Problem my Boy Napoleon there to save it

    • @tttayah44
      @tttayah44 7 місяців тому +55

      @@BenSmith-lv2yl Matilda, Queen Elizabeth the first, catherine the great, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth the second were just plainly wonderful and intelligent rulers, the opinion was the same in an age where women were hardly seen as people, and that is documented. So that tells me all I need to know

    • @yelrah1012
      @yelrah1012 7 місяців тому

      Catherine's lover's aren't shit compared to royal men's. Such absolute bullshit. What's good for the Gander is good for the Goose!!

  • @joykoski7111
    @joykoski7111 Рік тому +303

    Nicely done, Lindsay. I love "The Great" Normally I hate inaccurate historical dramas but The Great is sooooo farcical that it can hardly be considered a drama at all. Its more of a satirical comedy. I do think this kind of history representation has a place in today's society. No one watching it , even if they have zero knowledge of Russian history, could possibly think many of those events portrayed were truthful. This in itself encourages fans to dig into history just to satisfy their curiosity. Huzzah!!! It has promoted an educational endevour. 😀

    • @sitting_nut
      @sitting_nut Рік тому +1

      hope you "love" the series showing all american presidents as pedos, as as in fact case with all of usa's founders and everyone on mount rushmore. and funny how americans love those pedos.

    • @sharlagardner
      @sharlagardner Рік тому +8

      Huzzah!!! Love that series. It's hilarious and well done. Huzzah!!

    • @sitting_nut
      @sitting_nut Рік тому +1

      @@sharlagardner what about the series showing all american presidents as pedos, as is in fact case with all of usa's founders and everyone on mount rushmore? was that "hilarious and well done" too? do tell.

    • @InLisa_UTrust
      @InLisa_UTrust 11 місяців тому +4

      Exactly why I’m here. I loved the great so much that I had to go search for the truth

    • @gingercatqueen4368
      @gingercatqueen4368 10 місяців тому +1

      Huzzah! I just finished this show the other day and this video was recommended. I love the show. I thought I wouldn’t because it’s not historically accurate in so many ways. But no. The show was awesome. I cried when Peter died 😅

  • @Galistarwater
    @Galistarwater Рік тому +112

    I just finished re-reading "Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman" by Robert K. Massie, it's a great read, by the way. Perhaps you could do a video on Tsarina Elizabeth, Peter's aunt. It's so fascinating that this woman almost became Catherine the Great's aunt, because she was engaged to Catherine's maternal uncle. Unfortunately, he died on his way to Russia to marry her. Everyone close to Elizabeth died; her father, Peter the Great, her mother, Catherine I (who was born a peasant), her sister Anna (Peter's mother), and her betrothed. And after her mother died, Elizabeth was passed over for the crown at least 3 times, her half-brother's son became emperor, then her father's half-brother's daughter, Tsarina Anna, then Anna's great-nephew, an infant. At last, Elizabeth seized the throne through a bloodless coup and threw the infant Tsar Ivan VI into prison where he remained until he was killed almost 3 decades later when Catherine the Great seized the throne from her husband. I love Catherine the Great, she's one of my favorite female historical figures. What a woman! With all the things she accomplished, she really deserved the title "the Great".

    • @jodypalm303
      @jodypalm303 Рік тому +3

      I, too, have read Massie's book on Catherine. Really good book. I've read some of his other books, including the one on Peter the Great which is also very good.

  • @xwiirastusx
    @xwiirastusx Рік тому +156

    26:57 it was rumored that the artist Borovikovsky, who painted this very portrait of her, was also one of her lovers. It is said she was quite upset with him for showing her in such an informal way, wearing a morning gown, as if they'd just had "relations". The painting was allegedly never publicly displayed during Catherine's remaining years.

    • @lonewizzy
      @lonewizzy 2 місяці тому +2

      That's like the 18th-century equivalent of a deep fake

  • @SpinMeaStory
    @SpinMeaStory Рік тому +515

    I love The Great simply because it’s funny. I know they are taking liberties with history. The supporting characters make it even more entertaining. Aunt Elizabeth is one of my favorite characters. Peeing on hay for a pregnancy test and having a frog on her pregnant belly are just funny.

    • @FishBoneD14
      @FishBoneD14 Рік тому +37

      The hay kind of works per research into ancient Egyptian use of the technique. The frog is a reference to how using frog ovulation in labs used to be a pregnancy test before the modern one

    • @SpinMeaStory
      @SpinMeaStory Рік тому

      @@FishBoneD14 I figured there was something from history that was similar. The doctor is kooky and Aunt Elizabeth gets involved. And of course, there are lemon tops used for contraception. I think it’s kind of mocking and showing the fact that Russia was far behind the main European powers.

    • @danaglabeman6919
      @danaglabeman6919 Рік тому +14

      Yeah crazy Aunt Elizabeth is funny, but I still think it would have been even funnier if they'd followed history a bit more. Imagine the exact same character with the same antics but in the first season she's the Empress, in charge. I think it would have been even more hilarious. Not to mention that, when she goes on about having sex with Peter the Great, I know in the show she's talking about her brother-in-law, but he was actually her father, so...eewww.

    • @SpinMeaStory
      @SpinMeaStory Рік тому +7

      @@danaglabeman6919 I know. It would be kinda funny if she was the empress and molding Catherine. But in a way, she’s doing that. She wants Catherine to have another baby and she kidnaps Paul. I think some of the way she acts in the show is reaction to the trauma from brutality of living at that court.

    • @sitting_nut
      @sitting_nut Рік тому +1

      hope you "love" the series showing all american presidents as pedos, as as in fact case with all of usa's founders and everyone on mount rushmore. and funny how americans love those pedos.

  • @emilysigmund1255
    @emilysigmund1255 Рік тому +76

    So much about Catherine's early marriage makes me think she lived most of those years with 'FML' hanging right behind her eyes

  • @QueenYavanna
    @QueenYavanna 10 місяців тому +24

    “Oh, he must’ve died of hemorrhoids” is so disrespectful, I absolutely love it 😂

  • @dolphineachonga555
    @dolphineachonga555 Рік тому +53

    The bedding ceremonies of these ancient royals were just pure comedy.

  • @_levi07
    @_levi07 Рік тому +44

    Yes! Tell them! It irks me everytime pple criticize historical dramas for their inaccuracy yet it's only just meant for fun. Why do pple waste time fact-checking instead of enjoying a good show?

    • @kunglaoshat1250
      @kunglaoshat1250 Рік тому +7

      Bridgerton Queen Charlotte literally had a written disclaimer at the beginning warning that it’s “fiction based on fact” and there were STILL a ton of people complaining that it wasn’t historically accurate. People are really frustrated that a show that begins with the narrator saying it wasn’t historically accurate was … historically inaccurate 😂

    • @carriephilippi
      @carriephilippi 3 місяці тому +2

      They are very clear that it is not accurate. I love The Great

  • @renzoojastro2147
    @renzoojastro2147 Рік тому +196

    Hey Lindsay, I would like to make a video request about Queen Min (or Queen Myeongsang) of 19th century Chosan Korea. She was one of the most powerful and ambitious queens who pushed for Korean independence from China, but she met an untimely demise from assassination. I wholly appreciate you if you make a video about her.

    • @jencookie2920
      @jencookie2920 Рік тому +13

      There’s actually a video about her already! Search up Royal assassinations

    • @est9949
      @est9949 Рік тому +3

      Sounds interesting. I would like a full video of her

  • @seneca9796
    @seneca9796 Рік тому +29

    I love it when I open UA-cam and there’s new stuff from history teatime

  • @JennaMac24
    @JennaMac24 Рік тому +93

    I love The Great, as long as you go into it realizing that about the only resemblance it has to history is that there were rulers of Russia named Peter and Catherine. Nicholas Hoult does an amazing job as Peter. I've very rarely gone from vehemently rooting for a character's murder to rooting for him to live (and back and forth several times) in the space of a season or two. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but it's firmly on my guilty pleasure list!

    • @j.pnewcomer1069
      @j.pnewcomer1069 Рік тому +1

      and the architecture & Fashion are time-accurate as well

    • @sitting_nut
      @sitting_nut Рік тому +1

      hope you "love" the series showing all american presidents as pedos, as as in fact case with all of usa's founders and everyone on mount rushmore. and funny how americans love those pedos.

    • @SpinMeaStory
      @SpinMeaStory Рік тому +4

      I also find the parts where Peter is insisting on spending time with Catherine while she’s pregnant so he can “co-parent” funny. There’s fighting and shooting going on and Peter’s like, “hi Paul. Daddy loves you.” Then he’s wearing Paul as a newborn and is kind of a house husband. It’s so silly, because it takes some modern ideas and puts them in 18th century context. Plus, Catherine tries to be rational and everyone is like, “that’s weird.”

  • @mafepa
    @mafepa Рік тому +13

    I have to watch one of your videos every night before I fall asleep because I love them and they relax me so much. Thank you!!

  • @mrmoriarty40i47
    @mrmoriarty40i47 Рік тому +23

    26:33 Not quit. It's a much longer story. In 1795 was the third partition of Poland. Before that, there were two more in 1772 and 1793. Maria Theresa took part in only one in 1772. She died in 1780. So she might have had a little problem taking part in the third. It was a hard time. We Poles had quite a difficult "friendship" with Catharine II... :D

  • @reniasva
    @reniasva Рік тому +30

    After our dearest Lindsay graced us Europeans with her visit, she uploads a great video about Catherine the Great. Thanks for the work you put into it. A wonderful video, as always.

  • @XenonFae
    @XenonFae Рік тому +186

    1:10 “But in reality, Peter was the one who was impotent, and the couple probably never consummated their marriage.”
    I have to stop and add correction here, because this statement, while based on Catherine’s own implications in the early versions of her memoirs (that had serious political reasoning behind such claims, primarily with the goal of diminishing Paul’s claim to the throne, which bettered her own claim) I think presenting Saltykov as Paul’s undisputed father is misleading and ignores a significant amount of historical evidence which points to Peter being Paul’s actual sire.
    I think it is important to consider Paul’s date of birth and likely conception when considering paternity. Paul was born in September 1754, meaning he was conceived around New Years 1754. Catherine is known to have spent New Years 1754 with Empress Elisabeth, which means Catherine would be unable to spend time with Saltykov and had to plenty of time (forcibly) alone with Peter in which Paul was likely conceived.
    Peter acknowledging Paul as his son is also another point towards Peter being Paul’s father. While Peter and Empress Elisabeth were incredibly cold towards Catherine’s known illegitimate children, they treated Paul warmly, proudly announced his birth, presented him at court, and supervised his education. This is in comparison to Catherine’s known illegitimate daughter Anna who received none of those things.
    Catherine’s hatred of Paul, in comparison to her loving her other children (known to not be fathered by Peter), also likely stems from him being Peter’s son. Catherine projected her hatred towards his father onto him, and had to be reminded that her heir was not sired by one of her handsome lovers, but by a man she despised and overthrew. Paul acted a living personal reminder that Peter lived on and that Paul would continue Peter’s bloodline.
    Finally, I think one need only look at portraits of Paul and Peter to see the clear similarities in physical appearance. Although Catherine and Saltykov were handsome, Peter and Paul were not. Paul resembled so much of Peter in his appearance and mannerisms (another reason Catherine hated him).
    I think that all these factors act as evidence that point towards Peter being Paul’s biological father.
    Although stating Saltykov is undoubtedly Paul’s father certainly works towards increasing the scandal of Catherine’s story, I think that it is important to include the counter evidence as it can lead to a greater, and likely more accurate, image of history

    • @PrincessQ-qb8ly
      @PrincessQ-qb8ly Рік тому +16

      Wow! 😮 That was news to me. I honestly didn't know that until now. You have such a keen eye for details! 😊

    • @SoilToSoul
      @SoilToSoul Рік тому +4

      Very interesting!

    • @laurendisney
      @laurendisney Рік тому +17

      Thank you for pointing this out! I was coming to say this myself. Denying that Paul was sired by Peter simply perpetuates the same sort of misinformation that has people thinking she had relations with a horse.

    • @danaglabeman6919
      @danaglabeman6919 Рік тому +9

      I've never believed Paul was anyone but Peter's son. The portraits and the accounts of their characters/personalities are twinning so hard, it would be the most ironic coincidence in Russian history if he wasn't his father. But Alexander II said he was happy either way, since either the family was legitimate, or it was truly Russian instead of all German, so I don't think they worried about it. Czaritsas with no blood claim to the throne had been the heirs of their husbands before Catherine, and Czars had a lot of power in naming their own heirs, so it would have been much more important for dynastic purposes that he was the son and chosen heir of the current ruler than who his father was.

    • @areiaaphrodite
      @areiaaphrodite Рік тому +2

      Thank you! I also pointed out something similar in my comment, but I'm glad someone else also pointed this out.
      Not to mention, it's said that Paul showed signs of the same mental illness that Peter had; another reason Paul was later despised as an Emperor and assassinated.

  • @danielsantiagourtado3430
    @danielsantiagourtado3430 Рік тому +75

    Magnificent video as always Lindsay! Catherine is one of my favorite rulers of all time and you sure made her incredible story and love life justice!

  • @SamaQu
    @SamaQu 5 місяців тому

    Thanks!

  • @RobinSpiller
    @RobinSpiller Рік тому +12

    Lindsay, you've been firing on all cylinders with these videos lately! 🔥

  • @RagDollCookie
    @RagDollCookie Рік тому +124

    He. Set. Fire. To. His. Own. House...

  • @Courtneybenson907
    @Courtneybenson907 Рік тому +125

    Listening to that part about her having affairs with much younger men, I was like 'What in the Leonardo DiCaprio is going on here?'.

  • @misabelrodriguez1163
    @misabelrodriguez1163 Рік тому +27

    Hope you do more "many lovers" videos!!❤❤❤

  • @cent178
    @cent178 Рік тому +7

    Belated welcome back🌸☮️

  • @SweetLibertyTravels
    @SweetLibertyTravels Рік тому +6

    Great video! I learned so many new facts about her ❤👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

  • @elizabethvanspeybroeck2797
    @elizabethvanspeybroeck2797 Рік тому +26

    When I heard her son’s playmate. I was like ‘what?!’.

  • @Pearliechan
    @Pearliechan Рік тому +46

    Do you know about the 2014 TV series Ekaterina? I think it paints a more accurate picture, though of course, it's also a drama. I especially liked how the first season also portrays Peter's own complex issues, which makes one almost feel sorry for him. It's really quite interesting

  • @OkieJammer2736
    @OkieJammer2736 Рік тому +2

    Delightful! So well done. 😊

  • @margaretschaufele6502
    @margaretschaufele6502 Рік тому +32

    Catherine deserves the title of the Great.

  • @Flamsterette
    @Flamsterette Рік тому +3

    Thanks for the upload.

  • @myelectrolysisexperience7254
    @myelectrolysisexperience7254 Рік тому +43

    Her son was Peter’s. That’s why she hated him so much. Plus look at the portraits it’s his son.

    • @sidp5381
      @sidp5381 Місяць тому

      Also, the reason Peter is the way he is it’s not because he’s Peter the great grandson. It’s because he took after the Holstein branch of his family. His other grandfather is Frederick the fourth of Holstein Gottorp a guy whose entire life is very similar to that of his grandson, utterly incompetent buffoon.

  • @Bianca-rz5he
    @Bianca-rz5he Рік тому +5

    Fantastic Video. I actually want to go and watch "The Great" now!

  • @alisoncarboni8366
    @alisoncarboni8366 Рік тому +37

    So good. Could you do a video about the two wives of Paul I, Natalia and Maria. They are so interesting!

  • @vubsi
    @vubsi Рік тому +5

    Great video! I kind of wish the show had more of these lovers in it. The constant on off with Peter got tiring very soon.

  • @samuelcohen2362
    @samuelcohen2362 Рік тому +27

    The only thing good about his dementia is forgetting how Catherine took the gem and then sent him on his way 🤣

    • @blueberryyogini
      @blueberryyogini 4 місяці тому

      Like Jennifer Lopez has done to Ben Affleck, twice. 😉

  • @PerfectlyImperfect93
    @PerfectlyImperfect93 Рік тому +10

    Thank you Lindsay!🥰

  • @ColorMeAya
    @ColorMeAya Рік тому +7

    It’s such a good story! Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Honestly, I’d be more interested in seeing the original.

  • @danielsantiagourtado3430
    @danielsantiagourtado3430 Рік тому +60

    Oh yeah. Huge fan of her, Russia's greatest Empress sure knew what she wanted and how to get it.😉😉

  • @benmarleor
    @benmarleor Рік тому +33

    The story that Peter III was impotent is likely false. He may have had phimosis and after an operation was able to perform the sexual act. In the final edition of Catherine's memoirs, she admitted that Peter was the father of Paul after all.

    • @carmencapa6945
      @carmencapa6945 4 місяці тому

      Well he looks just like her first lover… so

  • @shirleymoore4837
    @shirleymoore4837 Рік тому +150

    If Catherine's husband was truly impotent and couldn't biologically father a child, then that would mean that as far as the actual bloodline goes, no other tsars after that would have been true Romanovs by blood - only by name.
    I would hate to think that the 300 year Romanov dynasty actually biologically ended after her husband died. In royalty, lineage and bloodlines are crucial.

    • @anubratabit3027
      @anubratabit3027 Рік тому +51

      Even though Paul I wasn't the biological son of Peter III, he & his descendants can still claim the Russian throne through Catherine because Catherine had deposed Peter & was publicly acclaimed as monarch. The son of the person who became monarch by deposing the predecessor does have a legitimate claim to the throne. If Paul was truly illegitimate, then the House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov would be actually the House of Catherine.

    • @zombiekore
      @zombiekore Рік тому +29

      Ahh yes, inbreeding. That’s what ended that Hapsburgs.

    • @ErynRenee
      @ErynRenee Рік тому

      To be fair, there have been more than enough cousins available to restore that bloodline via incest in future generations.

    • @shirleymoore4837
      @shirleymoore4837 Рік тому +12

      @@anubratabit3027 As stated in my original post, I was talking about the actual BLOODLINE. A long time ago, bloodlines were very important to royals. Catherine the Great was a Romanov in name only. She wasn't part of the Romanov bloodline.
      Today, I guess lineage and bloodlines aren't all that important, but they certainly were important during Catherine's time.

    • @danaglabeman6919
      @danaglabeman6919 Рік тому +31

      Her great-grandson, Alexander II, remarked that if Paul was Peter's son he was delighted, as it meant the Imperial family was legitimate, and if Paul was Saltykov's son he was delighted, as it meant the family was truly Russian. Shows how seriously they took the idea. I personally don't know: for all the historical sources, including Catherine herself, claiming Peter was impotent, wasn't Paul's father, etc., he looked and acted SO much like Peter. It's a little too much of a coincidence for me that Paul somehow inherited the face and personality of the one person everyone says couldn't be his father. 🤔

  • @brettlarch8050
    @brettlarch8050 Рік тому +39

    Ella Fanning who played her and Dakota fanning are sister’s! I was shocked to read this because she has a great British accent.

    • @elizabethwatson7023
      @elizabethwatson7023 Рік тому +6

      Was watching The Great and didn't want to burn out on it.. so I watched an episode of Law & Order ...Elle was just a little girl in it. Such a huge shift. She's always been a great actress

  • @shakmc4157
    @shakmc4157 Рік тому +2

    Probably my favourite video to date Lindsay ❤

  • @deebell6905
    @deebell6905 Рік тому +3

    I really like this video it’s got great knowledge that we all should know. I want to watch more videos like this.

  • @ursieg
    @ursieg 11 місяців тому +2

    This was gold

  • @janvisser4132
    @janvisser4132 3 місяці тому +1

    Well, it took 5 mins until I heard so many historical inaccuracies that I couldn't go on watching. That is this channel done for me then.

  • @crzxr
    @crzxr Рік тому +2

    There's a good light-hearted but informative take on Catherine's life in the recently published POTTED PORTRAITS book.

  • @44032
    @44032 Рік тому +11

    As Mae West said: "Catherine...was great"

  • @ScarlettsWebb
    @ScarlettsWebb 3 місяці тому

    Loved this Ty 🎉

  • @dorderre
    @dorderre Рік тому +2

    The town of Zerbst in present-day Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, where Catherine came from, is my dad's home town.
    This geographical connection to Catherine is one of the few bits of pride he allows himself :)

  • @dakotac180
    @dakotac180 Рік тому +11

    Patempkin was in love with her, he stayed with her the whole time.

  • @brendaplaugher240
    @brendaplaugher240 Рік тому +2

    Love your channel!

  • @dandilion8567
    @dandilion8567 Рік тому +1

    Awesome! Im so excited to watch this.

  • @minervan2878
    @minervan2878 Рік тому +6

    YOU'RE ALWAYS AWESOME BLOSSOM 🏵️🌼🌻💐🌷🍀🌺

  • @s.h.7613
    @s.h.7613 Рік тому +14

    “Handsome” lovers. None in those paintings were good looking😂

    • @user-wg3sz9fr2z
      @user-wg3sz9fr2z Рік тому +6

      Exactly. Those 18th century painters really did a number on everyone they drew. No one comes out looking good in their work. Either that or everyone in the Russian upper classes was an over dressed fugly. 😂

    • @s.h.7613
      @s.h.7613 Рік тому

      @@user-wg3sz9fr2z agreed!😂

    • @user-wg3sz9fr2z
      @user-wg3sz9fr2z Рік тому +4

      @@s.h.7613 Someone above wrote that 'there's not a chin to be found' in any of these portraits. 😁 Wonder what the subjects of the paintings had to say back in the day.

    • @thenablade858
      @thenablade858 Рік тому +2

      It’s important to remember that portraits were mostly not very realistic until the late 1800’s, but they captured the basic appearance of the subject.

  • @YaraZapi
    @YaraZapi Рік тому +3

    Amazing episode Lindsay. I'd love to see a video on Catherine Cornaro, the last monarch of Cyprus since I noticed you have an image of her on your History Tea Time logo but I don't think you've done a video on her yet. I'm sure your aware of just how interesting a life she had from her time as Queen Consort, Regent and eventual troublesome reign of Cyprus as Monarch.

    • @savagedarksider2147
      @savagedarksider2147 Рік тому

      I HATE 😡🤬 EMPRESS ELIZABETH AND ELIZABETH !

    • @JustMe-pg1tl
      @JustMe-pg1tl Рік тому

      ⁠@@savagedarksider2147What does Empress Elizabeth & Elizabeth (not sure exactly who you are referring to here) have to do with Catherine Cornaro of Cyprus?

  • @SkyeID
    @SkyeID Рік тому +3

    Like some of those Elizabeth I movies, they didn't have to make up stories about the Empress Catherine when her own life was interesting and entertaining enough to keep viewers engaged.

  • @00700A
    @00700A Рік тому +18

    Fun fact Stanisław was one of the worst King of PLC in history . He spent a lot of money for his lovers and many people in PLC want to kill or do something to him .

    • @plodywsarkofagu
      @plodywsarkofagu Рік тому +4

      lets not forget he had debt for 40mln pln

    • @00700A
      @00700A Рік тому

      Yes and he was bad diplomat and politician too

  • @emmaloughry764
    @emmaloughry764 Рік тому +1

    Loved this video!

  • @elleni-42
    @elleni-42 Рік тому +13

    I love this channel..ur voice is absolutely perfect for a history lesson...beautiful, clear voice..👏👏👌👍

    • @Flamsterette
      @Flamsterette Рік тому +2

      *YOUR
      It has elements of vocal fry.

    • @user-wg3sz9fr2z
      @user-wg3sz9fr2z Рік тому +1

      ​@@FlamsteretteAgreed. To my ears, it has more than elements. It's unmistakable there's no reprieve. Every interesting thumbnail makes me think ::sigh:: how long can I listen to this one without wanting to scream?

    • @Flamsterette
      @Flamsterette Рік тому

      @@user-wg3sz9fr2z She has great content, but as shown in her Coronation videos, she doesn't ALWAYS sound like that. Get back to your normal everyday voice.

  • @TheFrugalMombot
    @TheFrugalMombot 4 місяці тому

    There was a miniseries in the early 1990s that was more historically accurate than the new show with a terrific cast. It was called Young Catherine with Julia Ormond as Catherine/Sophie along with greats like Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Plummer and many other notable talents. I highly recommend it if you can find it to watch. I wish we could get it re-released. It’s a must watch.

  • @jacquelinea3358
    @jacquelinea3358 6 місяців тому +2

    Hmmm. Historians generally agree that Paul was indeed Peter's true son. Contemparies of the day noted Paul's undenial resemblance to his father (Peter), particularly as he grew older, as well as their similar personalities.

  • @gangsterthecat88
    @gangsterthecat88 Рік тому

    That show is one of the cutest shows ever!!!

  • @mikalbell8125
    @mikalbell8125 Рік тому +11

    This was a great video! Catherine is definitely an interesting person.

  • @aggieyerex8175
    @aggieyerex8175 Рік тому +6

    If she had been a man it wouldn’t have been scandalous. It would have been business as usual.

  • @mjtobi8776
    @mjtobi8776 Рік тому +2

    Hi Lindsay! What do you to for an upcoming video topic on history of royals balcony appearances? 🙂 I appreciate you!

  • @SaucyMuffins
    @SaucyMuffins 4 місяці тому

    Omg the face 8:56 That’s the feeling. I’ve emptied myself of EVERYTHING including a tiny human.

  • @merchantfan
    @merchantfan Рік тому +4

    The Great is a fun show but it is pretty fun how opposite the characters were from the real people. Catherine is a great bit less competent in the show but also a lot more sympathetic (they show her as pro-freedom of religion when actually Peter was nicer to the religious minorities and she was quite antisemitic)

  • @gilbertianrueda
    @gilbertianrueda 3 місяці тому +1

    The humming at the end of every sentence was too excruciatingly painful and annoying to listen to. I couldn’t get past the 1:30 mark. It sounds too much like the Kardashians talk with the mmmmm at the end of nearly every word.

  • @cato1684
    @cato1684 Рік тому +4

    Peter was not impotent. He had a mistress and if impotent she would definitely have stated that. Let’s face it, the Russian court then was not exactly subtle and secretive

  • @janinebean4276
    @janinebean4276 5 місяців тому +3

    Lmao the fact that they pretended he died of HEMORRHOIDS is HILARIOUS.

  • @kanekisama5491
    @kanekisama5491 4 місяці тому +1

    Actually, there are some studies that defy that perception of Peter's personality proving that he was actually smart and did many things for Russia, but Catherine needed to justify why she did what she did and get people's support, so she made up part of the history. Is she smarter than him? Yes! but he is not dumb

  • @TheNarrator888
    @TheNarrator888 22 дні тому

    Thank you for speaking on facts. I would like to see more about the slave trade in your videos. This is a turning point for alot of people over many centuries.

  • @nickporter3531
    @nickporter3531 Рік тому +3

    If you look at most 18th Century Monarchs they are all fairly extreme characters. Catherine is no exception.

  • @plodywsarkofagu
    @plodywsarkofagu Рік тому +6

    can you make a vid about stanislaw august poniatowski? he was one of the wors kings of poland and one of her lovers!

  • @Leah-xu2fd
    @Leah-xu2fd 4 місяці тому

    I think you should revisit the show again now that is is over. I'd love your take on the whole thing.

  • @KadyL
    @KadyL 2 місяці тому

    I don’t know why they changed so much in the show the great, when the true story’s so good ❣️

  • @Hugydrrf5645c
    @Hugydrrf5645c Рік тому +2

    Could you make a video on Isabel the second of Spain would love to learn more about her!!

  • @nickname3721
    @nickname3721 Рік тому +6

    Died from a bout of hemorrhoids. 😂

  • @michaelcaywood6070
    @michaelcaywood6070 Рік тому +10

    Catherine is great, but she’s no Cinderella Princess 👸.

  • @Richardsonprincess00
    @Richardsonprincess00 Рік тому +6

    Thinking to do on the video of Russian Tarsina consort?

  • @yakitorichicken-el7pj
    @yakitorichicken-el7pj Рік тому +6

    looooove the great

  • @fourfurrypotatoes
    @fourfurrypotatoes Рік тому +5

    Can you please do a video on The Duchess of Devonshire Georgiana Spencer or Cavendish? Her life fascinates me because she was stuck in such a horrible situation.

  • @trin_rex0417
    @trin_rex0417 Рік тому +2

    I would love if you did a video on Princess Diana

  • @alicezta12
    @alicezta12 Рік тому +7

    That valet is a real one tho I hope she got him a new house 😅

  • @2007VolkswagenJetta
    @2007VolkswagenJetta Рік тому +26

    The Russian show, Catherine the Great, is much more accurate to the tel life events and is honestly worth watching

  • @swymaj02
    @swymaj02 Рік тому +6

    22:45
    Ain't he thr composer's ancestor?

  • @genesisgriffin3808
    @genesisgriffin3808 Рік тому +7

    Wow a true queen! She really got her lick back lol😂

  • @jonathanredacted3245
    @jonathanredacted3245 Рік тому +3

    If its any consolation the lady who creates the horse rumor in the show gets shot by a noble turned serf turned noble again

  • @jamielancaster01
    @jamielancaster01 4 місяці тому +1

    @17:36 Funny my wife also appointed me ‘Gentlemen of the Chamber Bed’🤓

    • @jamielancaster01
      @jamielancaster01 4 місяці тому +1

      Maybe she’s a descendent of Catherine’s🤓

  • @chroniclesoflaura
    @chroniclesoflaura Рік тому +2

    What a fantastic woman! 💪🏻

  • @jodypalm303
    @jodypalm303 Рік тому +2

    Sergei is pronounced Ser-GAY in Russian. Not with a soft G. Although you left out a lot, this was a pretty good overview of her lovers. You are completely correct that if she had been a man, the numerous lovers would have been expected, but as a woman, it was considered scandalous. Double standard as usual. You failed to mention her ongoing correspondence with Voltaire, who gave her plenty of ideas for reforms and stimulated her mind. Oh, well. He wasn't a lover, so I guess it made sense to not mention him. Love that you are doing videos of Russian History, which is a fascinating country history!

  • @peacockcrowe2718
    @peacockcrowe2718 Рік тому +11

    Please also do a video on Empress Elizabeth Petrovna!!

  • @jefferyp.1066
    @jefferyp.1066 9 місяців тому

    Do a video on Elisabeth daughter of Peter the Great next. I enjoy your content! 👌🏾👍🏾👍🏾👏🏾✨

  • @colormetakenaback
    @colormetakenaback Рік тому +4

    Cat was a badA 😎
    Annnnd I prefer the Russian (or however you'd refer to it) pronunciation of names and words etc. Vs the anglicanized version. Thats just me though. (The way the cryllic alphabet and english alph translate is cool to me. i like etymology quirks and trivia too)

  • @anab.3880
    @anab.3880 8 місяців тому

    I lost it when you called him an Imbecil 😂😂😂😂