Natalia Alexeievna of Russia by Alexander Roslin
1776
Princess Wilhelmina Louisa was born on 25 June 1755, in Prenzlau, Brandenburg, Prussia. She was the daughter of Henriette Caroline Christiane Louise of Pfalz-Zweibrücken (9 March 1721 - 30 March 1774) and Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (15 December 1719 - 6 April 1790). Her maternal grandparents were Caroline of Nassau-Saarbrücken and Christian III, Duke of Zweibrücken. Her paternal grandparents were Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg and Müntzenberg and Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. Wilhelmina's parents were married on 12 August 1741, in Zweibrücken. Her siblings included: Caroline (1746-1821), Frederica Louisa (1751-1805), Louis X (1753-1820), Amalie (20 June 1754 - 21 June 1832), Louisa Augusta (1757-1830), Frederick (1759-1802) and Christian (1763-1830). In 1773, when Catherine II the Great, Empress of Russia (2 May 1729 - 6 November 1796) was looking for a bride for her son Grand Duke Paul (1 October 1754 - 23 March 1801) she invited Wilhelmine, Amalie and Louise, and their mother to visit Russia. From Berlin four ships, sent by Catherine I, took them to Russia. Two days after arriving in Russia, Paul chose Wilhelmine to be his wife. Their betrothal was celebrated and Wilhelmine changed her religion and her name to Natalia Alexeievna. Natalia and Paul were married on 29 September 1773. Catherine I, at first delighted with her, soon wrote that Natalia, "loves extremes in all things. She will listen to no advice, and I see in her neither charm, nor wit, nor reason." Her mother, Henriette died 30 March 1774. Her sister, Amalie married Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden (14 February 1755 - 16 December 1801) on 15 July 1775, at Darmstadt, in Hessen, Germany.
Natalia Alexeievna of Russia by Alexander Roslin
1776
Natalia fell in love with Andrei Razumovsky and the two started an affair. Natalia delivered a stillborn daughter on 15 April 1776. Shortly afterwards, Natalia died aged 20, on 15 April 1776, in St. Petersburg, Russia. According to Chevalier de Corberon whom questioned the surgeon, Moreau, "He told me privately that in his opinion, the surgeons and doctors of the court were asses. The Grand Duchess should never have died. In truth, it is very surprising that greater care is not taken in advance with a Grand Duchess. The people are very angry, weeping and bitter. Yesterday and today, people in shops were heard to say, 'The young ladies die; the old babas never die.'" Paul married his second wife, Maria Feodorovna (25 October 1759 - 5 November 1828) on 7 October 1776. They had ten children. Catherine I the Great died on 6 November 1796, in St. Petersburg, Russia. She was interred in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, in St. Petersburg, Russia. She was succeeded by her son, Paul.
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