Tsarina Elizabeth

I was born at Kolomenskoye on the 18th of December in the year of 1709. Because my parents were married secretly and did not reveal their marriage until after I was born, I was an "illegitimate" child. Even though they were married before my birth, it wasn't publicly acknowledged until later, so therefore many regarded me as being an illegitimate child of my parents. Despite that, I was proclaimed a Tsarevna and on 23 December 1721 a Tsesarevna. A lot of people used the fact that I was technically an illegitimate child against me to challenge my right to the throne, but I perservered. My parents were Peter the Great and Catherine I of Russia. My parents had twelve children, but only I and my sister, Anna, survived. My sister was betrothed to the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, and the nephew of my father's old adversary. Although my father also tried to find a brilliant marriage match for me as well, to the French King Louis XV, the Bourbons declined my hand in marriage. It might have been because my parents were not married at the time of my birth, so my father searched and found another match for me. I ended up betrothed to Prince Karl Augustus of Holstein-Gottorp. However, a few days after the agreement, my fiance died. When I was younger, people called me a bright child, but my "formal" education wasn't complete. My father was too busy although he loved me dearly, and my mother was illiterate. Instead of my parents teaching me, they hired a French governess. I learned Italian, German and French, and I awed everyone around me by my talent and beauty. Everyone called me beautiful, smart, clever, and I knew I was dazzling. I was widely regarded as the most beautiful woman in Russia. I lived a carefree life, free of worries, until the death of my father came back to haunt me in the form of a successful coup by an ancient family that disliked my father. After my father's death, I was still treated with courtesy and cautious respect while as Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov remained in power because of my adolescent half-nephew Peter II. However, the Dolgorukovs, an ancient Russian power, deeply resented Menshikov and had enough leverage for a successful coup. Because the Dolgorukovs hated the memory of my father, I was all but banished from the court! My cousin, Anna, ascended the throne after the coup. Despite being related to me very closely, she regarded me as a threat and had me under close her watch. Because of her, no one dared have their sons court me, so I turned to having lovers. One of my lovers, Alexis Shubin, had his tongue chopped off and was exiled to Siberia because of her! Although his tragic fate saddened me, I consoled myself with many other lovers. I found many, even a coachman, and a waiter! I certainly had enough variety. I eventually settled for a Ukranian peasant with a nice voice, Alexis Razumovsky. I liked him because although he was simple-minded, he did not have personal ambition. There have been many rumors regarding him and myself and something about a "secret marriage", but I will never tell, for it is my secret to keep.

Do you see why I was celebrated as the foremost beauty of Russia?