Peter III of Russia
Empress Elizabeth arranged for Peter to marry his second cousin, Sophia Augusta Frederica (later Catherine the Great), daughter of Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst and Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp. The young princess formally converted to Russian Orthodoxy and took the name Ekaterina Alexeievna (i.e., Catherine). They married on 21 August 1745. The marriage was not a happy one but produced one son, the future Emperor Paul, and one daughter, Anna Petrovna (20 December 1757 – 19 March 1759). Catherine later claimed that Paul was not fathered by Peter: that, in fact, they had never consummated the marriage. During the sixteen years of their residence in Oranienbaum, Catherine took numerous lovers, while her husband did the same in the beginning.
Catherine of Austria, Queen of Poland
Catherine was one of the fifteen children of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. She spent most of her childhood at Hofburg, Innsbruck and received education based on discipline and religion. She learned Italian and Latin languages. On 17 March 1543, Catherine was betrothed to Francesco III Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Marquess of Montferrat. It reflected her father's desire to strengthen Habsburg influence against France in northern Italy, particularly Milan. Both Catherine and Francesco were 9 and 10 years old at the time. The wedding took place six years later on 22 October 1549. In October 1549, Catherine was escorted by her elder brother Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria from Innsbruck to Mantua. Her dowry was 100,000 Rhine florins. The marriage lasted only four months as Francesco III Gonzaga drowned in the Lake Como on 21 February 1550. Widowed Catherine returned home to Innsbruck. Habsburgs claimed that the marriage was not consummated to increase Catherine's chances for a better second marriage.