Catherine The Great's Family Tree Explained

Due to Catherine's mother Johanna's position as a daughter of Holstein, many of her ancestors come from the same area, namely Denmark and Sweden; on her father's side, she's connected to the Anhalt region of Germany. Catherine was very closely connected to royalty from those areas.

Princess Frederica Amalia of Denmark was Catherine's great-grandmother; King Frederick III of Denmark and Norway was therefore Catherine's great-great grandfather (via Cristoph Heinrich von Ammon's Genealogie). In turn, Frederica's sister Ulrika Eleonora was the Queen of Sweden, though she was known as Ulrikke in Denmark, writes Rosenborg Castle; she was married to Charles XI in 1680. Though Ulrika had no political influence in her new country and thus couldn't make much political change, she threw herself into charity work and artistry instead.

One of Catherine's great-great grandfathers was King Frederick III of Denmark and Norway, who took the position in 1648. Today, according to Britannica, he is mainly known for turning Denmark into an absolute monarchy. Under Frederick's rule, Denmark went to war with Sweden multiple times. With the result of the war, Frederick had absolute power conferred upon him; he proceeded to radically reorganize the government. That said, Frederick was capable of more than just ruling and war; Rosenborg Castle writes that Frederick was very interested in French culture and artistry, science, and theology.

Johann Ludwig von Anhalt-Dornburg spent several years abroad, including on a military trip to Hungary, before settling in Dornburg and getting married to Christine Eleonore, who came from a noble Saxon family. Johann Ludwig worked tirelessly to secure his inheritance for his children, according to Johann Putter's 1796 treatise on mismarriages and Johann Moser's 1745 and 1775 works on the subject (via Heraldica).

In 1689, Johann asserted his children's legitimacy in a clause sent to the Emperor. As his male relatives began to die off over the years, the possibility of the Zerbst principality falling to his heirs began to seem probable, though Johann took more precautions in the meantime. For example, according to Putter and Moser, in 1698, he received a decree that declared his many children to be princes and princesses (via Heraldica).

Therefore, Johann's children, including his son Christian August, father of Catherine the Great, were considered dynastic, meaning they could inherit his titles, fiefs, and other property he owned. (Speaking to the specifics of royal inheritance, Johann's marriage was thus the opposite of a morganatic marriage, where a nobleman married a woman of lesser birth and their children could not inherit anything, per Britannica). Therefore, Johann's son Christian August inherited Anhalt-Zerbst.

Only one of Catherine's siblings survived to adulthood: Friedrich, who was the last ruler of Anhalt-Zerbst. The other three, including Auguste, Elisabeth, and Wilhelm, all died relatively young (via The Famous People). Elisabeth in particular died at the age of 3, writes Elle.

After being expelled from Russia in 1745, Catherine's mother Joanna served as regent for her son Friedrich, who reached his majority in 1752 at the age of 18, writes Elle. After Friedrich's death in 1793, the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst was divided by the other nearby branch principalities (Anhalt-Bernburg, Anhalt-Köthen, and Anhalt-Dessau) and, in essence, ceased to exist, according to Britannica. Friedrich had been married twice but Anhalt-Zerbst became extinct upon his 1793 death (via European Heraldry and Britannica).

Catherine inherited the German city of Jever upon her brother's death, but only held it until her own death three years later, writes European Heraldry. Catherine appointed Friedrich's second wife and widow Friederike Auguste Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst as the state administrator in 1793, a position Friederike held until 1806, according to Stadt Jever. Ultimately, the overall principality of Anhalt was absorbed into the nation of Germany and became a Land of the German Reich under the 1919 Weimar Constitution, according to Britannica.

Paul I was Catherine's only surviving legitimate child, but they had a strained relationship. Paul's great-aunt Elizabeth (empress of Russia before Peter III) preferred him as an heir, and she took him away from Catherine to raise him as her own. However, even when Catherine became empress, she, too, ignored him, and he ultimately spent much of his time in Gatchina, writes The Famous People. Though he became Tsar, Paul was eventually assassinated after a brief but turbulent rule.

According to The Famous People, Paul ignored his mother's policies and subsequently was against both Britain and France (especially the latter). He introduced several unpopular reforms, both with the army and with his nobles. He attempted to reform the army's uniforms, as he was very fond of pomp and ceremonies. The Infantry Code, which placed more focus on ceremonies, was also disdained by his officers. Ultimately, a group of dissatisfied men in the army banded together to assassinate him in 1801, just five years after he took the throne. His son Alexander I succeeded him, and he ultimately pardoned his attackers.

Catherine's daughter Anna died at the age of 2. It is possible that Anna was actually the daughter of Catherine's lover Stanislaw Poniatowski, though this isn't known for certain, writes History.

Catherine greatly preferred Alexander over his father, and when Paul was assassinated, she got her wish: Her grandson Alexander succeeded her. Alexander, writes Britannica, was married by his grandmother to Princess Louise of Baden-Durlach at a fairly young age, though the marriage was not a happy one. Regardless, after his father was assassinated in 1801, Alexander became the tsar.

Alexander instituted many reforms, mainly a vast plan for education; for example, he oversaw the opening of three new universities. However, he didn't manage to abolish the burden of serfdom, despite the massive problems it presented. Instead, Alexander turned to foreign policy, which he would spend most of the rest of his reign focusing on. He was ultimately successful in fighting against Napoleon Bonaparte's army in 1812 (via Britannica). On the diplomatic front, Alexander felt that like his grandmother Catherine the Great, he was called to mediate across Europe. He ultimately was successful in this, intervening on France's behalf twice during the creation of various peace treaties.

In his later years, Alexander became religious, and he saw rebellion everywhere. After escorting his wife to Taganrog for her health, he toured Crimea to inspect it. On his way back, Alexander contracted either malaria or pneumonia and ultimately died of illness in 1825. Per Britannica, he was succeeded by one of his brothers, who became Nicholas I that same year.

Due to the intermingling of royal houses, as well as the marriages Romanovs who had fled Russia later made, Catherine the Great is an ancestor of many other royals throughout the world. Per History, a handful of British royals — and a former Greek king — can count her among their family, though one name in particular stands out.

According to Town and Country Magazine, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, could trace his lineage back to her through both of his parents. His maternal grandmother was the sister of Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, the wife of Nicholas II. On his father's side, however, he had a more direct link to the Romanovs. Philip was the great-great-grandson of Nicholas I, who in turn was the grandson of Catherine the Great. Philip also gave a blood sample to researchers who used his DNA to conclusively identify Nicholas II, his family, and their entourage after they had all been buried in an unmarked grave, writes Woman and Home. If indirectly, Catherine the Great's legacy assisted in discovering her ancestors' bodies so they could finally be properly put to rest.

Overall, Catherine the Great rose from obscurity in Germany to become something amazing (via Britannica). Her descendants continued her great era as best they could, despite the changing times, with her grandson Alexander likely being the most successful (via Britannica). Ultimately, Catherine brought forth a golden age for Russia that has never been recreated.