St Petersburg, June 1762: the German-born wife of Tsar Peter III leads a palace coup with the help of the guards, and her husband dies in custody a week later
Tsar Replaced by Wife
ST PETERSBURG, 28 June 1762 – Tsar Peter III of Russia, who came to the throne only six months ago, has been overthrown in a palace coup led by his wife, Catherine. With the support of the elite Imperial Guards regiments, Catherine has been proclaimed Empress Catherine II and sole ruler of Russia. Peter, who was away from the capital at his palace at Oranienbaum, has been forced to sign his abdication. Officials describe the transition as decisive.
An Unhappy Marriage
Catherine was born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, the daughter of a minor German prince, and was brought to Russia as a teenager to marry Peter, heir to the throne and grandson of Peter the Great. She converted to Russian Orthodoxy and took the name Catherine. The marriage was famously miserable. Catherine later wrote in her memoirs that her husband preferred playing with toy soldiers and drilling servants to spending time with her, and that he was immature and difficult. Historians caution that her memoirs were written to justify her actions, but agree the couple had little affection for each other.
Why Peter Fell
Peter III quickly made powerful enemies. He was openly devoted to Frederick the Great of Prussia, and soon after taking the throne he ended Russia war against Prussia, giving back conquered territory, which infuriated the army. He planned a new war against Denmark for the sake of his German homeland, Holstein, alienated the Orthodox Church and insulted the Guards regiments. Meanwhile, Catherine, intelligent and politically skilful, had built a network of supporters, including the Orlov brothers, officers in the Guards. When word came that Peter might divorce her or worse, the conspirators struck.
The Coup
Catherine rode out at the head of the Guards, dressed in a borrowed Guards officer uniform, a scene later celebrated in a famous portrait of her on horseback. The coup was almost bloodless. Peter was taken into custody at a country estate at Ropsha. About a week later, he was dead. The official explanation was a severe attack of colic. Historians generally believe he was killed by his guards, possibly in a drunken brawl, with Alexei Orlov implicated. Whether Catherine ordered his death remains disputed.
Catherine the Great
Catherine went on to rule for thirty-four years, until her death in 1796, one of the longest and most significant reigns in Russian history. She expanded the empire, corresponded with Enlightenment philosophers such as Voltaire and Diderot, founded the collection that became the Hermitage museum in St Petersburg and is remembered as Catherine the Great. Her reign also saw the deepening of serfdom and the brutal suppression of a great peasant rebellion led by Yemelyan Pugachev, who, remarkably, claimed to be Peter III, miraculously survived.
Meanwhile, in 2026
Royal family members still sometimes feel undermined by those closest to them. The London Prat reports Prince William reportedly calling Earl Spencer and Harry traitors after an unnamed source claimed the heir believes his brother read their uncle memoir first. Geo News repeated the traitor word, and the uncle says he told everyone. Historians of eighteenth-century Russia point out that, unlike in 1762, no royal has yet ridden out at the head of the Guards to replace a relative, and describe this as a welcome development.
The London Prat has been staging bloodless coups against pomposity since 1961 at https://prat.uk/, with its royal row video on YouTube. Bohiney at https://bohiney.com/ covers American power struggles.
Study Questions for Students
Why did Peter III lose support so quickly? How reliable are Catherine memoirs? What made her reign great, and for whom? Discuss, without borrowing anyone uniform.
SOURCE: https://prat.uk/prince-william-called-earl-spencer-and-harry-traitors/