results of the matrimonial maneuvers that had been conducted in
his behalf? The principal interested party, too, was kept out of
the negotiations of which she was the object. Everything was
agreed through confidential correspondence between Zerbst
(where Sophia’s parents resided), Berlin (where Frederick II was
headquartered), and St. Petersburg (where the empress was anx-
iously awaiting the news from Prussia).
All the information she was able to obtain concurred: ac-
cording to the few people who had met the girl, she was gracious,
cultivated and reasonable, spoke French as well as German, and,
despite her tender years, conducted herself well under any cir-
cumstance. Too good to be true? Seeing Figchen’s portrait, sent
by Frederick II, Elizabeth was even more convinced. The little
princess was truly delicious, with a sweet face and an innocent
look.
Fearing any last-minute disappointment, the tsarina kept
secret from her entourage the imminence of the great event that
she was preparing for the happiness of Russia. But, while Alexis
Bestuzhev may have been in the dark, diplomats close to Prussia
were well aware of what was going on, and they found it hard to
keep the news to themselves. Mardefeld kept La Chétardie and
Lestocq informed as the talks progressed day by day. Here and
there, rumors began to circulate. The Francophile clan was
guardedly optimistic to hear that this princess, educated by a
French teacher, was coming to join the court. She might be Prus-
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sian by blood, but she could not help but serve the cause of France
if she had been well-instructed by her governess — even if the
marriage plans fell through.
Elizabeth received news of Sophia’s progress en route to the
capital, with her mother. They presented themselves in Berlin,
where they received Frederick II’s blessing and bankrupted them-
selves buying a suitable trousseau. Sophia’s father stayed behind
in Zerbst. Was it to save money or to save face that he refused to
accompany his daughter on this quest for a prestigious fiancé?
Elizabeth didn’t care: the fewer Prussian relations surrounding
the girl, the better it would be. She sent the ladies an allowance
to help defray their travel expenses, and suggested that they re-
main
crossed the border, they were to say that they were on their way
to St. Petersburg to pay Her Majesty a courtesy call. The tsarina
had a comfortable carriage, drawn by six horses, waiting for them
when they got to Riga. They gratefully wrapped themselves in the
sable shawls that Elizabeth had thoughtfully provided against the
chill, and continued their journey north.
However, upon their arrival in St. Petersburg, , they were
disconcerted to learn that the Empress and all the court had re-
moved to Moscow in order to celebrate Grand Duke Peter’s 17th
birthday on February 10, 1744. In Elizabeth’s absence, La Chétar-
die and the Prussian ambassador, Mardefeld, had been left to wel-
come the ladies and introduce them to the capital city.
Sophia was enchanted by the beauty of this enormous city
built at the water’s edge, admired the regiments’ changing of the
guard and clapped her hands with pleasure at the sight of four-
teen elephants, a gift to Peter the Great from the shah of Persia.
Her shrewd mother, however, was miffed that they had not yet
been presented to the Empress. She was also worried by Chancel-
< 162 >
lor Alexis Bestuzhev’s frosty attitude toward the intended match.
She knew he was “more Russian than Russia itself,” and violently
opposed to any concession to the interests of Prussia. Further-
more, she had heard rumors that he intended to induce the Holy
Synod to oppose the marriage on the basis that the two fiancés
were too closely related. Elizabeth was unfazed by Johanna’s wor-
ries: she knew that at the first hint from her, Bestuzhev would
drop his objections and fall into line, for fear of setting off another
wave of punishment against his clan, and she knew that the high
prelates, mumbling in their beards, would bite their tongues and
go ahead to give the couple their blessing.
Johanna cut short her daughter’s fun and entertainment and,
on Mardefeld’s advice, set off at the end of January to meet the
court in Moscow. La Chétardie escorted them. Elizabeth had set
a date to receive them at the Annenhof Palace, in the eastern sec-
tor of the second capital, on February 9 at 8:00pm. After keeping
them waiting, she gave orders to open the doors to the audience
hall and appeared at the threshold, while the two visitors sank
into their deepest curtseys. She took in the future fiancée in a
glance — a slender, pale young girl, in a pink and silver gown with
a plain skirt — no pannier. The toilette was inadequate but the
girl herself was darling. Standing next to this scrumptious young
lady, Peter — who had come to take delivery of this princess that
had been shipped to him — looked even uglier and more disagree-
