Page "Elizabeth Alexeievna (Louise of Baden)" Paragraph 6

Very young when she was married, shy and naïve, Elizabeth Alexeievna was ill-prepared for her new position.

She was overwhelmed by the splendor of the Russian Court and frightened by the vicious intrigues waged there with cold calculation.

She was appalled by the intense sexual intrigues that flourished all around her in a court where adultery was an accepted form of entertainment.

The Empress herself, Catherine II, set the example for the licentious ways of the court.

Catherine's lover, Platon Zubov, even tried to seduce Elizabeth Alexeievna.