Catherine the Great and Philip II: Historical profiles of European monarchs

Historical accounts detail the complex lives and marriages of influential European monarchs. Catherine the Great, born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst, rose to power in the Russian Empire after seizing the throne from her husband, Peter III, in 1762. Her reign lasted over three decades, during which she expanded Russian territory and engaged with Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire.

In 16th-century Spain, King Philip II navigated multiple tragic marriages to secure political alliances and heirs. After the deaths of his first three wives—Maria Manuela of Portugal, Mary I of England, and Elizabeth of Valois—he married his niece, Anna of Austria, in 1570. This marriage was intended to ensure a successor following the deaths of his son, Don Carlos, and his third wife.