Video: "Wandering princess" Ekaterina Bagration - the conqueror of men's hearts, spying for the good of the Fatherland
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
She was called "the wandering princess", "naked angel", a woman of mystery. Every aristocrat dreamed of being invited to her salon. It's about a brilliant Ekaterina Pavlovna Bagration (Skavronskaya) … At the whim of Paul I, she was married off to General Pyotr Bagration, but the princess could not resign herself to the fate of being a submissive wife of an ugly husband. She drove off to Europe to conquer the hearts of the most influential men of that time, as well as to ferret out secrets and secrets for the benefit of the Fatherland.
The marriage of 18-year-old beauty Ekaterina Skavronskaya and 35-year-old General Pyotr Bagration was a complete surprise to both. This happened at the whim of Paul I, who loved to arrange the fate of the courtiers. By marriage with a young beauty, the emperor decided to thank his beloved general for his service.
It all happened very quickly. The wedding took place on September 2, 1800 in the church of the Gatchina Palace. General Langeron wrote about this alliance as follows:
The general's happy family life, as the emperor dreamed of, did not work out. While Pyotr Bagration was gaining fame in battles, Ekaterina Pavlovna went to Europe, thus earning herself the nickname "the wandering princess". Contemporaries complained that she "created a second fatherland for herself in her own carriage."
Nature generously endowed Princess Bagration with beauty. She was a petite woman with snow-white skin and large blue eyes. Goethe wrote about her: And at the age of 30, the princess looked like a 15-year-old girl.
Catherine Bagration's outfits were rumored throughout Europe. She loved to wear dresses made of translucent Indian muslin. For this, the fans called the princess Le bel ange nu ("Naked Angel"). Peter Bagration more than once called his wife back to Russia, but returning to her ugly and unloved husband was not part of her plans. While the prince was gaining victories over the enemy, the princess enjoyed victories on the love front.
Despite the fact that Ekaterina Bagration lived in Europe, she was a sincere patriot. In Vienna, she arranged a salon, where all the cream of society who did not approve of Napoleon's policies flocked. The hostess boasted that she knew more secrets than all the politicians put together. Under the influence of the princess, the Austrian embassy announced a boycott of Napoleon.
In addition, Catherine Bagration had an affair with the Austrian Chancellor Clemens von Metternich. She even gave birth to a daughter from him, calling her Clementine. Years later, the princess grinned, saying that it was she who persuaded her lover to agree to Austria joining the coalition against Napoleon.
The appearance of a daughter did not affect in any way the loyalty of Catherine to Metternich. It was rumored that Princess Bagration had accepted the courtship of the Saxon diplomat Friedrich von Schulenberg, the Prince of Württemberg and other important persons. Ekaterina Pavlovna used all her seduction, learning state secrets.
In 1812, Peter Bagration died. He was wounded in the leg in the Battle of Borodino. Unfortunately, he developed gangrene, and after 16 days the general was gone.
Officially, Ekaterina Bagration was not forced to spy on behalf of the Russian Empire, but in 1814, at a ball held on the occasion of the Congress of Vienna, Emperor Alexander I thanked the princess (who was also his mistress) for the valuable information she shared during the French wars.
One of his contemporaries wrote:.
When Ekaterina Bagration moved to live from Vienna to Paris, they set up round-the-clock surveillance for her, all the servants were bribed. The local police were fully confident that the princess was continuing her espionage activities. The police received reports of approximately the following content:.
Meanwhile, the Parisian bohemia continued to admire the brilliant princess. The aristocrats were honored to be received in her salon. Honore de Balzac openly stated that Princess Bagration became the prototype for one of the heroines in his novel "Shagreen Skin". He described her like this:.
In 1830, the princess married again. The English general and diplomat Caradoc became her chosen one. Ekaterina Bagration did not take the name of her husband, who, moreover, was 16 years younger than her. After a while, they divorced. In 1857, Ekaterina Pavlovna died. She died at 75.
In the 19th century, aristocratic salons were very popular. Evdokia Golitsyna was called Princess Midnight, since she held receptions exclusively at night.
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