Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of I Heart Radio and Aaron Manky.

Listener discretion is advised.

On his name day celebration, the Emperor of Russia, Peter III, rode with a large entourage

from one palace to another to meet his wife, Catherine, at Peterhof, where a large celebration

that evening was to take place.

Once their wedding in 1745, Peter had grown to despise his wife, and he'd been making

snide remarks about his intentions to divorce Catherine and marry his mistress, a woman

who people might generously call charmless and truthfully might call absolutely bourish.

The mistress, Elizabeth Voronstova, was traveling with him that afternoon from Iranian

home, along with Mikhail Voronstov, the Russian Chancellor and Elizabeth's uncle, a number

of dignitaries and their wives, and a gaggle of Elizabeth Voronstova's ladies and waiting.

At this point, Peter and his wife Catherine lived almost entirely separate lives, with

entirely separate lovers, but for a large state event like his name day celebration,

they would make an appearance together.

She was still his wife, and her job was to meet him outside the palace that day and

congratulate him on his name day.

There was only one problem.

When the entourage arrived at Peterhof, no one was there to greet them.

Where Catherine was supposed to be waiting with open arms and a forgiving heart, there

is instead only locked doors and closed windows.

The Empress was gone.

Peter and his mistress searched the bedrooms, under the mattresses in the closets.

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