Marriage of Paul of Russia and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg
- When
- 1776–1777
- Where
- Russia; Russia and Prussia; Wedding venue not specified in supplied passages
- Episodes
- 5
On 7 October 1776, less than six months after the death of his first wife Wilhelmina and their child, Crown Prince Paul of Russia married Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg, who converted to Orthodoxy and took the name Maria Feodorovna. The match was arranged by Frederick II of Prussia and Empress Catherine II after Paul became a widower in 1776.
Episodes
- Frederick II and Catherine II Arrange the Match
After Paul became a widower, Frederick II of Prussia proposed Sophie Dorothea as Paul's second wife, and Catherine II approved.
- Conversion to Orthodoxy and New Name
Sophie Dorothea converted to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1776 and adopted the name Maria Feodorovna.
- Death of Paul's First Wife
Paul's first wife Wilhelmina and their child died in childbirth on 15 April 1776, prompting Catherine to seek a new bride.
- Marriage of Paul and Sophie Dorothea
On 7 October 1776, less than six months after Wilhelmina's death, Paul married Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg, who received the Russian name Maria Feodorovna.
- Birth of Alexander and Grant of Pavlovsk
Their first child, the future Alexander I, was born in 1777, and Catherine gave Paul the estate of Pavlovsk on this occasion.
Background and detail
Background. Sophie Dorothea, born Duchess Sophie Dorothee of Württemberg in Stettin in 1759, was the eldest daughter of Duke Frederick II Eugene and Princess Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt. In 1773 she had already been among the German princesses considered as possible brides for the heir to the Russian throne.
The Matchmaking. After Paul became a widower in 1776, King Frederick II of Prussia, Sophie Dorothea's maternal great-uncle, proposed his grandniece as Paul's second wife. Empress Catherine II was delighted with the idea, noting that the Princess of Württemberg shared with her a similar education, the same original name, and the same place of birth.
The Death of Paul's First Wife. Paul's first wife Wilhelmina and their child died in childbirth on 15 April 1776, three years after their wedding. Catherine immediately began seeking another wife for Paul, and the remarriage took place less than six months later.
Conversion and New Name. Despite her fiancé's difficult character, Sophie Dorothea developed a long, peaceful relationship with Paul. She converted to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1776 and adopted the name Maria Feodorovna, becoming the second wife of the future Emperor Paul I.
People involved
- Paul of Russia · Crown Prince (Tsarevich) of Russia, groom; later Emperor Paul I
- Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg · Bride; became Maria Feodorovna upon conversion to Russian Orthodoxy
- Catherine II of Russia · Empress of Russia, who approved the match and sought a new wife for Paul
- Frederick II of Prussia · King of Prussia and Sophie Dorothea's maternal great-uncle, who proposed her as Paul's second wife
Sources
- Paul I of Russia Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-16
- Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-26
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.