Catherine I of Russia

Marta Skowronska, a Lithuanian peasant, married Tsar Peter I of Russia. This marriage elevated her from obscurity to the imperial court, eventually leading to her coronation as Empress Catherine I after Peter's death.

Peter the Great crowned his wife Catherine as Empress consort in a formal ceremony at the Dormition Cathedral in Moscow. This was a rare honor for a woman of low birth and signaled her importance in Peter's reign.

Following Peter the Great's death without a clear male heir, Catherine I was proclaimed Empress regnant by the Imperial Guard and the Senate. She became the first woman to rule Russia in her own right, with the support of Alexander Menshikov.

Catherine I created the Supreme Privy Council as an advisory body to assist in governing the Russian Empire. The council, dominated by Alexander Menshikov, effectively reduced Catherine's direct role in state affairs and concentrated power among a few nobles.

Catherine I died of tuberculosis at the age of 43 in Saint Petersburg. Her death ended her brief two-year reign and led to the accession of Peter II, the grandson of Peter the Great, under the regency of the Supreme Privy Council.