Anna Pavlovna. She could have become Napoleon's wife, but instead became Queen of the Netherlands.

"She's only fourteen! What if she can't bear Napoleon a child in the first year of marriage?" Empress Maria Feodorovna asked. "Then he'll want to divorce her or have children at the cost of her honor."

Alexander listened thoughtfully to his mother. Napoleon had offered Poland if he were allowed to marry Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna. But knowing the French Emperor, the Russian Tsar doubted anything would come of his proposal. Napoleon always turned situations to his advantage. If their relationship with him worsened even further, his sister could find herself in a very difficult situation.

"If you agree to the marriage, you will ruin Anna."

"Calm down, Mother," Alexander replied softly. "Only you can decide her fate." I will submit to your decision.

Anna Pavlovna was born in January 1795. She was the eighth child of the Grand Ducal couple Maria Feodorovna and Pavel Petrovich. Empress Catherine, upon learning of the birth of her sixth granddaughter, sadly remarked:

"There are so many girls, we can't marry them all off!"

The Empress never learned of her mistake, as she died in November 1796.

In 1809, the French Emperor wished to marry the fourteen-year-old Anna Pavlovna. All of her sisters had already been married, and two had died due to unsuccessful childbirth. Maria Feodorovna, remembering the early marriages that had ended for her two daughters, feared that the same fate awaited Anna.

The Russian Tsar wrote to Napoleon:

I cannot, Your Majesty, object to a mother who still mourns inconsolably the untimely deaths of her two daughters, who died from premature marriages. I know Your Majesty is in a hurry, and this is understandable: having declared to Europe that you wish to have children, you cannot wait more than two years, although the only obstacle to the marriage, as seen by the Empress Mother, is the age of Grand Duchess Anna...

Napoleon was forced to retreat; he could not wait two years.

Anna Pavlovna was in no rush to marry, and by the time of her wedding, she was 21 years old. By then, she had blossomed, transforming from a clumsy duckling into a beautiful swan princess.

Anna's sister, Catherine Pavlovna, and brother, Alexander, found a groom for her. They both liked Prince William of Orange, but his father was planning to arrange a marriage for him with Princess Charlotte of England, the heir to the throne. Charlotte was in love with another man and did not want to marry the Prince of Orange. Miraculously, she managed to persuade her father not to interfere with her maiden happiness, and the wedding with William did not take place.

Since William's father began to look for a bride for him from the Dutch house, Alexander decided that there was no time to waste and invited the Prince of Orange to come to the Russian Empire.

It's not as if Wilhelm was captivated by the Grand Duchess and therefore wanted her as his wife. It was more complicated. He was afraid to contradict the Russian Emperor and spoil his relationship with him, so he decided to do what was expected of him at the St. Petersburg court – he proposed to Anna Pavlovna.

Anna Pavlovna knew that her family had specially selected this groom for her, understood that they wanted only the best for her, and was therefore ready for a wedding with the Prince of Orange. He was an attractive young man and only three years older. They seemed a perfect couple.

The engagement took place on January 28, 1816, and on February 9 of that year, Anna Pavlovna and Wilhelm were married.

After the wedding, the couple remained in Russia for four months, and then Anna Pavlovna said goodbye to her loved ones and departed with her husband for the Netherlands.

When they arrived, the Russian ambassador sent a letter to St. Petersburg:

Last Friday, the 23rd (of August), in the evening, His Highness the Crown Prince arrived with his wife in blissful health at Loo Castle, where the entire royal family now resides... The Grand Duchess, with her gracious qualities, attracts the hearts of all, and our King feels happy in the happiness of his son...

The Dutch were astonished by the abundance of jewelry Anna Pavlovna possessed. The Russian beauty's dowry was sumptuous, plus 1 million rubles, a gift from Emperor Alexander, and 10,000 rubles a year from her mother, the Empress.

The newlyweds received the titles "Prince and Princess of Orange."

The marriage was initially a success. The couple quickly adjusted to each other, there were few conflicts between them, and a friendly atmosphere reigned.

Anna Pavlovna had four sons and a daughter during their marriage:

1. Willem III Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk (February 19, 1817 – November 23, 1890) – the couple's firstborn son became King of the Netherlands and held the title of Grand Duke of Luxembourg. In his first marriage, he married his first cousin, the daughter of Catherine Pavlovna (Anna Pavlovna's sister). He had three sons from his first marriage, and one daughter from his second marriage. He died at the age of 73.

2. Willem Alexander Frederik Constantin Nikolai Mikhail (August 2, 1818 – February 20, 1848). He was single. He died at the age of 29 from tuberculosis.

3. Willem Frederik Heinrich (July 13, 1820 – January 14, 1879). He was married twice but had no children. He died at age 58 from measles.

4. Willem Alexander Frederick Ernst Casimir (May 21, 1822–October 22, 1822). His fourth son died in infancy from hydrocephalus.

5. Wilhelmina Marie Louise Sophie (April 8, 1824–March 23, 1897). She lived to be 72. She was married to her cousin, the son of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. She had four children during this marriage.

Anna Pavlovna fell in love with the Netherlands. She studied the country's language, history, and traditions. The princess was greatly revered in the Netherlands.

In 1840, King Willem I fell in love and abdicated, and Anna Pavlovna's husband became king. Unfortunately, the throne did not bring the couple closer together, but rather alienated them.

Anna Pavlovna and Wilhelm had completely different understandings of what it meant to lead a country. She believed in doing much for the well-being of the state and its subjects, while he saw the wealth and unlimited power that had fallen to him as something he could use for his own pleasure. While her husband built castles and hosted lavish balls, Anna Pavlovna immersed herself in charity work. Each spouse believed the other was misusing their money, which created a wall of misunderstanding between them.

In 1849, Wilhelm died, leaving the family in dire financial straits.

To pay off her debts, Anna Pavlovna wrote to her brother, Emperor Nicholas I:

Dear brother, dear and beloved friend, you surely understand that only circumstances of extreme necessity compel me to interrupt our shared grief and speak to you of material things... Our debts amount to 4.5 million guilders. To pay them, we will need to sell all the land and real estate in this country, so I appeal to you, my beloved brother and friend, to ask that in this fateful hour you agree to purchase the paintings collected by Wilhelm...

Nikolai Pavlovna came to his sister's aid and purchased the art collection.

Anna Pavlovna's eldest son, King Wilhelm III, ascended the throne.

Anna Pavlovna lived until March 1, 1865. She died at the age of 70. The Dowager Queen outlived all her brothers and sisters.