Paul I of Russia which event the Russian Imperial Crown was crafted by court jewellers. The 8-year-old Paul retained his position as crown prince. In 1772, her son and heir, Paul, turned eighteen. Paul and his adviser, Panin, believed he was the rightful tsar of Russia, as the only son of Peter III. His adviser had also taught him that the rule of women endangered good leadership, which was why he was so interested in gaining the throne. Distracting him, Catherine took trouble to find Paul a wife among the minor princesses of the Holy Roman Empire. She chose Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Darmstad, who
Sophia Alekseyevna of Russia except on Easter day. She died in the Novodevichy Convent six years later. She was fictionally portrayed in Chinese novelist Jin Yong's novel "The Deer and the Cauldron" in which the young protagonist Wei Xiaobao went to Russia and helped her lead the coup against her half-brother Peter I. It was suggested that this event led to the peace between the Qing Empire and Russia in the Nerchinsk Treaty. Vanessa Redgrave portrayed the character of Sophia Alekseyevna in the 1986 miniseries "Peter the Great". Her performance received an Emmy award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries. Sophia Alekseyevna