By the end of May 1727, 17-year-old Elizabeth had lost her fiancé and both of her parents. Furthermore, her half-nephew Peter II was on the throne. Her marriage prospects continued to fail to improve three years later, when her nephew died and was succeeded by her first cousin Anna, daughter of Ivan V. There was little love lost between the cousins and no prospect of either any Russian nobleman or any foreign prince seeking Elizabeth's hand in marriage. Nor could she marry a commoner because it would cost her royal status, property rights and claim to the throne. The fact that Elizabeth was something of a beauty did not improve marriage prospects, but instead earned her resentment. When the Chinese minister in St. Petersburg was asked by the Empress Anna who was the most beautiful woman at her court, he pointed to Elizabeth, much to Anna's displeasure.