[The following is in relation to Grand Duke Peter of Russia, the husband of the woman who would later be known as Catherine the Great of Russia.]
The wedding night, unsurprisingly, was a disaster. Peter preferring to play with his toys rather than consummate his marriage. Later, in her memoirs, Catherine wrote, ‘I should have loved my new husband if only he had been willing or able to be in the least lovable. But in the early days of my marriage, I made some cruel reflections about him. I said to myself: “If you love this man, you will be the most wretched creature on Earth. Watch your step. So far as affection for this gentleman is concerned, think of yourself, Madame.” Peter’s behaviour became more and more unstable, and it is not surprising that night after night the royal marriage remained unconsummated. On one particular evening it is said that Catherine entered the bedchamber only to see a dead rat hanging by a rope form the ceiling. On questioning her husband he replied that the rat had committed treason. Other bizarre acts followed, including a period when Peter decided he wished to become a dog trainer and filled the bedroom with animals whose stench was so overpowering that it made Catherine ill.
Source:
Klein, Shelley. “Catherine the Great.” The Most Evil Women in History. Barnes & Noble Books, 2003. 72. Print.
Original Source Listed:
From Catherine II’s Memoirs, which cover the first thirty years of her life but end before her accession, although they also contain ‘Thoughts’ and letters. They were discovered on her death in 1796 but not published until 1859, and then in a French edition.
Further Reading:
I want to find a way to one day use this. That's hilarious.