Interestingly, the first Grand Prince, Alexander I of Russia, was the grandson of Duke Peter of Holstein-Gottorp, who had held the imperial throne for just 6 months in 1762 as Peter III of Russia.
Instead, on hearing that Empress Elizabeth had suffered a severe relapse in health, Apraksin crossed the Neman River and returned to Russia, intending to support the heir to the throne (the future Peter III of Russia, who represented the interests of Frederick II of Prussia) in the event of the Empress's death.
With the accession of Peter III of Russia he received instructions (May 1762) to join his forces with the Prussians.
Russia | Peter Pan | Peter Gabriel | William III of England | Peter Jackson | Peter | Saint Peter | George III of the United Kingdom | Peter Paul Rubens | Henry III of England | Peter Sellers | Peter the Great | George III | Blue Peter | Edward III of England | Henry III | Alexander I of Russia | Peter Frampton | Edward III | Alexander II of Russia | Peter Greenaway | Nicholas II of Russia | Peter Brook | Samara, Russia | Peter Lorre | Charles III of Spain | William III | Nicholas I of Russia | Peter Ustinov | Loudon Wainwright III |
From 1682 to 1801 there was a strict "man–woman" sequence on the Russian throne: Peter I the Great, Catherine I, Peter II, Anna, Ivan VI, Elizabeth, Peter III, Catherine II the Great, Paul.
Elizaveta Vorontsova (1739–1792), mistress of Emperor Peter III of Russia