Their marriage was tumultuous and both were rumoured to have had extramarital affairs.
The synopsis for The Great reads: “The Great is a satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest-reigning female ruler in Russia’s history.
“Season One is a fictionalized, fun and anachronistic story of an idealistic, romantic young girl, who arrives in Russia for an arranged marriage to the mercurial Emperor Peter.
“Hoping for love and sunshine, she finds instead a dangerous, depraved, backward world that she resolves to change.
“All she has to do is kill her husband, beat the church, baffle the military and get the court onside.
“A very modern story about the past which encompasses the many roles she played over her lifetime as a lover, teacher, ruler, friend, and fighter.
“Incorporating historical facts occasionally, the series stars Elle Fanning as Catherine, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Douglas Hodge, Sacha Dhawan, Sebastian de Souza, Bayo Gbadamosi and Belinda Bromilow.”
The Great premieres Sunday, January 3 on Channel 4