Explanation: Catherine the Great of Russia ran a very… curious court wherein many of those appointed to high positions were appointed so because they were judged by Catherine to be sufficiently competent lovers to earn her favor.

One of her boytoys, Grigory Potemkin, would remain her close lifelong friend even after their affair ended, and Potemkin would often set up Catherine with ‘promising’ young noblemen.

What’s the point of being a monarch if you can’t get properly laid?

I asked my high school history teacher if the rumor about how she died was true. He mostly kept a straight face while saying he swore he would never bring it up in one of his classes.