Catherine the Great and Peter III had a contentious marriage from the start. Arranged by Peter’s aunt, the pair were only a good match politically, as Catherine was from Prussia — the countries had long been at odds. As far as their compatibility otherwise, they really weren’t suited for each other at all. Historical documents say they were mismatched on just about every front: intellectually, ideologically, even physically. It was truly a marriage of political gain and not much else. A princess by birth, she was born Sophie Frederica Auguste . Don’t let the title fool you: though she was a princess, her family had fallen on hard times. Her rich family history and connections were enough to position her well in society, however. She adopted the name Catherine when they married, when she was 16 and Peter was 17.