As you know, the Romanov family was interrupted by the family of Nicholas II. However, some historians believe that the last ruler of the Romanov dynasty was Peter III.
The young infantile emperor did not develop a relationship with his wife at all. Catherine told in her diaries how anxiously she was waiting for her husband on her wedding night, and he came and fell asleep. This continued and further - Peter III did not harbor any feelings for his wife, preferring her to his favorite. But the son, Pavel, was still born, many years after the marriage.
Rumors of illegitimate heirs are not uncommon in the history of world dynasties, especially in a turbulent time for the country. And so the question arose here: is Paul really the son of Peter III? Or else Catherine's first favorite, Sergei Saltykov, took part in this.
A significant argument in favor of these rumors was that the imperial couple had not had children for many years. Therefore, many believed that this union was completely fruitless, which the empress herself hinted at, mentioning in her memoirs that her husband suffered from phimosis.
Information that Sergei Saltykov could be Pavel's father is also present in Catherine's diaries: “Sergei Saltykov made me understand what was the reason for his frequent visits … I continued to listen to him, he was as beautiful as day, and, of course, no one could with him at court … He was 25 years old, in general by birth, and in many other qualities he was an outstanding gentleman … I did not give in all spring and part of the summer. The result was not long in coming. On September 20, 1754, Catherine gave birth to a son. But from whom: from her husband Romanov, or from Saltykov?
There is a version according to which the initiator of the "affair" was Elizaveta Petrovna, desperate to get a grandson from her nephew. After “fulfilling her will,” Saltykov was exiled as ambassador to Sweden.
The origin of Paul still remains an insoluble mystery, which worried the subsequent generations of the Romanovs. It is not surprising, otherwise it turned out that the Romanov dynasty was interrupted by Peter III, and the subsequent monarchs on the throne were no more than usurpers. And yet, in justification of Catherine the Great, it is worth saying that the similarities between the portraits of Paul and Peter III are obvious.