One of the stories told about Catharine the Great, Empress of Russia, was that, when a gentleman caught her eye, she would have Countess Proskovya Bruce try him out first, resulting in Bruce’s becoming nicknamed “L'Eprouveuse” (“The Tester”). Some now think that this is just a story to discredit the famous Empress, but why would someone with “the Great” attached to their name want to be bothered with less than exemplary services? Such a practice wouldn’t discredit a man ruler, now would it? The Countess was probably just being helpful...and...well...being an in-your-face woman. Just like her mistress, Catharine the Great.
There is an excellent book entitled "Sex With The Queen" that details the historical sexual exploits of queens and how they affected politics and history on a global scale. The section on C. The Great is INCREDIBLY interesting. She really did not care what anyone thought, and did what she wanted when it came to her lovers, blatantly and without apology.
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