s ▁lo ver , ▁Pl aton ▁Z ub ov , ▁even ▁tried ▁to ▁s edu ce ▁Elizabeth ▁Alex e iev na . ▁ ▁The ▁Grand ▁Duch ess ▁felt ▁lon ely ▁and ▁homes ick , ▁particularly ▁after ▁her ▁sister ▁Freder ica ▁returned ▁to ▁Baden . ▁ ▁Elizabeth ▁was ▁abandoned ▁in ▁an ▁al ien ▁world ▁where ▁she ▁could ▁never ▁be ▁herself , ▁even ▁among ▁her ▁servants ▁and ▁ladies - in - wait ing . ▁The ▁relationship ▁with ▁Alexander ▁was ▁her ▁only ▁source ▁of ▁sol ace . ▁" With out ▁my ▁husband , ▁who ▁alone ▁makes ▁me ▁happy , ▁I ▁should ▁have ▁died ▁a ▁thousand ▁death s " ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁marriage ▁were ▁relatively ▁happy , ▁but ▁the ▁Grand ▁Duch ess ▁disappoint ed ▁Catherine ▁II , ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁live ▁to ▁see ▁a ▁son ▁be ▁born ▁to ▁the ▁young ▁couple . ▁The ▁death ▁of ▁Catherine ▁the ▁Great ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 7 9 6 ▁brought ▁Elizabeth ' s ▁father - in - law , ▁Paul ▁I , ▁to ▁the ▁Russian ▁Th r one . ▁During ▁the ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁reign , ▁Elizabeth ▁avoided ▁Paul ' s ▁court . ▁She ▁utter ly ▁dis lik ed ▁her ▁father - in - law ▁and ▁disapp ro ved ▁of ▁the ▁in just ices ▁of ▁his ▁government ▁and ▁the ▁bl unt ness ▁of ▁his ▁character . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁cra cks ▁in ▁Elizabeth ' s ▁marriage ▁began ▁to ▁appear . ▁She ▁did ▁not ▁find ▁ful fill ment ▁for ▁her ▁rom antic ▁nature ▁in ▁a ▁husband ▁who ▁neglect ed