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'Anna Leopoldovna' (А́нна Леопо́льдовна) (1718 – 18 March, 1746), also known as 'Anna Karlovna' (А́нна Ка́рловна), regent of Russia for a few months (1740 - 1741) during the minority of her baby son Ivan. She was the daughter of Catherine (sister of Empress Anna) and of Charles Leopold, the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and born as 'Elisabeth Katharina Christine von Mecklenburg-Schwerin'.
In 1739 she married Anthony Ulrich (1714 - 1776), son of Ferdinand Albert, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. On 5 October, 1740 the empress Anne adopted their new-born son Ivan and proclaimed him heir to the Russian throne. A few days after this proclamation the empress died (28 October 1740), leaving directions regarding the succession, and appointing her favourite Ernest Biren, Duke of Courland, as regent. Biren, however, had made himself an object of detestation to the Russian people, and Anna Leopoldovna had little difficulty in overthrowing him (8 November, 1740). She then assumed the regency, and took the title of Grand-Duchess, but she knew little of the character of the people with whom she had to deal, knew even less of the conventions and politics of Russian government, and speedily quarrelled with her principal supporters.
In December 1741, the daughter of Peter the Great, who, from her habits was a favourite with the soldiers, excited the guards to revolt, overcame the insignificant opposition, and ascended the throne as empress Elizabeth.
The victorious regime first imprisoned the family in the fortress of Dünamünde near Riga and then exiled them to Kholmogory on the Northern Dvina river. Anna eventually died on 18 March 1746 during childbirth. Her son Ivan VI was murdered in Shlisselburg on 16 July 1764, while her husband Anthony Ulrich died in Kholmogory on 19 March 1776. Her remaining four children were released from prison in 1780 and settled in Jutland.

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