Natalia was the youngest daughter of Peter I (Peter the Great) and his wife Catherine (future Catherine I). Natalia was born during the Great Northern War (Russia's war with Sweden lasted from 1700-1720). Natalia was named after her aunt, Natalia Alexeienva who died in 1918, the sane year as her niece's birth. Only Natalia and her two elder sisters Anna and Elizabeth were alive to see Russia officially become an empire in 1921and be granted the title of Grand duchess. Shortly after her father died in 1725, Natalia fell ill with measles and died shortly after her father. Since her father was not yet buried at the time of her death, she was placed next to her father and buried at the same time. Her death so soon after the death of her father's weighed heavily on her mother who was now Empress, and caused Catherine to have an emotional breakdown. Natalia was only 6 years old when she died, though she lived longer than most of her siblings, the exceptions being her half brother Alexei (1690-1918), and her full sisters Anna (1708-1728) and Elizabeth (1709-1762).
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