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Painted portrait of a blue-gray Russian Blue cat wearing a jeweled gold crown and a crimson velvet robe trimmed with ermine. 20 / 24

A Russian Blue Empress Wears Her Jeweled Crown Slightly Askew. She Does Not Care.

AI imagerussian blueroyal portraittudor

Cool green eyes, a plush silver-blue coat, and a crown that sits just slightly askew, as if she simply cannot be bothered to straighten it. A Russian Blue empress gazes out with regal composure, a golden crown set with red and green jewels resting between her ears. Her robe is crimson velvet worked with golden roses and pomegranates, trimmed in thick spotted ermine that falls over her shoulders. Beneath it, a gown of gold brocade glints with intricate knotwork. Behind her, an olive wall is patterned with tall, elegant thistles.

The Russian Blue is thought to come from the region around Arkhangelsk, a northern Russian port, and early examples were sometimes called Archangel Cats. Sailors are said to have carried them to Britain in the 1800s, where the breed was developed further. Fittingly, the Tudor era is when England and Russia first opened regular contact. In the 1550s, English merchants reached Russia by sea through the far north, which led to the founding of the Muscovy Company, and letters and gifts passed between the Tudor court and the Russian tsar. An empress from the north would have been a fascinating guest at court.

This empress, at least, appears entirely comfortable in her role. With her soft, shimmering fur set against all that crimson and gold, she rules with quiet confidence, and it is hard to imagine anyone daring to question her decisions.

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