Why was German Willem Mons beheaded in Russia?

Being the son of a simple Westphalian wine merchant, Willem Mons, nevertheless, made a brilliant career at the court of Tsar Peter I. This was, however, largely due to the fact that his sister Anna was the emperor's first mistress.

But, Mons himself did possess talents: a quick and sharp mind, decisiveness and diligence. "In all matters entrusted to him, he acted with such fidelity, zeal and diligence…" the tsar said of him.

In 1716, Peter I appointed Mons as a chamberlain to his wife Catherine to manage her affairs and accompany her on trips. The young and handsome assistant pleased her and soon, a love affair developed between them.

Eight years later, Mons was granted the high court rank of chamberlain. His influence grew so much that many nobles seeking the tsar's favor turned to him. The German readily helped – not without self-interest, of course.

Mons acquired mansions in St. Petersburg and Moscow, estates with peasants and regularly dined at the same table as the emperor. However, in that same year, suddenly everything ended: Peter learned about Catherine's love affair with the chamberlain. Although a man prone to extramarital affairs himself, he could not forgive his wife for such behavior.

On November 8, Mons was arrested and, two weeks later, beheaded. Officially, he was executed for bribery, but high society understood the true reason.

By order of Peter, Willem’s head was placed in an alcohol solution and displayed in Catherine's chambers. Later, it ended up in the famous Kunstkamera museum, but it has not survived to this day.