After the death of Peter the Great, Russia entered a “century of women”.
Over a century, with two very short interruptions, Tzarinas Catherine I, Anna, Elisabeth, and Catherine II (the Great) ruled Russia.
Two were single, two were widows.
None of them could marry, as then she would have to share power with husband. So they just kept some boyfriends, and stayed single. Seems pretty modern.
And they smelled.