Katherine the Great by Prince Matchabelli, launched in 1935, was more than a perfume—it was a romanticized homage to grandeur, passion, and power. Inspired by the Empress Catherine II of Russia, known to history as Catherine the Great, the fragrance was created in response to a promise. According to contemporary accounts and a widely shared anecdote, the Prince had previously created a perfume for Grace Moore, a celebrated soprano and actress, lauded for her talent and fiery temperament. When his rumored romantic interest, Katharine Hepburn, discovered that Moore had received such an honor, she reportedly stopped the car she was driving and ordered him to “Get out!”—a jealous flare-up that prompted Matchabelli to promise he would one day create a fragrance that captured her own essence. But, he added, it would be "difficult, very difficult." From that dramatic exchange, Katherine the Great was born, its name a tribute both to the formidable Russian empress and the fiery American actress.
The name “Katherine the Great” evokes images of icy palaces, gleaming uniforms, courtly opulence, and a ruler whose intellect and charisma made her one of the most powerful women in history. In the perfume’s original publicity, the narrative takes the listener back to the 18th century: Catherine, newly crowned ruler of Russia, rides among her troops, regal and victorious, when a young soldier steps forward and offers her his sword knot. That moment, echoing chivalric legends, was likened to Raleigh laying his cloak for Elizabeth or Galahad before the Grail. The soldier becomes Grigory Potemkin—her lover, co-ruler, and the embodiment of a sweeping, enduring passion. This theatrical storytelling was typical of Prince Matchabelli’s romantic approach to perfumery, blending biography, drama, and fantasy into every drop.
Launched during the mid-1930s—at the tail end of the Great Depression but still within the glamorous confines of Hollywood’s golden age—Katherine the Great spoke directly to a generation of women who looked to royalty and film stars for escapism, identity, and aspiration. The era’s fashions were richly feminine: bias-cut gowns, structured furs, velvet evening coats, and metallic brocades. Perfume played a critical role in self-presentation, offering not only scent but narrative and status. A woman wearing Katherine the Great was cloaking herself in the mystique of Russian majesty, channeling the boldness of an empress and the allure of a silver-screen siren.