"Catherine II played a decisive role in the choice of future tsarinas, introducing compatriot women in the court. And so, with one exception (Alexander III's wife, who would be Danish), they would all be of German origin. The princesses were selected very young, between fourteen and sixteen years old, still shy and malleable. The ceromonies obeyed a very strict etiquette, starting with the solemn entrance of the future Grand Duchess, until her wedding. The court carriages were waiting for the young lady at the station. On the way to the Winter Palace, where the great dignitaries would be presented to her, she could admire the living barrier of the imperial Guard outlined to her passage. On horseback, the emperor escorted the golden carriage with the imperial crown on top, pulled by eight gray horses. The Grand Dukes followed on horseback, and the Grand Duchesses, in other luxurious carriages. The next stage was a kind of guided tour by the imperial palaces of St. Petersburg and the surrounding area, which was an opportunity for the young foreigner to learn the history of the country. Another important stage of this training consisted of inculcating the culture of the country of adoption, to allow a complete integration. (something Catherine II had achieved to perfection). The future Grand Duchesses were to learn Russian and convert to Orthodoxy. It didn't take long for them to lose all contact with their home country. Thus, stripped of their Germanness, they could become authentic Slavs. The wedding ceremonial remained unchanged until the reign of Nicholas II. After the festivities ended, the young wife found herself closed in the rigid world of the Russian monarchy. They had to give up their personal tastes and erase their personality. Becoming another guardian of secular traditions, she was to become an idol of the nation."
The Tsarinas - The Women who Made Russia | Vladimir Fedorovski.
(Loose translation)
