Princess Natalia Petrovna Golitsyna, born Chernyshova, was born on January 17, 1741 or 1744 in Berlin and died on December 20, 1837 in St. Petersburg. She was a lady-in-waiting at the court of five emperors, a stately dame, and a knight of the Order of Saint Catherine, receiving it in 1801 of the second degree, and in 1826 of the first degree.

Natalia Petrovna came from the family of diplomat and senator Count Peter Grigorievich Chernyshov and Ekaterina Andreyevna Ushakova. Her childhood was spent in England, where her mother provided her daughters with an excellent European education. They spoke four languages fluently but knew Russian poorly. In 1756, the family returned to Russia, and four years later moved to France, where Count Chernyshov became an envoy at the court of Louis XV.

Educated and beautiful, Natalia Petrovna shone at balls in Versailles, where she was acquainted with Louis XV. She and her sisters were painted by the best artists of the time. In 1762, her father completed his diplomatic career, and the family returned to Russia.

At the age of 21, Natalia Petrovna became a prominent lady-in-waiting to Catherine II, being a cousin of her favorite, Zakhar Chernyshov. For her beauty and dancing skills, she was awarded a gold medal depicting Catherine II.

On October 30, 1766, Natalia Petrovna married Prince Vladimir Borisovich Golitsyn, a retired brigadier with a troubled fortune. As a princess, she lived in the estates of her father and husband, raising children.

In 1783, Golitsyna and her family went to France for the education of the children and treatment of her husband. In Paris, she was called the 'Moscow Venus.' Seven years later, they returned to Russia and settled in St. Petersburg, where they held balls every Wednesday.

Contemporaries noted her strict and haughty character. She was harsh with her relatives and children, even when they grew up, continuing to call them by diminutive names.

In her youth, Natalia Petrovna was a beauty, but with age, she developed a mustache and beard, earning her the nickname 'Princess Mustached.' This image became the prototype for the heroine of 'The Queen of Spades.'

According to legend, her grandnephew, Prince S. G. Golitsyn-Firs, told Pushkin that he once lost at cards and sought help from Golitsyna. She knew the secret of the three cards from Count Saint Germain, and he was able to win back his losses. In St. Petersburg, she was called the 'Queen of Spades.'

Natalia Petrovna died in St. Petersburg and was buried in Moscow at the Don Cemetery. She left behind a vast fortune, including 16,000 serfs and numerous estates.