Editing Ivan VI of Russia (section)

== Emperor of Russia ==
Ivan was born on 23 August 1740 at [[Saint Petersburg]], the eldest child of [[Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick|Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg]] by his wife, Duchess Anna Leopoldovna of [[Mecklenburg-Schwerin]], the only niece of the childless Empress [[Anna of Russia]], and the only granddaughter of Tsar [[Ivan V]].<ref>Detlev Schwennicke, ''Europaeische Stammtafeln '' (vol. I.1, table 27, [[Frankfurt/Main]], 1998)</ref> She had lived in Russia almost all her life, and her husband had also made his home in that country, in the expectation that they or their progeny would inherit the throne upon the death of the empress.

This expectation was fulfilled within two months of the birth of their first child. On 5 October 1740 the infant Ivan was adopted by his grandaunt (who was on her deathbed) and declared her heir apparent. The empress also declared that her longtime lover and advisor, [[Ernst Johann von Biron]], duke of [[Courland]], would serve as regent until Ivan came of age. Indeed, the desire to ensure that her lover would enjoy power and influence after her death was the primary reason that the dying empress chose to name as her heir the infant rather than his mother.

Empress Anna died soon thereafter on 28 October 1740. The following day the infant was proclaimed emperor as Ivan VI, Autocrat of All The Russias, and Biron became [[regent]]. However, the idea of Biron wielding power was not acceptable either to Ivan's parents or to most of the nobility. During his years as Anna's lover he had made many enemies, and was tremendously unpopular at court. Within three weeks Ivan's father had engineered Biron's fall. At midnight on 18/19 November 1740 Biron was seized in his bedroom by partisans of the royal couple and banished to Siberia (he was later permitted to reside at [[Yaroslavl]]). Ivan's mother, Anna Leopoldovna, was made regent, though the vice-chancellor, [[Andrei Osterman]], effectively ran the government during her brief regency.