Ian Graham

• Ninon de l’Enclos, who was offered fifty thousand crowns by Cardinal Richelieu for one night in her company—money left in her will bought books for a nine-year-old boy called François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire;

Lola Montez, a fake Spanish dancer who caused a revolution;

Grigory Orlov, who helped to end the reign of Catherine’s husband, Peter III, which resulted in Catherine becoming empress;

• Cixi, a concubine who rose from obscurity to rule China for nearly half a century.

The ruthlessness she displayed typified her cold, calculating attitude to men, who, to her, were merely sources of money.