Quite, not to mention that Catherine's lovers would rather have complained about their Little influence. (It's been while, but I seem to recall the only one with actual political clout was Potemkin?)

And re: Wilhelmine having a political agenda of her own - she always denied it. ("I was not a Prussian Madame de Pompadour." Meanwhile, her nickname on the Streets: The Prussian Pompadour." ) She was hands down the most influential art patron of her day, though. (Oh, and her father had been a musician at the Berlin opera. Whether that was a plus or minus in Fritz' eyes...)