_The ~Coup-d’État~ was to have taken place on June 29th, at the patronal ~fête~ of the emperor; but the arrest of Passek, captain of the regiment of Préobrajenski, together with the order given to the army to march against Denmark, brought about the crisis. Rumours had been set afloat that the empress was in danger. The guards, who were all devoted to the empress--40 officers and about 10,000 privates--noisily demanded to be sent to Oranienbaum, to the defence of their beloved empress. One of the privates rushed to Captain Passek, exclaiming that the empress was in danger, that an ukase ordering her arrest had been issued. Passek answered that it was all nonsense. The private, horrified, rushed to another officer, who on hearing the news, and learning that he had been to Passek, then on duty, arrested him and led him to Voyeïkoff. And the latter, in his turn, arrested Passek, and sent a report to Oranienbaum. Of course the arrest of Passek threw the whole regiment, as well as the conspirators in other regiments, into a panic. It was decided to send Orloff to Peterhoff to escort the empress to Petersburg._ _It was six o’clock in the morning when Orloff reached Peterhoff. He knocked at the empress’s door, walked in, and very coolly said, “It is time to get up; all is ready!” “What! how?” exclaimed Ekaterina. “Passek is arrested” answered Orloff. Ekaterina asked no more questions, but, hastily dressing, took her seat inside the carriage. Orloff sat by the coachman; another officer, Bibikoff, rode at the door. They made straight for the barracks of Ismaïloff. The alarm was given. Soldiers ran out, surrounded the empress, kissing her hands, her garments, calling her their “saviour.” Two soldiers led a priest up, and all crowded to her to take the oath of allegiance. The empress was invited to take her place in the carriage again. The priest, with the cross, went on ahead. Soon they all arrived at the barracks of Simeon, followed by the two regiments. These accompanied her to the cathedral of Kazan, where the Archbishop Dimitri met her. The ~Te Deum~ was sung, and Ekaterina Alexéevna was proclaimed Empress of Russia, and Pavel Petrovitch, her son, heir to the throne, 28th June, 1762._ _On leaving the cathedral the empress was driven to the Winter Palace, where she took up her residence._