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Maria II of Portugal Wikipedia

House of Braganza
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Maria II da Gl??ria, (Pronunciation|pron. International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA /IPA|m??.'??i.?? d?? 'g????.??i.??; English language|English: Mary II), the Educator (Portuguese language|Port. a Educadora) - (Rio de Janeiro, April 4, 1819 - Lisbon, November 15, 1853), named Maria da Gl??ria Joana Carlota Leopoldina da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Isidora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga was the daughter of the future King Pedro IV of Portugal|Pedro IV (Emperor of Brazil as Pedro I) and his first wife, Archduchess Maria Leopoldina, Archduchess of Austria|Maria Leopoldine Josepha Caroline, herself a daughter of Emperor Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor|Franz I of Austria. She was the second Queen of Portugal and the 29th (or 30th according to some historians) List of Portuguese monarchs|Portuguese monarch.

In March 1826, John VI of Portugal|King Jo??o VI died, creating a succession crisis in Portugal. The king had a male heir, Dom Pedro, but Pedro had proclaimed the independence of Brazil in 1822 and he was now Emperor Pedro I of Brazil|Pedro I of that country. The late king also had a younger son, Michael of Portugal|Miguel, but he was exiled in Austria after leading a number of revolutions against his father and his liberal regime.

The king had nominated his favorite daughter, Isabel Maria, as regent until "the legitimate heir returned to the Kingdom". But he didn't specify who was the legitimate heir. Pedro, the liberal Emperor of Brazil, or Miguel, the absolutist exiled prince?

Most people considered that Pedro was the legitimate heir, but nobody wanted him to unite Portugal and Brazil's thrones again. Aware that his brother's supporters were ready to bring Miguel back and put him in the throne, he decided for a more consensual option: he abdicated the throne to his eldest daughter, Maria da Gloria (who was only 7 years old), and she should marry her uncle Miguel, who should accept the Liberal Constitution and act as a regent until his niece was an adult.

Miguel pretended to accept, but when he arrived in Portugal he deposed Maria and proclaimed himself King, abrogating the liberal constitution in the process. During his reign of terror, Maria traveled to many European courts, including her grandfather's in Vienna, as well as to London and Paris.

Pedro abdicated the Brazilian throne in 1831 in favor of his son (and Maria's younger brother, Pedro II of Brazil|Pedro II), and from his base in the Azores he attacked Miguel, forcing him to abdicate in 1834. Maria was thereupon restored to the throne, and obtained an annulment of her marriage.

On 26 January 1835 she married, at the age of 15, Charles Auguste Eug??ne Napol??on de Beauharnais|Charles, Duke of Leuchtenberg, son of Eug??ne de Beauharnais, and grandson of Empress Josephine. He died after two months on 28 March 1835.

On 1 January 1836 she married the cultured and able Prince Ferdinand II of Portugal|Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who ruled with her as King Consort. That title he received, in accordance with Portuguese custom, when their first child, a heir to the throne, was born.

Maria's reign saw a revolutionary insurrection on May 16, 1846, but this was crushed by royalist troops on February 22, 1847, and Portugal otherwise avoided the European Revolution of 1848|upheavals of 1848. Maria's reign was also notable for a public health act aimed at curbing the spread of cholera throughout the country. She also pursued policies aimed at increasing the levels of education throughout the country.

From her second marriage, she had the following children:

# Pedro V of Portugal|Pedro V, who succeeded her

# Luis of Portugal|Luis I, who eventually succeeded his brother

# Maria (1840)

# Jo??o, Duke of Beja, born in 1842, who died of cholera in 1861

# Maria Anna, (1843-1884) who married King George of Saxony and was mother of king Frederick August III of Saxony

# Antonia, (1845-1913) who married prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Signaringen and was the mother of King Ferdinand of Romania|Ferdinand I of Romania

# Ferdinand, who was born in 1846 and also died of cholera in 1861

# Augustus, Duke of Coimbra (1847-1889)

# Leopold (1849)

# Maria da Gl??ria (1851)

# Eugene (1853-53)

After constant pregnancies and births, doctors kept informing Maria of the danger of giving birth to nearly one child per year. She neglected the risks that had also killed her mother; "If I die, I die in my post", she said. Maria II died while giving birth to Prince Eugene in 1853. (Her mother had also died of miscarriage.)

Maria II is remembered as a good mother and a kind person, who always acted according to her convictions in an attempt to help her country. She was later given the List of monarchs by nickname|surname "The Good Mother."

See also: Liberal Wars|War of the Two Brothers

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succession box |
before=Pedro I of Brazil|Pedro IV |
title=List of Portuguese monarchs|Queen of Portugal |
years=1826–1828|
after=Miguel of Portugal|Miguel

succession box |
before=Miguel of Portugal|Miguel |
title=List of Portuguese monarchs|Queen of Portugal |
years=1834–1853|
after=Pedro V of Portugal|Pedro V

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BrazImpFam
Category:1819 births|Maria II of Portugal
Category:1853 deaths|Maria II of Portugal
Category:Portuguese monarchs
Category:Dukes of Braganza
Category:Queens regnant

de:Maria II. (Portugal)
nl:Maria II van Portugal
ja:?????????2??? (?????????????????????)
pt:Maria II de Portugal

Last Modified:   2005-12-19