Monthly Archives: May 2016

King Carlos I of Portugal

by Scott Mehl    © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Carlos I of Portugal – source: Wikipedia

King Carlos I of Portugal (full name: Carlos Fernando Luís Maria Victor Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis José Simão) was born on September 28, 1863, at the Ajuda Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He was the son of King Luís I of Portugal and Princess Maria Pia of Savoy, and had one younger sibling:

Carlos (left) with his mother and brother Afonso, 1875. source: Wikipedia

As heir to the throne, Carlos was styled Prince Royal and Duke of Braganza from birth. When he was born, the line of succession for the Portuguese throne was quite short. The deaths of three of his uncles in 1861 had greatly diminished the male members of the family, so when Carlos was born there was a great sense of relief that the succession would continue and not pass to another branch of the family, that of the deposed King Miguel I, uncle of Carlos’ grandmother, the late Queen Maria II.

 

Carlos received a very strict education to prepare him for his future role. Like his father, he took a great interest in languages and oceanography. He made numerous visits to many of the other royal courts of Europe, both to expand his education and to find a bride. On one of these visits, Carlos met his future wife, Princess Amélie of Orléans. She was the daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris (the pretender to the French throne), and Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans. Carlos and Amélie soon became engaged, and they married at the Church of St. Dominic in Lisbon, Portugal on May 22, 1886. They settled at Belém Palace in Lisbon, and had three children:

Enthronement of King Carlos, 1889. source: Wikipedia

Carlos became King of Portugal upon his father’s death on October 19, 1889, and was formally enthroned on December 28. Just weeks later, Carlos faced the first crisis of his reign. Some years earlier, Portugal had claimed sovereignty over the lands between their two colonies in Africa, Angola on the western coast, and Mozambique on the eastern coast. However, these claims caused a problem for the United Kingdom, which was trying to establish a railway from Cape Town to Cairo, spanning across the various British territories. With Portugal standing in their way, the British government issued an ultimatum on January 11, 1890, threatening to sever diplomatic ties with Portugal unless they withdrew their forces and recognized British control of the region.

King Carlos, knowing that refusal would likely lead to war, gave in to the British demands. The Portuguese people were outraged and considered it a betrayal. The rising republican movement used the situation to spread opposition to the monarchy. The 1890 Ultimatum is one of the prime factors in the downfall of the Portuguese monarchy twenty years later. Despite this, King Carlos was able to use his own very keen diplomatic skills to bring Portugal to the center of European diplomacy at the turn of the century. Aided by the fact that he was related to many of the ruling houses, he also developed close friendships with many of his counterparts, particularly King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. As a symbolic gesture toward this relationship, the first foreign state visit made by King Edward VII, in 1903, was to Portugal.

In June 1892, Portugal faced the first of two bankruptcies (the second was in May 1902), which further strengthened the Republican movement, which placed the blame solely on the monarchy. As Carlos’ reign continued, the political landscape became more volatile. In 1906, he appointed João Franco as Prime Minister, despite the misgivings of many of his family and advisers. Franco asked the King to dissolve parliament, causing a huge campaign in Portugal claiming that the country was now a dictatorship. Public support for King Carlos quickly diminished, particularly as he strongly supported Franco. It would lead to his tragic death.

 

On February 1, 1908, King Carlos, along with his wife and elder son were returning to Lisbon from a stay at the Palace of Vila Viçosa, in Vila Viçosa about 150 km/93 miles east of Lisbon, which he had restored some years earlier to serve as a royal residence. His younger son, Infante Manuel, had returned some days earlier to get back to his studies.  Upon arriving in Lisbon, they were met by Infante Manuel, the King’s brother Afonso, Duke of Porto, and the Prime Minister. The reunited family then set out in an open carriage for the Palace of Necessidades. Crossing the Terriero do Paço (now known as Commerce Square), two assassins began to fire on the carriage. One, Manuel Buiça, came out into the square about 25 feet behind the carriage and fired a shot that struck King Carlos in the neck, killing him instantly. A second shot struck the king in the shoulder. A second shooter, Alfredo Costa, jumped onto the carriage step and fired another shot at the King. Then, both assassins set their aim on Luís Filipe, Prince Royal, who had stood up and drawn his revolver. Costa shot him once in the chest, while Luís Filipe managed to get several shots at his attacker. However, standing up had made him an easier target for Buiça, who shot him from behind, striking him in the head. Infante Manuel was hit in the arm, while Queen Amélie remained unharmed. The two assassins were quickly overcome and were killed on the spot, along with an innocent bystander who was mistaken for one of the shooters. The carriage containing the Royal Family quickly went to the nearby Naval Arsenal, where The Prince Royal died a few minutes later.

King Carlos and his son Luís Filipe, were buried in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

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Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Luís I of Portugal

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Luís I of Portugal – source: Wikipedia

King Luís I of Portugal (full name: Luís Filipe Maria Fernando Pedro de Alcântara António Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis João Augusto Júlio Valfando) was born on October 31, 1838, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon Portugal. Styled Duke of Porto from birth, he was the second of eleven children of Queen Maria II of Portugal and Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Luís had ten siblings:

Luís and his elder brother Pedro were raised and educated together, dividing their time between several of the royal palaces in Portugal. Very artistic from an early age, Luís was a highly skilled painter and musician, writing his own compositions for piano and cello. He also became fluent in several languages and published several translations of the works of Shakespeare in later life. His career in the Portuguese Navy began when he was still quite young, and he reached the rank of Second Lieutenant at just 13 years of age. Rising quickly through the ranks, in 1858 King Pedro V appointed Luís as commander of the newly commissioned warship, the Bartolomeu Dias. One of Luís’s first missions was to bring Princess Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen to Portugal for her marriage to King Pedro V.

In the fall of 1861, Luís was summoned to Lisbon, as his brother, King Pedro V, was dying. While still en route aboard his warship, he was informed of Pedro’s death on November 11, 1861. Luís was now King of Portugal. He arrived in Lisbon to find that another brother, Fernando, had also died just days before Pedro, and another brother, João, died several weeks later. All three died from typhoid or cholera, which was rampant in Lisbon at the time.

The marriage of Luís and Maria Pia. source: Wikipedia

The following year, on October 6, 1862, King Luís married Princess Maria Pia of Savoy at the Church of St. Dominic in Lisbon, Portugal. She was the daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy and Archduchess Adelheid of Austria. The couple settled at the Ajuda Palace, and had two sons (along with at least one stillborn child):

His reign saw many advances, both politically and culturally. He oversaw the construction of the port of Lisbon, the extension of the road network and railway throughout Portugal, and the advancement of the arts, founding the Philharmonic Union in 1871. An avid oceanographer, the King also donated much of his fortune to finance research ships and vessels to gather different species of sea creatures from around the world. He also established the Vasco da Gama Aquarium in Lisbon, one of the first aquariums in the world.

King Luís I of Portugal, c1885. source: Wikipedia

King Luís died suddenly on October 19, 1889, at the Citadel of Cascais, in Cascais, Portugal. He was just 50 years old. The King is buried in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

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Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Stephanie Josepha Friederike Wilhelmine Antonia of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was the wife of King Pedro V of Portugal. She was born on July 15, 1837, in Krauchenwies, Principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, the eldest daughter of Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern and Princess Josephine of Baden. Stephanie had five siblings:

Stephanie grew up in Düsseldorf, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia,   primarily at Jägerhof Castle, where her father served as a Division Commander in the Prussian forces. As was typical at the time, she was trained by some of the leading artists of the day, including the painter Heinrich Mücke and the pianist Clara Schumann.

Queen Estefania and King Pedro. source: Wikipedia

In December 1857, Stephanie became engaged to King Pedro V of Portugal, the son of Queen Maria II of Portugal and Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. They were married by proxy at St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, on April 29, 1858, with her brother Leopold standing in for the groom. She then set out for Portugal, arriving on May 17. The following day, Stephanie and Pedro were formally married at the Church of St. Dominic in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 18, 1858. She took on the Portuguese spelling of her name, becoming Queen Estefania of Portugal. The King indulged his new wife greatly, sparing no expense to decorate her rooms at the Palace of Necessidades, and making every effort to make her feel comfortable in her new home.

Princess Stephanie’s arrival in Lisbon, May 17, 1858. source: Wikipedia

Having been very involved in charitable works in Düsseldorf, Stephanie quickly threw herself into similar work in Portugal. Along with her husband, she founded several hospitals and charities that served the poor and suffering, quickly becoming much-loved by the Portuguese people.

After a visit to the town of Vendas Novas, Stephanie fell ill with diphtheria. At just 22 years old, Queen Estefania of Portugal died in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 17, 1859. She is buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. Her husband, King Pedro V, was greatly saddened by his wife’s death and fell into a deep depression. He died of typhoid fever just two years later and was succeeded by his brother King Luís I.

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Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

King Pedro V of Portugal

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

King Pedro V of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

King Pedro V of Portugal (full name: Pedro de Alcântara Maria Fernando Miguel Rafael Gonzaga Xavier João António Leopoldo Víctor Francisco de Assis Júlio Amélio) was born on September 15, 1837, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal. He was the eldest of eleven children of Queen Maria II of Portugal and Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Pedro had ten younger siblings:

As the heir-apparent, Pedro was styled Prince Royal from birth, as well as holding the title Duke of Braganza. He received extensive education, excelling in philosophy, the sciences, and languages. He also received training related to his future role as King.

Pedro (right) with his brother Luís at Osborne House in 1852, during a visit to his father’s cousin, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, pictured on the left. Photo from the Royal Collection, source: Wikipedia

Pedro became King of Portugal in 1853 after his mother died in childbirth. As he was just sixteen, his father served as Regent until Pedro reached his majority two years later. He quickly removed the Prime Minister and appointed more left-leaning politicians, ending years of unrest within the Portuguese government.

Pedro’s reign saw great advances in Portugal, with the introduction of the telegraph and the metric system, and the expansion of train and shipping lines both within the country and other parts of Europe and Africa. He also had a great interest in public health and humanitarian efforts. When a cholera epidemic broke out in Lisbon in 1856-1857, Pedro ignored warnings to leave the city, instead, he devoted his time to visiting hospitals and meeting with the patients. Already popular with the Portuguese people, this made him even more loved and respected.

Pedro and Stephanie; Credit – Wikipedia

In December 1857, Pedro became engaged to Princess Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. She was the daughter of Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern, and Princess Josephine of Baden. The couple was married by proxy in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, now in the German state of Brandenburg, in April 1858, and then formally married at the Church of St. Dominic in Lisbon. Portugal on May 18, 1858. The two were very happy, and the King indulged his new wife greatly, sparing no expense to decorate her rooms at the palace and making every effort to make her feel comfortable in her new homeland. Sadly, the Queen died two years later, having contracted diphtheria. Having joined and supported his wife in her efforts to improve the public health facilities in Portugal, King Pedro founded a hospital in Lisbon in her name. King Pedro V died of typhoid fever on November 11, 1861,

King Pedro V died of typhoid fever on November 11, 1861, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal. He was just 24 years old. In keeping with tradition, he was buried in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. As he had no children from his brief marriage, Pedro was succeeded by his younger brother Luís.

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Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal – source: Wikipedia

Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal and was created King Consort following the birth of their eldest son.

He was born Ferdinand August Franz Anton on October 29, 1816, in Vienna, Austria the eldest child of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág. Ferdinand had three younger siblings:

Through his father, Ferdinand was a first cousin of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert, as well as King Leopold II of Belgium and Empress Carlota of Mexico, born Princess Charlotte of Belgium.

Queen Maria II of Portugal, painted by John Simpson. source: Wikipedia

Ferdinand married Queen Maria II of Portugal at the Palácio das Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal on April 9, 1836, and was created Prince Consort. The marriage, arranged by Ferdinand’s uncle, King Leopold I of Belgium, proved to be a happy one. Over the next seventeen years, they had eleven children:

In keeping with tradition, Ferdinand was elevated to King Consort following the birth of their eldest son, the future King Pedro V. Although titled as King, Ferdinand preferred to stay out of politics and left the affairs of state to his wife. He instead focused his attention on the arts. However, like his cousin Albert, Ferdinand often stood in for his wife during her numerous pregnancies. The Queen supported Ferdinand’s love of the arts and his interest in maintaining and restoring the architectural heritage of many buildings and monuments in Portugal. In the late 1830s, Ferdinand purchased the former monastery of Our Lady of Pena and its surrounding land, and the nearby Castle of the Moors, located in the Sintra Mountains. Having stood unused for some time, the buildings at the monastery were in desperate need of repair. Ferdinand restored them and built around them a stunning palace that would serve as a summer residence for the royal family. Today, the Pena National Palace is a national monument and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal and is used for state functions.

King Ferdinand with his daughter-in-law, Queen Maria Pia, and his sons Infante Augusto, and King Luís, 1862. source: Wikipedia

On November 15, 1853, Queen Maria II died after giving birth to their last child. Ferdinand served as Regent for his eldest son King Pedro V until he came of age. In 1862, after the overthrow of King Otto of Greece, Ferdinand was named as a candidate for the Greek throne, which he quickly declined. Several years later, after the overthrow of Queen Isabella II of Spain, he was offered the Spanish throne. Again, he declined, preferring to enjoy his private life.

King Ferdinand and The Countess of Edla, c1885. source: Wikipedia

On June 10, 1869, in Lisbon, Ferdinand married again to Elise Hensler, a Swiss-born American actress. The couple first met in 1860 when Elise was performing in an opera in Lisbon. A relationship quickly began, as the two found their shared passion for arts and gardening. Just before they married, Ferdinand’s cousin, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, created Elise Countess of Edla in her own right. They had no children. Ferdinand and Elise lived at the Pena National Palace where they indulged their love of gardening and continued their unyielding support for the arts, including sponsoring several noted Portuguese artists and musicians.

King Ferdinand died at the Pena National Palace in Sintra, Portugal on December 15, 1885, survived by only three of his children. He is buried beside his first wife in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

Several years after Ferdinand’s death, his widow sold his estates, including the Pena National Palace and the Palace of the Moors, to Ferdinand’s grandson, King Carlos I. The Countess of Edla survived her husband by 44 years. She passed away in Lisbon on May 21, 1929, and is buried in the Prazeres Cemetery in Lisbon.

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Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, Prince Consort of Portugal

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, Prince Consort of Portugal; source: Wikipedia

Auguste Charles Eugène Napoléon de Beauharnais was born on December 9, 1810, at the Royal Villa of Monza, just outside Milan, (Napoleonic) Kingdom of Italy. He was the eldest son of Eugène de Beauharnais and Princess Augusta of Bavaria, a daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria.

Auguste had six siblings:

Auguste’s father Eugène was the son of the French Empress Joséphine from her first marriage, and therefore a stepson of Emperor Napoleon I. In 1804, Napoleon made Eugène an official member of the Imperial Family, but without succession rights to the French throne. Two years later, Napoleon formally adopted Eugène, named him as heir-presumptive to the Kingdom of Italy, and gave him the title Prince of Venice. However, Eugène lost those titles and his political expectations following Napoleon’s defeat, and the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Two years later, his father-in-law, King Maximilian I of Bavaria, created him Duke of Leuchtenberg and Prince of Eichstätt.

Auguste’s father, Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg. Portrait by Andrea Appiani, 1810. source: Wikipedia

Auguste succeeded his father as Duke of Leuchtenberg and Prince of Eichstätt in 1824. Several years later, his sister Amélie became the second wife of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. Following a marriage by proxy in August 1829 at the Palais Leuchtenberg in Munich, Auguste accompanied Amélie to Brazil, and settled in Rio de Janeiro, taking up residence at the Imperial Palace. He quickly became close with his new brother-in-law (and future father-in-law), who created him Duke of Santa Cruz on November 5, 1829. The Emperor also raised Auguste to the style of Royal Highness within Brazil.

Queen Maria II of Portugal. source: Wikipedia

After Emperor Pedro I’s abdication in 1831, they all returned to Munich in the Kingdom of Bavaria, while Emperor Pedro joined the fight to restore his daughter Maria to the Portuguese throne, which took place in 1834. Soon after, Emperor Pedro chose Auguste to be his daughter’s husband. The couple was married by proxy on December 1, 1834, and Auguste was created Prince Consort by his new wife. Upon his arrival in Portugal, they married at the Lisbon Cathedral on January 26, 1835.

Sadly, their marriage was to be very short-lived. On March 20, 1835, Auguste complained of a sore throat but refused to see a doctor. By March 23, 1835, his condition worsened, and he finally consented to see a doctor.  Within days, his condition became extremely grave, doctors told the family there was no hope, and Auguste was given the last rites.  Auguste died on March 28, 1835, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal, at the age of 24, most likely from diphtheria. He is buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. He was succeeded as Duke of Leuchtenberg by his younger brother Maximilian.

Portugal Resources at Unofficial Royalty

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.