Category Archives: Portuguese Royals

Maria I, Queen of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Maria I, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

The first of the two Queen Regnants of Portugal, Maria Francisca Isabel Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana was born at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal on December 17, 1734. She was the eldest of the four children and the eldest of the four daughters of José I, King of Portugal and Mariana Victoria of Spain, and as the heir presumptive to the throne of Portugal, Maria held the titles Princess of Brazil and Duchess of Braganza. Maria’s paternal grandparents were João V, King of Portugal and Maria Anna of Austria. Her maternal grandparents were Felipe V, the first Bourbon King of Spain, and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese. Felipe V of Spain was born into the French royal family as Philippe, Duke of Anjou, and was a grandson of Louis XIV, King of France. In 1700, when the last Spanish king of the House of Habsburg, Carlos II, King of Spain, died childless with no immediate Habsburg heir, he named 16-year-old Philippe of Anjou, Duke of Anjou as his successor.

Maria at the age of five; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria had three younger siblings, all sisters:

Maria’s husband and paternal uncle Infante Pedro of Portugal, later her co-ruler as Pedro III; Credit – Wikipedia

Because her father had no sons, it was inevitable that Maria would become the reigning Queen of Portugal. However, since female succession to the throne of Portugal had never happened before, her father decided that Maria would marry his younger brother Infante Pedro of Portugal, the first male in the line of succession. On June 6, 1760, 25-year-old Maria married her 42-year-old paternal uncle Pedro.

Maria and Pedro’s eldest son José, Prince of Brazil who died from smallpox; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria and Pedro had six children:

During the reign of Maria’s father José I, his government was completely dominated by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, his chief minister. Pombal effectively ruled the Portuguese Empire from 1750, when José I ascended the throne until he died in 1777. Maria and her mother Mariana Victoria disliked the influence Pombal had over José I. In 1759, after a failed assassination attempt on José I, Pombal held the powerful Távora family completely responsible, resulting in the scandal, the Távora Affair. Pombal ordered the execution of all members of the Távora family and it was only because of the intervention of Maria and her mother Mariana Victoria that some women and children were spared. The guilt or innocence of the Távoras family is still debated today by Portuguese historians. Some historians believe it was an attempt by Pombal to contain the growing powers of the old aristocratic families.

Maria I, Queen of Portugal and her husband and uncle Pedro III, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

After José I suffered a series of strokes, his wife Mariana Victoria was created Regent of Portugal on November 29, 1776, and remained Regent until José’s death on February 24, 1777, when his eldest daughter became the first queen regnant of Portugal, reigning as Maria I. Maria’s husband Pedro became co-monarch, as Pedro III, King of Portugal, when Maria ascended the throne. Pedro was only a nominal king because the actual regal authority was vested solely in Maria. He never participated in politics and always left government affairs to his wife. Mariana Victoria had a significant influence on her daughter Maria and acted as an advisor until her death in 1781. Maria hated her father’s chief minister Sebastião de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, and she removed him from his positions. She then issued a restraining order, commanding that Pombal not be closer than twenty miles to her presence. If she were to travel near his estates, he was to remove himself from his house.

Maria I, Queen of Portugal, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria I, Queen of Portugal is considered to have been a good ruler in the period before her mental instability, which was first noticed in 1786 when she had to be carried back to her apartments in a state of delirium. Her mental instability continued to worsen. The deaths of her husband Pedro in 1786, her eldest son and heir José in 1788, and her confessor Inácio de São Caetano, Archbishop of Salonica in 1788 may have caused major depressive disorder. Another potential causal factor of her mental instability may have been inbreeding, as Maria’s two unmarried sisters Maria Ana Francisca and Maria Doroteia had similar conditions.

Maria’s second son and new heir, the future João VI, King of Portugal, as Prince Regent, pointing to a bust of his mother; Credit – Wikipedia

In February 1792, Maria was treated by Francis Willis, the same doctor who treated the British King George III. Willis wanted to take Maria to England, but the plan was rejected by the Portuguese Cortes (parliament). As a result, Willis’ role in Maria’s care was more advisory, rather than the hands-on care he had given to King George III, and Willis deemed her incurable. With no hopes of an improvement, Maria’s second son and new heir, the future João VI, King of Portugal, took over the government on her behalf but he did not assume the title of Prince Regent until 1799.

In late 1807, Spanish and Napoleonic forces threatened Portugal, causing Prince Regent João, in the name of his mother Queen Maria I, to move the royal court from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, in the Portuguese colony of Brazil. In 1815, Prince Regent João’s government elevated Brazil to the status of a kingdom, and Maria was proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. When Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815, Maria and her family remained in Brazil.

Maria I’s tomb in the Estrela Basilica; Credit – By © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24597402

Maria spent the last eight years of her life in Brazil, always in a state of mental instability. On March 20, 1816, Maria I, Queen of Portugal died, aged 81, at the Carmo Convent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was initially interred at the Convent of Ajuda in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1821, when the Portuguese royal family returned to Portugal, Maria’s remains were transported to Lisbon where she was buried in the Estrela Basilica, a church she ordered to be built. Shortly after her wedding to her uncle Pedro, Maria made a vow to build a church and convent if she was given the gift of children that would assure the succession of the House of Braganza. The Estrela Basilica was the fulfillment of her vow. Despite her mental instability, in Brazil, Maria is admired as an important figure in the eventual independence of Brazil. It was during her reign, although through the government of her son’s regency, that many of the national institutions and organizations in Brazil were created.

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.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Estrela Basilica – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrela_Basilica> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria I of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_I_of_Portugal> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2022. José I, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/jose-i-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/mariana-victoria-of-spain-queen-of-portugal/> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
  • Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria I de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_I_de_Portugal> [Accessed 15 June 2022].

Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Mariana Victoria of Spain was the wife of José I, King of Portugal. She was born at the Royal Alcazar of Madrid in Spain on March 31, 1718, the second of the six children and the eldest of the three daughters of Felipe V, the first Bourbon King of Spain, and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma. Mariana Victoria’s father was born into the French royal family as Philippe, Duke of Anjou, and was a grandson of Louis XIV, King of France. In 1700, when the last Spanish king of the House of Habsburg, Carlos II, King of Spain, died childless with no immediate Habsburg heir, he named 16-year-old Philippe of Anjou, Duke of Anjou as his successor. Today’s Spanish royal family is still members of the House of Bourbon and are descendants of Mariana Victoria’s father Felipe V, King of Spain.

Mariana Victoria’s paternal grandparents were Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the eldest son of Louis XIV, King of France and the heir apparent to the throne of France, and Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria. Louis, Le Grand Dauphin never became King of France. He died of smallpox at the age of 49, predeceasing his father King Louis XIV. Mariana Victoria’s maternal grandparents were Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg.

The family of Felipe V, King of Spain in 1743: (L-R) Mariana Victoria, Princess of Brazil; Barbara, Princess of Asturias; Fernando, Prince of Asturias; King Felipe V; Luis, Count of Chinchón; Elisabeth Farnese; Infante Felipe; Louise Élisabeth of France; Infanta Maria Teresa; Infanta Maria Antonia; Maria Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Naples and Sicily; Carlo, King of Naples and Sicily. The two children in the foreground are Princess Maria Isabella Anne of Naples and Sicily and Infanta Isabella of Spain, daughter of Infante Felipe; Credit – Wikipedia

Mariana Victoria had five siblings:

Mariana Victoria had four half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy who died from tuberculosis at age 25:

After the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718 – 1720) which pitted Spain against Great Britain, France, Austria, Savoy, and the Dutch Republic, France and Spain decided to reconcile with a marriage arrangement between two-year-old Mariana Victoria of Spain and her first cousin, ten-year-old Louis XV, King of Spain. Mariana Victoria was to be raised in France and the couple would not be married until Mariana Victoria reached a mature age. The nearly four-year-old Mariana Victoria arrived in Paris, France on March 2, 1722, and took up residence at the Palais du Louvre. Marie Anne de Bourbon, an illegitimate daughter of King Louis XIV and his mistress Louise de La Vallière, was responsible for Mariana Victoria’s education, and Charlotte de La Motte Houdancourt, Duchess of Ventadour, who had been the governess of King Louis XV, Mariana Victoria’s intended groom, was appointed her governess.

King Louis XV of France and Mariana Victoria in 1723; Credit – Wikipedia

However, in 1725, when Mariana Victoria was seven-years-old, influenced by Prime Minister Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon, it was decided to send Mariana Victoria back to Spain. The Duke of Bourbon wanted his sister to be King Louis XV’s bride so he would have more influence. This situation was made worse by what was occurring in Spain. In 1724, Mariana Victoria’s 17-year-old brother Luis I, King of Spain died from smallpox. He was married to Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans, daughter of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (son of Louis XIV of France’s only sibling Philippe I, Duke of Orléans) and Françoise Marie de Bourbon (daughter of Louis XIV and his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan). Because the marriage of Luis I, King of Spain, and Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans had not been consummated, Louise Élisabeth was to be sent back to France. Mariana Victoria left Versailles on April 5, 1725, and traveled to the Spanish border where she and Louise Élisabeth were exchanged. Five months later, 15-year-old Louis XV, King of France married 22-year-old Marie Leszczyńska, daughter of Stanislaus I, the deposed King of Poland.

Mariana Victoria’s husband José, Prince of Brazil (the future José I, King of Portugal) in 1729; Credit – Wikipedia

To strengthen an alliance with Portugal, a double marriage between Spain and Portugal was arranged between Mariana Victoria and José, Prince of Brazil (the future José, I. King of Portugal) the son and heir of João V, King of Portugal, and between Mariana Victoria’s half-brother, her father’s heir Fernando, Prince of Asturias, later Fernando VI, King of Spain, and Barbara of Portugal, daughter of João V, King of Portugal. In a complex and protocol-filled arrangement called the Exchange of the Princesses, on January 19, 1729, the two sets of princes and princesses were escorted to the Portugal-Spain border by the two royal courts, and the princesses were exchanged in a richly decorated wooden pavilion built on a bridge over the Caia River that linked the towns of Elvas, Portugal and Badajoz, Spain. Then, both couples were married in richly decorated pavilions on the same day on the grooms’ sides of the Caia River.

A contemporary engraving depicting the Exchange of the Princesses over the Caia River on the Portugal-Spain border; Credit – Wikipedia

Mariana Victoria and José developed a close relationship. They both enjoyed hunting as well as music. Mariana Victoria was an accomplished singer and they patronized Italian opera singers and the theater. They were both passionately religious but despite this, José had several mistresses much to the dislike of his wife.

Mariana Victoria and José had four daughters but there were also four stillbirths including one stillborn son. Two daughters remained unmarried. Maria Ana Francisca was a proposed bride for Louis, Dauphin of France, the son of Louis XV, King of France who predeceased his father, but Mariana Victoria rejected the marriage. When another daughter Doroteia was proposed as a wife for Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Mariana Victoria again refused the match. After the death of her husband, Mariana Victoria negotiated the marriage of the youngest daughter Benedita to  José, Prince of Brazil, Mariana Victoria’s grandson.

José I, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

José did not become King of Portugal until twenty-one years after his marriage, upon the death of his father in 1750. José named Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal as his chief minister. Pombal was the de facto ruler of the Portuguese Empire from 1750 until José I’s death in 1777. Mariana Victoria and her eldest daughter Maria disliked the influence Pombal had over José. In 1759, after a failed assassination attempt on José I, King of Portugal, Pombal held the powerful Távora family completely responsible, resulting in the scandal, the Távora Affair. Pombal later ordered the execution of all members of the Távora family and it was only because of the intervention of Mariana Victoria and her eldest daughter Maria that some women and children were spared. The guilt or innocence of the Távoras family is still debated today by Portuguese historians. Some historians believe it was an attempt by Pombal to contain the growing powers of the old aristocratic families.

Mariana Victoria, Queen of Portugal, circa 1773; Credit – Wikipedia

After José suffered a series of strokes, Mariana Victoria was created Regent of Portugal on November 29, 1776, and remained Regent until José’s death. José I, King of Portugal died at Sintra Palace in Sintra, Portugal on February 24, 1777, at the age of 62, and his eldest daughter became the first queen regnant of Portugal, reigning as Maria I.

Maria I, Queen of Portugal, Mariana Victoria’s daughter; Credit – Wikipedia

Mariana Victoria had a significant influence on her daughter Maria I, Queen of Portugal, who would often ask her mother’s advice on matters of state. Maria I hated her father’s chief minister Sebastião de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, and she removed him from his positions. She then issued a restraining order, commanding that Pombal not be closer than twenty miles to her presence. If she were to travel near his estates, he was compelled to remove himself from his house to fulfill the royal decree.

Portugal and Spain were in conflict over territorial possessions in the Americas. Maria Victoria tried to improve relations with Spain, ruled by her brother Carlos III, King of Spain. She left Portugal and traveled to Spain, where she stayed for just over a year, residing at the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. With Mariana Victoria’s influence, the Treaty of El Pardo, which resolved many longtime disputes between Portugal and Spain, was signed on October 1, 1778.

Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

While in Spain, Mariana Victoria had an attack of rheumatism and was confined to a wheelchair for some time. She returned to Portugal in November 1778, and it soon became apparent that she was also suffering from heart disease. She died on January 15, 1781, aged 62, at the Barraca Real of Ajuda in Ajuda, Portugal where the Palace of Ajuda is now located. Mariana Victoria was first buried in the Church of São Francisco de Paula in Lisbon, Portugal, which she had restored. Her remains were later transferred to the Pantheon of the Royal House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

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.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Joseph I of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_I_of_Portugal> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Mariana Victoria of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Victoria_of_Spain> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
  • Flantzer, S., 2019. Felipe V, King of Spain. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/felipe-v-first-bourbon-king-of-spain/> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
  • Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. José I de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_I_de_Portugal> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Mariana Vitória de Bourbon – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Vit%C3%B3ria_de_Bourbon> [Accessed 8 June 2022].

José I, King of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

José I, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

José Francisco António Inácio Norberto Agostinho was the third of the six children and the second but the eldest surviving of the five sons of João V, King of Portugal and Maria Anna of Austria. He was born on June 6, 1714, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. José’s paternal grandparents were Pedro II, King of Portugal and his second wife Maria Sophia of Neuburg. His maternal grandparents were Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and his third wife, Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg. His grandmothers were sisters. José was baptized on August 27, 1714, and his godparents were Louis XIV, King of France and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Holy Roman Empress.

José had five siblings:

During his childhood, José was exposed to his mother’s highly religious influence and the influence of António Stief, an Austrian Jesuit priest who accompanied his mother Maria Anna of Austria to Portugal, as a royal confessor. José received an education typical of a prince of the time, studying science and languages. He was a devout Catholic and passionate about Italian opera, assembling one of the largest European collections of opera scores.

A contemporary engraving depicting the Exchange of Princesses over the Caia River on the Portugal-Spain border; Credit – Wikipedia

To strengthen an alliance with Spain, a double marriage between Portugal and Spain was arranged between José and Mariana Victoria of Spain, daughter of Felipe V, King of Spain, and between José’s elder sister Barbara and Felipe V’s son and heir Fernando, Prince of Asturias, later Fernando VI, King of Spain. In a complex and protocol-filled arrangement called the Exchange of Princesses, on January 19, 1729, the two sets of princes and princesses were escorted to the Portugal-Spain border by the two royal courts, and the princesses were exchanged in a richly decorated wooden pavilion built on a bridge over the Caia River that linked the towns of Elvas, Portugal and Badajoz, Spain. Then, both couples were married in richly decorated pavilions on the same day on the grooms’ sides of the Caia River.

Mariana Victoria of Spain, José’s wife; Credit – Wikipedia

José and Mariana Victoria developed a close relationship. They both enjoyed hunting as well as music. Mariana Victoria was an accomplished singer and they patronized Italian opera singers and the theater. They were both passionately religious but despite this, José had several mistresses much to his wife’s dislike.

Maria, José’s eldest daughter and his successor; Credit – Wikipedia

José and Mariana Victoria had four daughters but there were also four stillbirths including one stillborn son:

Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, chief minister of José I and de facto ruler of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

José did not become King of Portugal until he was 36-years-old, upon the death of his father in 1750. Almost immediately, José named Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal as his chief minister. Pombal effectively ruled the Portuguese Empire from 1750 until José I’s death in 1777. A liberal reformer influenced by the Age of Enlightenment, the Marquis of Pombal led Portugal’s recovery from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and modernized Portugal’s administrative, economic, and religious institutions. As Pombal was the de facto ruler of Portugal, José and Mariana Victoria took less prominent roles in politics.

A contemporary engraving showing Lisbon in flames and a tsunami overwhelming the ships in the harbor; Credit – Wikipedia

José I’s reign was marred by the destructive 1755 Lisbon earthquake that killed an estimated 100,000 people. Seismologists today estimate the Lisbon earthquake had a magnitude in the range of 8.5 – 9.0 on the Richter Scale. Following the initial earthquake, Lisbon was devastated by a tsunami and fires. The earthquake caused José to develop a severe case of claustrophobia. He never again felt comfortable living within a walled building and moved the royal court to an extensive complex of tents in Ajuda, near Lisbon.

The attack on José I, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

On the night of September 3, 1758, José I was riding in an unmarked carriage, returning to the complex of tents in Ajuda after an evening with his mistress in Lisbon. The carriage was intercepted by two or three men who shot both José I and his driver but both survived. Sebastião de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal took control of the situation. Without disclosing the attack or José’s injuries, he initiated an inquiry. A few days later two men were arrested for the shootings and tortured. The men confessed their guilt and stated that they were following the orders of the Távora family, who supposedly were plotting to put José de Mascarenhas da Silva e Lencastre, 8th Duke of Aveiro on the throne because of the Távora family’s displeasure that José I did not have a male heir. The two men who confessed were hanged the following day, even before the attempted assassination was made public. Pombal later ordered the execution of all members of the Távora family and the 8th Duke of Aveiro, and it was only through the intervention of Jose I’s wife Mariana Victoria and his eldest daughter Maria that some women and children were spared. The scandal was called the Távora Affair. The guilt or innocence of the Távoras family is still debated today by Portuguese historians. Some historians believe it was an attempt by Pombal to contain the growing powers of the old aristocratic families.

Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

After José suffered a series of strokes, Mariana Victoria was created Regent of Portugal on November 29, 1776, and remained Regent until José’s death. José I, King of Portugal died at Sintra Palace in Sintra, Portugal on February 24, 1777, at the age of 62. He is buried at the Pantheon of the Royal House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. Upon the death of José I, his eldest daughter became the first queen regnant of Portugal, reigning as Maria I. Maria I hated her father’s chief minister Sebastião de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, and upon her accession to the throne, she removed him from his positions. Maria then issued a restraining order, commanding that Pombal not be closer than twenty miles to her presence. If she were to travel near his estates, he was compelled to remove himself from his house to fulfill the royal decree.

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.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Joseph I of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_I_of_Portugal> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Mariana Victoria of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Victoria_of_Spain> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2022. João V, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/joao-v-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 3 June 2022].
  • Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. José I de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_I_de_Portugal> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Mariana Vitória de Bourbon – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Vit%C3%B3ria_de_Bourbon> [Accessed 8 June 2022].

Maria Anna of Austria, Queen of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Maria Anna of Austria, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha Antonia Regina of Austria was the wife and first cousin of João V, King of Portugal. The fifth of the ten children and the third of the seven daughters of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and his third wife Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg, Maria Anna was born on September 7, 1683, in Linz, Austria. At the time of her birth, an attempt by the Ottoman Empire to capture Vienna was occurring and so Maria Anna’s family was in temporary exile in Linz. A month later, the siege of Vienna was successfully repelled and the Ottoman Turks were driven out of Austria. Maria Anna’s paternal grandparents were Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor and his first wife Maria Anna of Spain. Her maternal grandparents were Philipp Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, Count Palatine of Neuburg and Duke of Jülich-Berg and his second wife Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Because Maria Anna’s father Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor had only one surviving child from his first two marriages, a daughter, (see below), he needed to marry again to provide male heirs. He chose Eleanore Magdalene of Neuberg to be his third wife due to the fertility of her family. Eleanore Magdalene’s mother had 23 pregnancies and 17 live births and the family gained the reputation as a fertile family. Leopold made a good choice because his third wife had ten children including two Holy Roman Emperors.

Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor with his family; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Anna had nine siblings:

Maria Anna had four half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Margarita Teresa of Spain (1651 – 1673). Only one survived infancy. Margarita Teresa was weakened due to six pregnancies in six years (four live births and two miscarriages) and died four months into her seventh pregnancy at the age of 21.

  • Ferdinand of Austria (1667 – 1668), died in infancy
  • Maria Antonia of Austria (1669 – 1692), married Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, had one surviving son who died at the age of six
  • Johann Leopold of Austria (born and died 1670), died on the day of his birth
  • Maria Anna of Austria (born and died 1672), died in infancy

Maria Anna had two siblings from her father’s second marriage to Claudia Felicitas of Austria (1653 – 1676), who died from tuberculosis at the age of 22. Neither of their two daughters survived:

  • Anna Maria of Austria (born and died 1674)
  • Maria Josepha Clementina (1675 – 1676), died in infancy

Maria Anna was well-educated and musically gifted. She had an extensive education in foreign languages. Besides her native German, she was fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin and understood English. After her marriage to Joao V, King of Portugal, Portuguese was added to the list.

João V, King of Portugal in 1707, aged 18; Credit – Wikipedia

In Portugal, Pedro II, King of Portugal had laid the groundwork for the marriage of his son, the future João V, King of Portugal, with an Austrian archduchess to guarantee Portugal’s alliance with the Habsburgs. After his father died in 1706, João V, now King of Portugal, continued these negotiations, and finally, a marriage contract was signed on June 27, 1707. Maria Anna was to be João’s bride. João’s mother Maria Sophia of Neuburg and Maria Anna’s mother were sisters and so Maria Anna and João were first cousins.

The landing of Maria Anna in Lisbon; Credit – Wikipedia

On July 9, 1708, a proxy marriage took place at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Austria with the groom represented by Maria Anna’s brother Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor. Maria Anna sailed from the Netherlands to Lisbon, Portugal in a fleet of eighteen ships. 19-year-old João V and 25-year-old Maria Anna were married on October 26, 1708, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. The expensive and sumptuous marriage celebrations lasted for two months.

Maria Anna and João V’s two eldest children Pedro and Barbara; Credit – Wikipedia

João V and Maria Anna of Austria had six children:

Soon after her marriage, Maria Anna realized that beauty and luxury were valued at the Portuguese court much more than learning and knowledge, which were the traits valued at the Austrian court. João had many mistresses and several illegitimate children. Although he was well-educated and religious, he occupied himself with whatever pleased him at the moment. Maria Anna occupied herself with religious practices: founding convents and churches, helping the poor, and feeding orphans. Passionate about music, Maria Anna attended concerts and operas at court and often participated in them by singing arias.

Maria Anna, circa 1729; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Anna served as Regent of Portugal twice. In 1716, João V temporarily left Lisbon for the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa, on the opposite side of Portugal, along the border with Spain, to recuperate from depression, and Maria was regent while he was in Vila Viçosa. Previously, he had depressive conditions upon the death of his mother in 1699 and the death of his sister Teresa Maria in 1704. On May 10, 1742, 52-year-old João had a stroke and became partially paralyzed. He recovered somewhat but was left diminished and much less energetic. Maria Anna served as regent for the rest of his life. After a reign of forty-three years, João V, King of Portugal, aged 60, died on July 31, 1750, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son José I, King of Portugal.

The internment site of Maria Anna’s heart in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria; Credit – Por Dguendel – Obra do próprio, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92274655

Maria Anna of Austria, Queen of Portugal died, aged 70, on August 14, 1754, at the Palace of Belém in Lisbon, Portugal. She was initially interred at the Monastery of São João Nepomuceno (Saint John Nepomuk), which she founded. According to her wishes, her heart was interred in the Imperial Crypt at the Capuchin Church in Vienna, Austria, the burial place of her birth family, the Habsburgs.

Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1855, during the reign of Pedro V, King of Portugal, Maria Anna’s remains were transferred from the Monastery of São João Nepomuceno to the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal, where her husband João V had been interred.

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.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria Anna von Österreich (1683–1754) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Anna_von_%C3%96sterreich_(1683%E2%80%931754)> [Accessed 3 June 2022].
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  • Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria Ana de Áustria, Rainha de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Ana_de_%C3%81ustria,_Rainha_de_Portugal> [Accessed 3 June 2022].

João V, King of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

João V, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

João V, King of Portugal was born on October 22, 1689, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He was the second but the eldest surviving of the five sons and the second of the eight children of Pedro II, King of Portugal and his second wife Maria Sophia of Neuburg. João V’s paternal grandparents were João IV, King of Portugal and Luisa de Guzmán y Sandoval. His maternal grandparents were Philipp Wilhelm, Elector of the Palatinate, Count Palatine of Neuburg, Duke of Jülich and Berg and his second wife Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. On November 19, 1689, the new heir to the throne of Portugal was baptized at the royal chapel of Ribeira Palace and given the names João Francisco António José Bento Bernardo.

Of all his parents’ children, João V was the only one who married and had children although some of his brothers had illegitimate children. João had seven siblings:

João V had a much older sister from his father’s first marriage to Maria Francisca of Savoy:

  • Isabel Luísa of Braganza, Princess of Beira (1669 – 1690), unmarried, was the heir presumptive to the throne of Portugal until 1689 when her half-brother, the future João V, King of Portugal was born, died from smallpox at the age of twenty-one

João was well educated. His governess was the Portuguese noblewoman Maria de Lencastre, Marquise of Unhão, later the governess for João’s younger brothers Francisco, António, and Manuel. The Jesuit priest Father Luís Gonzaga was in charge of the education of Pedro II’s sons. He taught them military science, politics, astronomy, nautical studies, mathematics, and history. As the heir to the throne, João was mentored in political affairs by Luís da Cunha, a prominent Portuguese diplomat.

João’s mother Maria Sophia of Neuburg; Credit – Wikipedia

On August 4, 1699, when João was nearly ten years old, his 32-year-old mother Maria Sophia died from erysipelas, a bacterial infection of the skin that can spread to other areas of the body through the bloodstream. His mother’s death caused changes in João’s behavior. He became withdrawn and depressed. His paternal aunt Catherine of Braganza, the widow of King Charles II of England, returned to Portugal to live in 1693. Catherine took over the responsibilities of caring for João and remained his main female role model until she died in 1705.

João’s father Pedro II, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

On December 5, 1706, João’s father Pedro II, King of Portugal had a seizure that resulted in a stroke and died on December 9, 1706, aged 58, at Palhavã Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He was succeeded by his 17-year-old son João. On January 1, 1707, João was formally proclaimed “His Majesty, by the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarves, before and beyond the sea in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, our Lord, João, the fifth of that name in the table of the Kings of Portugal.” João was now king of an empire that had territory on four continents.

João’s wife, Maria Anna of Austria; Credit – Wikipedia

João’s father Pedro II had laid the groundwork for the marriage of his son with an Austrian archduchess to guarantee Portugal’s alliance with the Habsburgs. João V continued these negotiations and finally, a marriage contract was signed on June 27, 1707. João’s bride was Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, the daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and his third wife, Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg. João’s mother Maria Sophia of Neuburg and Maria Anna’s mother were sisters so João and his bride were first cousins. The current Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II was Maria Anna’s brother. 19-year-old João V and 25-year-old Maria Anna of Austria were married on October 26, 1708, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal.

João V and Maria Anna’s two eldest children Pedro and Barbara; Credit – Wikipedia

João V and Maria Anna of Austria had six children:

João V reigned as an absolute monarch, modeled after King Louis XIV of France. He never convened the Portuguese Cortes, the legislature of Portugal, and ignored meetings of the Council of State. When he made decisions, he consulted a close circle of well-informed advisers. Tristão da Cunha Ataíde e Melo, 1st Count of Povolide, the brother of João V’s influential advisor Cardinal Nuno da Cunha de Ataíde e Melo, Bishop of Targa, Inquisitor-General of Portugal, said about João’s governing style, that “he established a predominance of personal consultation over institutional consultation.”

The Palace of Mafra, one of João V’s ambitious building projects; Credit – By Pedro from Maia (Porto), Portugal CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=84752297

During the reign of João V, a huge amount of money was deposited into the royal treasury from the Portuguese colonies. João spent large sums on ambitious building projects and expanding his sizable art and literary collections. Because it was important to him that Portugal be recognized internationally, João also spent large sums on embassies to the courts of Europe. He was deeply religious, spent much time in prayer and religious studies, and made large donations to the Holy See in the Vatican. Pope Benedict XIV granted him the style “Most Faithful Majesty.”

Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora; Credit – Wikipedia

On May 10, 1742, 52-year-old João had a stroke and became partially paralyzed. He recovered somewhat but was left diminished and much less energetic. His wife Maria Anna served as regent for the rest of his life. After a reign of forty-three years, João V, King of Portugal, aged 60, died on July 31, 1750, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He was interred at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

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.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Johann V. (Portugal) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_V._(Portugal)> [Accessed 2 June 2022].
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  • Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Pedro II, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/pedro-ii-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 2 June 2022].
  • Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. João V de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C3%A3o_V_de_Portugal> [Accessed 2 June 2022].
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria Sofia Isabel de Neuburgo – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Sofia_Isabel_de_Neuburgo> [Accessed 2 June 2022].

Maria Sophia of Neuburg, Queen of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Maria Sophia of Neuburg, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Sophia Elisabeth of Neuburg, the second wife of Pedro II, King of Portugal, was born on August 6, 1666, at Schloss Benrath in Düsseldorf, Duchy of Berg, now in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. She was the eleventh of the seventeen children and the fourth of the eight daughters of Philipp Wilhelm, Elector of the Palatinate, Count Palatine of Neuburg, Duke of Jülich and Berg and his second wife Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Maria Sophie’s paternal grandparents were Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count Palatine of Neuburg, Duke of Jülich and Berg and Magdalene of Bavaria. Her maternal grandparents were Georg II, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Sophia Eleonore of Saxony.

Maria Sophia had sixteen siblings:

Maria Sophia’s mother had 23 pregnancies and 17 live births and the family gained the reputation as a fertile family. In 1676, Maria Sophia’s eldest sister Eleanore Magdalene married Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor due to the fertility of her family and the lack of male heirs from Leopold I’s two marriages. Eleanore Magdalene fulfilled her role and gave birth to ten children including Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor Karl VI, and Maria Anna who married Maria Sophia’s son João V, King of Portugal.

Portugal had a succession crisis. Isabel Luísa of Braganza, Princess of Beira, the only child and heir presumptive of Pedro II, King of Portugal, was not married. Because of her sickly nature and the Law of the Cortes of Lamego that prevented the marriage of an heiress to a foreign prince, all marriage possibilities failed. 39-year-old Pedro knew he had to marry again to provide for the succession. 21-year-old Marie Sophia was chosen as Pedro’s second wife because of her family’s reputation for producing fertile women.

Pedro II, King of Portugal, Maria Sophia’s husband; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Sophia and Pedro II, King of Portugal were married by proxy on July 2, 1687, in the chapel of her home Heidelberg Castle in Heidelberg, Electorate of the Palatinate, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. At the beginning of August 1687, Maria Sophia left her home, sailing up the Rhine River on her way to Portugal. As she sailed along the Rhine River, Maria Sophia received tributes from the governors and magistrates of the cities and fortresses on both banks of the river, as well as princes and the governments of the surrounding lands. When she reached the mouth of the Rhine River at the North Sea, Maria Sophia embarked on an English ship provided by King James II of England, the brother-in-law of Catherine of Braganza, widow of King Charles II of England and the sister of Maria Sophia’s future husband. The ship was escorted by a flotilla of English ships commanded by Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, Vice-Admiral of the Narrow Seas an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England.

Maria Sophia arrived in Lisbon, Portugal on August 12, 1687, and was greeted by warships decorated with flags, salvos from castles and fortresses, and church bells. Pedro II came aboard with his entourage and greeted his bride. As they left the ship, they were greeted with salvos from the Portuguese and English fleets. Maria Sophia and Pedro II proceeded to Ribeira Palace where they were married by Luís de Sousa, Archbishop of Lisbon and Royal Chaplain.

Maria Sophia’s and Pedro II’s eldest son João V, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Pedro II and Maria Sophia had eight children so Maria Sophia did her duty by providing heirs. However, only their eldest surviving child João V, King of Portugal married and had children although some of their sons had illegitimate children. Isabel Luísa, Pedro’s daughter by his first wife Maria Francisca of Savoy, was almost the same age as her stepmother and was very fond of her. She remained the heir presumptive to the throne of Portugal until 1689 when her half-brother, the future João V, King of Portugal was born. Sadly, a year later, Isabel Luísa died from smallpox at the age of twenty-one.

Maria Sophia and Pedro’s children:

Maria Sophia was a popular queen and was involved with charities that supported widows and orphans. She allowed poor, sick people access to medical care at the royal palace. Maria Sophia had a great affection for Father Bartolomeu de Quental, (link in German) the chaplain of the royal chapel, and the confessor of the royal family, who had the reputation of a saint. After 1693, when her sister-in-law Catherine of Braganza, the widow of King Charles II of England, moved back to Portugal, Maria Sophia and Catherine had disagreements over court etiquette and precedence, serious topics in the 17th century.

The Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, the burial site for members of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora. The four tombs against the wall on the right under the window are the tombs of (top, left to right) Pedro II and Afonso VI (bottom, left to right) Maria Sophia of Neuburg and Maria Francisca of Savoy; Credit – Por Alegna13 – Obra do próprio, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16664413

On August 4, 1699, two days before her thirty-third birthday, Maria Sophia died at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal from erysipelas, a bacterial infection of the skin that can spread to other areas of the body through the bloodstream. She was buried in the habit of a Franciscan nun at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. Her husband Pedro II survived her by seven years. On December 5, 1706, he had a seizure that resulted in a stroke, and died on December 9, 1706, aged 58, at Palhavã Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He was succeeded by his 17-year-old son João V, King of Portugal.

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.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Philipp Wilhelm (Pfalz) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philipp_Wilhelm_(Pfalz)> [Accessed 29 May 2022].
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  • Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Pedro II, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/pedro-ii-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 29 May 2022].
  • Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
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  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Pedro II de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_II_de_Portugal> [Accessed 28 May 2022].

Pedro II, King of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Pedro II, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Pedro II, King of Portugal was born on April 26, 1648, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He was the youngest of the seven children and the fourth but the third surviving of the four sons of João IV, King of Portugal and Luisa de Guzmán y Sandoval. Catherine of Braganza who married Charles II, King of England and King of Scots, was Pedro’s sister. His paternal grandparents were the Portuguese nobleman Teodósio II, 7th Duke of Braganza and the Spanish noblewoman Ana de Velasco y Téllez-Girón. Pedro’s maternal grandparents were the Spanish nobles Juan Manuel Pérez de Guzmán y Silva, 8th Duke of Medina Sidonia and Juana Lorenza Gomez de Sandoval y de la Cerda.

Pedro had six elder siblings:

Pedro’s eldest brother Teodósio was the heir to the throne. However, on May 13, 1653, Teodósio died at age 19 due to tuberculosis and Pedro’s brother Afonso became heir to the throne of Portugal. When Afonso was about three years old, he had a “malignant fever” that affected the right side of his body and left him physically and mentally challenged. Today, it is suspected that he had a disease of the central nervous system, perhaps meningoencephalitis. Meningoencephalitis can cause permanent neurological damage including memory difficulty, learning disabilities, brain damage, and gait problems, and Afonso appears to have had those issues. As he was the second son and was mentally challenged, Afonso was not prepared to be king.

Pedro’s brother Afonso VI, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

When Pedro was eight years old, his father João IV, King of Portugal died on November 6, 1656, and his thirteen-year-old brother succeeded as Alfonso VI, King of Portugal. João IV had appointed his wife Luisa as the regent during the minority of their son Afonso VI. Luisa remained in power until 1662, when Afonso, with the help of his favorite Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor, assumed power. Afonso appointed Castelo Melhor his escrivão da puridade (scribe of purity), a position that enabled Castelo Melhor to exercise the functions of a prime minister and control the Kingdom of Portugal. The Portuguese government was split between a pro-French faction led by Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor, and a pro-English faction led by Afonso’s brother Pedro. In 1662, Afonso and Pedro’s sister Catherine had married King Charles II of England. Castelo Melhor and King Louis XIV of France saw a French marriage for Afonso as a way to offset his sister’s English marriage.

Maria Francisca of Savoy, Queen of Portugal, wife of both Afonso VI and Pedro II; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1666, Afonso married Marie Françoise of Savoy, daughter of French military leader Charles Amadeus of Savoy, Duke of Nemours, and Élisabeth de Bourbon-Vendôme, a granddaughter of King Henri IV of France and his mistress Gabrielle d’Estrées. Problems with the marriage began to occur immediately after the wedding ceremony. Afonso left the wedding celebrations early and showed no interest in consummating the marriage. Maria Francisca wanted to serve the French interests but she also wanted power. She soon discovered Afonso was controlled by Castelo Melhor who had no intention of sharing power. This caused her to cooperate with her brother-in-law Pedro and his pro-English faction, and then most likely, she began an affair with Pedro. Maria Francisca persuaded her first cousin once removed King Louis XIV of France that supporting Pedro was a better way to further French interests.

In 1668, after a palace coup led by Pedro and Maria Francisca, Afonso VI was forced to dismiss Castelo Melhor who went into exile and was not permitted to return to Portugal until 1685. Pedro assumed the role of Prince Regent. Afonso VI was sent to Terceira Island in the Azores. In 1673, a conspiracy to restore Afonso to the throne was discovered and squelched. A decision was made to return Afonso to Lisbon so he could be better monitored. Afonso was taken to the Palace of Sintra in Lisbon, and for the rest of his life, he lived there, under guard and shut up in his quarters. While Pedro never formally usurped the throne, Afonso was king in name only for the rest of his life. Maria Francisca retired temporarily to a convent and asked the Roman Catholic Church to annul her marriage on the grounds of non-consummation. This was approved by her uncle Louis de Bourbon, Cardinal Vendôme. Maria Francisca and Pedro were married on April 2, 1668, after receiving a papal bull authorizing the marriage.

Pedro and Maria Francisca’s daughter Isabel Luísa of Braganza, Princess of Beira; Credit – Wikipedia

Pedro and Maria Francisca had one daughter:

As Prince Regent, Pedro ensured Portugal’s independence with the Treaty of Lisbon in 1668, formally ending the Portuguese Restoration War with Spain. He formed an alliance with England based on clauses in the marriage contract of his sister Catherine of Braganza, the wife of King Charles II of England.

On September 12, 1683, 40-year-old Afonso VI, King of Portugal suffered a stroke and died later the same day. His brother succeeded him as Pedro II, King of Portugal, and Maria Francisca was Queen of Portugal for a second time. However, her second time as Queen of Portugal would be short. On December 27, 1683, 37-year-old Maria Francisca died at Palhavã Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, just three months after the death of her first husband Afonso.

Maria Sophia of Neuberg, Pedro’s second wife; Credit – Wikipedia

Portugal had a succession crisis. Isabel Luísa of Braganza, Princess of Beira, Pedro II’s only child and his heir presumptive, was not married. Because of her sickly nature and the Law of the Cortes of Lamego that prevented the marriage of an heiress to a foreign prince, all marriage possibilities failed. Pedro knew he had to marry again to provide for the succession. In a proxy marriage on July 2, 1687, in Heidelberg, Electorate of the Palatinate, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, 39-year-old Pedro II married 21-year-old Maria Sophia of Neuburg, the daughter of Philipp Wilhelm, Elector of the Palatinate, Count Palatine of Neuburg, Duke of Jülich and Berg and his second wife Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. Marie Sophia was chosen as Pedro’s second wife because of her family’s reputation for producing fertile women. Maria Sophia arrived in Lisbon, Portugal on August 12, 1687, and on the same day, Pedro and Maria Sophia were formally married at Ribeira Palace.

Pedro and Maria Sophia’s eldest son João V, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Pedro and Maria Sophia had eight children. Only their eldest surviving child João V, King of Portugal married and had children although some of their sons had illegitimate children. Isabel Luísa, Pedro’s daughter by Maria Francisca, remained the heir presumptive to the throne of Portugal until 1689 when her half-brother, the future João V, King of Portugal was born. A year later, Isabel Luísa died from smallpox at the age of twenty-one.

Pedro and Maria Sophia’s children:

The Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, the burial site for members of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora. The four tombs against the wall on the right under the window are the tombs of (top, left to right) Pedro II and Afonso VI (bottom, left to right) Maria Sophia of Neuburg and Maria Francisca of Savoy; Credit – Por Alegna13 – Obra do próprio, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16664413

Sadly, Pedro II became a widower for a second time. On August 4, 1699, 32-year-old Maria Sophia died at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal from erysipelas, a bacterial infection of the skin that can spread to other areas of the body through the bloodstream. Pedro survived Maria Sophia by seven years. On December 5, 1706, he had a seizure that resulted in a stroke. Pedro II, King of Portugal died on December 9, 1706, aged 58, at Palhavã Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He was succeeded by his 17-year-old son João V, King of Portugal. Pedro was interred at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

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.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria Sophia of Neuburg – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Sophia_of_Neuburg> [Accessed 28 May 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Peter II of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_II_of_Portugal> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Afonso VI, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/afonso-vi-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Maria Francisca of Savoy, Queen of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/maria-francisca-of-savoy-queen-of-portugal/> [Accessed 28 May 2022].
  • Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Pedro II de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_II_de_Portugal> [Accessed 28 May 2022].

Maria Francisca of Savoy, Queen of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Maria Francisca of Savoy, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Francisca of Savoy was Queen of Portugal twice, once as the wife of Afonso VI, King of Portugal, and then as the wife of his brother Pedro II, King of Portugal. Born Marie Françoise Élisabeth of Savoy, on June 21, 1646, at the Hôtel de Nemours in Paris, France, she was the second of the five children and the second of the two daughters of Charles Amadeus of Savoy, Duke of Nemours and Élisabeth de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Vendôme. Maria Francisca’s paternal grandparents were Henri of Savoy, Duke of Nemours and Anne of Lorraine, Duchess of Aumale in her own right. Her maternal grandparents were César de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme (the legitimized son of King Henri IV of France and his mistress Gabrielle d’Estrées) and Françoise of Lorraine. Maria Francisca was a first cousin once removed of Louis XIV, King of France.

Maria Francisca had only one surviving sibling. Her three younger brothers all died in infancy.

Maria Francisca’s father Charles Amadeus of Savoy, Duke of Nemours was a French military leader. On July 30, 1652, Charles Amadeus was killed, aged twenty-eight, in a duel by his brother-in-law François de Vendôme, Duke of Beaufort. The two men disagreed about Charles Amadeus’ mistress Élisabeth-Angélique de Coligny, Duchess of Châtillon (link in French). Maria Francisca was only six years old when her father was killed. Her widowed mother devoted herself to the education of her two daughters, supported by her own mother.

Afonso VI, King of Portugal, Maria Francisca’s first husband; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1666, in Portugal, 23-year-old King Afonso VI sat upon the throne. Debilitated mentally and physically due to the effects of a disease he contracted in childhood, he was controlled by his favorite Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor who had manipulated himself into a position that gave him the power of a prime minister. The Portuguese government was split between a pro-French faction led by Castelo Melhor, and a pro-English faction led by Afonso’s brother Pedro. In 1662, Afonso’s sister Catherine of Braganza married King Charles II of England. Castelo Melhor and King Louis XIV of France saw a French marriage for Afonso as a way to offset his sister’s English marriage with Marie Françoise of Savoy being chosen as the bride.

Marie Françoise of Savoy arrived in Portugal on August 2, 1666. The wedding took place the same day and Marie Françoise became known as Maria Francisca. Problems with the marriage began to occur immediately after the wedding ceremony. Afonso left the wedding celebrations early and showed no interest in consummating the marriage. Maria Francisca was intelligent and wanted to serve the French interests but she also wanted power. She soon discovered Afonso was controlled by Castelo Melhor who had no intention of sharing power. This caused her to cooperate with her brother-in-law Pedro and his pro-English faction and then she began an affair with him. Maria Francisca persuaded her first cousin once removed King Louis XIV of France that supporting Pedro was a better way to further French interests.

Afonso VI’s brother, the future Pedro II, King of Portugal, and Maria Francisca’s second husband; Credit – Wikipedia

Soon Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor and his pro-France faction were losing ground to Pedro, Maria Francisca, and their pro-English faction. After a palace coup led by Pedro and Maria Francisca, Afonso VI was forced to dismiss Castelo Melhor who went into exile and was not permitted to return to Portugal until 1685. Pedro assumed the role of Prince Regent in 1668. While Pedro never formally usurped the throne, Afonso was king in name only for the rest of his life. Maria Francisca retired temporarily to a convent and asked the Roman Catholic Church to annul her marriage on the grounds of non-consummation. This was approved by her uncle Louis de Bourbon, Cardinal Vendôme. Maria Francisca and Pedro were married on April 2, 1668, after receiving a papal bull authorizing the marriage.

Maria Francisca and Pedro II’s daughter Isabel Luísa of Braganza, Princess of Beira; Credit – Wikipedia

Pedro II needed heirs but Maria Francisca was able to produce only one daughter Isabel Luísa. She was the heir presumptive to the throne of Portugal, from her birth in 1669 until 1689 when her half-brother, the future João V, King of Portugal, the son of Pedro II’s second wife Maria Sophia of Neuburg, was born. Although Isabel Luísa had several prospective grooms, no marriage materialized. She died from smallpox at the age of twenty-one.

As for Afonso VI, he was exiled to Terceira Island in the Azores. In 1673, a conspiracy to restore Afonso to the throne was discovered and squelched. A decision was made to return Afonso to Lisbon where he could be better monitored. Afonso arrived in Lisbon on September 14, 1674, and was taken to the Palace of Sintra in Lisbon, where he lived for the rest of his life, under guard and shut up in his quarters. On September 12, 1683, 40-year-old Afonso suffered a stroke and died later the same day.

Maria Francisca as the founder of the Convent of the Francesinhas, by António de Oliveira de Louredo, 1703: Credit – Wikipedia

Afonso’s brother succeeded him as Pedro II, King of Portugal, and Maria Francisca was Queen of Portugal for a second time. However, her second time as Queen of Portugal would be short. Maria Francisca was seriously ill with dropsy, now called edema, the build-up of fluid in the body’s tissue. There are many underlying causes of dropsy including heart failure, kidney problems, low protein levels, liver problems, deep vein thrombosis, and infections. On December 27, 1683, 37-year-old Maria Francisca died at Palhavã Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, just three months after the death of her first husband Afonso. Maria Francisca was initially buried in the Convento das Francesinhas (Convent of the Little French Nuns) in Lisbon, Portugal, which she had founded in 1667. In 1912, her remains were transferred to the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

The Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, the burial site for members of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora. The four tombs against the wall on the right under the window are the tombs of (top, left to right) Pedro II and Afonso VI (bottom, left to right) Maria Sophia of Neuburg and Maria Francisca of Savoy; Credit – Por Alegna13 – Obra do próprio, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16664413

Four years after Maria Francisca’s death, Pedro II, King of Portugal married Maria Sophia of Neuburg. The couple had eight children including Pedro II’s successor João V, King of Portugal. Pedro II survived Maria Francisca by twenty-three years, dying on December 9, 1706, at Palhavã Palace in Lisbon, Portugal at the age of fifty-eight.

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.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Afonso VI of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afonso_VI_of_Portugal> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Amadeus,_Duke_of_Nemours> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
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  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Peter II of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_II_of_Portugal> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Afonso VI, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/afonso-vi-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Charles-Amédée de Savoie-Nemours — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles-Am%C3%A9d%C3%A9e_de_Savoie-Nemours> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Marie-Françoise-Élisabeth de Savoie — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Fran%C3%A7oise-%C3%89lisabeth_de_Savoie> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Afonso VI de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afonso_VI_de_Portugal> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria Francisca de Saboia, Rainha de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Francisca_de_Saboia,_Rainha_de_Portugal> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Pedro II de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_II_de_Portugal> [Accessed 27 May 2022].

Afonso VI, King of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Afonso VI, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Debilitated mentally and physically due to the effects of a disease he contracted in childhood, controlled by a favorite early in his reign, relieved of his sovereign power by his brother who married his wife after their marriage was annulled, and confined under guard for the last fifteen years of his life, Afonso VI, King of Portugal was born on August 21, 1643, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He was the sixth of the seven children and the third but the second surviving of the four sons of João IV, King of Portugal and Luisa de Guzmán y Sandoval. Catherine of Braganza who married Charles II, King of England and King of Scots, was Afonso’s sister. His paternal grandparents were the Portuguese nobleman Teodósio II, 7th Duke of Braganza and the Spanish noblewoman Ana de Velasco y Téllez-Girón. Afonso’s maternal grandparents were the Spanish nobles Juan Manuel Pérez de Guzmán y Silva, 8th Duke of Medina Sidonia and Juana Lorenza Gomez de Sandoval y de la Cerda.

A childhood portrait of Afonso’s sister Catherine of Braganza, who married King Charles II of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Afonso had six siblings:

At the time of his birth, Afonso was second in the line of succession to the Portuguese throne after his brother Teodósio who was nine years older. When Afonso was about three years old, he had a “malignant fever” that affected the right side of his body and left him physically and mentally challenged. Today, it is suspected that he had a disease of the central nervous system, perhaps meningoencephalitis. Meningoencephalitis can cause permanent neurological damage including memory difficulty, learning disabilities, brain damage, and gait problems, and Afonso appears to have had those issues. As he was the second son and was also mentally challenged, Afonso was not prepared to be king. However, on May 13, 1653, Afonso’s eldest brother Teodósio died at age 19 due to tuberculosis and Afonso became heir to the throne of Portugal.

Afonso’s mother Luisa who served as his regent; Credit – Wikipedia

Afonso’s father João IV, King of Portugal died on November 6, 1656, aged 52. Afonso was only thirteen years old when he succeeded his father. João IV had appointed his wife Luisa as the regent during the minority of their son Afonso VI. During her years as Regent of Portugal, Luisa defended the independence of Portugal and was responsible for the diplomatic success of the new alliance with England which included the marriage of her daughter Catherine to Charles II, King of England and King of Scots.

Afonso’s favorite Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor; Credit – Wikipedia

Luisa appointed Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor as one of Afonso’s gentlemen of the bedchamber. However, this appointment would work against Luisa and ultimately remove her from her power position. Because Afonso was physically and mentally challenged, his mother Luisa wanted to continue as regent after he reached the age of majority in November 1662. However, shortly after Afonso VI reached the age of majority, Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor, who was seven years older than Afonso, saw an opportunity to gain power. Becoming Afonso’s favorite, Castelo Melhor convinced Afonso that his mother Luisa was planning to steal his throne and exile him from Portugal, although there was no evidence that this was true. As a result, Afonso took control of the throne and appointed Castelo Melhor his escrivão da puridade (scribe of purity), a position that enabled Castelo Melhor to exercise the functions of a prime minister. Luisa remained in the palace until March 1663, when she retired to the Discalced Carmelite convent in Xabregas, Lisbon, Portugal. She died there three years later.

The Portuguese government was split between a pro-French faction led by Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor, and a pro-English faction led by Afonso’s brother Pedro. In 1662, Afonso’s sister Catherine had married King Charles II of England. Castelo Melhor and King Louis XIV of France saw a French marriage for Afonso as a way to offset his sister’s English marriage.

Afonso’s wife Marie Françoise of Savoy; Credit – Wikipedia

The chosen bride for Afonso was Marie Françoise of Savoy, daughter of French military leader Charles Amadeus of Savoy, Duke of Nemours, and Élisabeth de Bourbon-Vendôme, a granddaughter of King Henri IV of France and his mistress Gabrielle d’Estrées. Marie Françoise of Savoy arrived in Portugal on August 2, 1666. The wedding took place the same day and Marie Françoise became known as Maria Francisca. Problems with the marriage began to occur immediately after the wedding ceremony. Afonso left the wedding celebrations early and showed no interest in consummating the marriage. Maria Francisca was intelligent and wanted to serve the French interests but she also wanted power. She soon discovered Afonso was controlled by Castelo Melhor who had no intention of sharing power. This caused her to cooperate with her brother-in-law Pedro and his pro-English faction, and then most likely, she began an affair with him. Maria Francisca persuaded King Louis XIV of France that supporting Pedro was a better way to further French interests.

Afonso’s brother, the future Pedro II, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Soon Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor and his pro-France faction were losing ground to Pedro, Maria Francisca, and their pro-English faction. After a palace coup led by Pedro and Maria Francisca, Afonso VI was forced to dismiss Castelo Melhor who went into exile and was not permitted to return to Portugal until 1685. Pedro assumed the role of Prince Regent in 1668. While Pedro never formally usurped the throne, Afonso was king in name only for the rest of his life. Maria Francisca retired temporarily to a convent and asked the Roman Catholic Church to annul her marriage on the grounds of non-consummation. This was approved by her uncle Louis de Bourbon, Cardinal Vendôme. Maria Francisca and Pedro were married on April 2, 1668, after receiving a papal bull authorizing the marriage.

Afonso VI imprisoned in the Palace of Sintra by Alfredo Roque Gameiro, 1917; Credit – Wikipedia

Afonso was exiled to Terceira Island in the Azores. In 1673, a conspiracy to restore Afonso to the throne was discovered and squelched. A decision was made to return Afonso to Lisbon where he could be better monitored. Afonso arrived in Lisbon on September 14, 1674, and was taken to the Palace of Sintra in Lisbon. For the rest of his life, he lived there, under guard and shut up in his quarters.

The Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, the burial site for members of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora. Afonso’s tomb is against the wall with the window on the top right; Credit – Por Alegna13 – Obra do próprio, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16664413

On September 12, 1683, 40-year-old Afonso suffered a stroke and died later the same day. He was interred in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, the burial site for members of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. Afonso’s brother succeeded him as Pedro II, King of Portugal, and Maria Francisca was Queen of Portugal for a second time.

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.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Afonso VI of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afonso_VI_of_Portugal> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria Francisca of Savoy – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Francisca_of_Savoy> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2022. João IV, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/joao-iv-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Luisa de Guzmán, Queen of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/luisa-de-guzman-queen-of-portugal/> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Afonso VI de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afonso_VI_de_Portugal> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
  • Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria Francisca de Saboia, Rainha de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Francisca_de_Saboia,_Rainha_de_Portugal> [Accessed 27 May 2022].

Luisa de Guzmán, Queen of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Luisa de Guzmán, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Luisa de Guzmán was the wife of João IV, the first King of Portugal from the Portuguese House of Braganza. She was also the mother of Catherine of Braganza, the wife of Charles II, King of England and King of Scots. Luisa María Francisca de Guzmán y Sandoval was born on October 13, 1613 at the Castle of San Pedro de Huelva, the seat of the powerful Spanish House of Medina Sidonia, in Huelva, Andalucía, Spain. She was the only daughter of Manuel Pérez de Guzmán y Silva, 8th Duke of Medina Sidonia and Juana Lorenza Gomez de Sandoval y de la Cerda (died 1624). Luisa’s paternal grandparents were Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia, the commander-in-chief of the ill-fated Spanish Armada, and Ana Gomez de Silva y de Mendoza, daughter of Ana de Mendoza de la Cerda y de Silva Cifuentes, Princess of Eboli, Duchess of Pastran. Her maternal grandparents were Francisco de Sandoval y Rojas, 1st Duke of Lerma, a powerful favorite of King Felipe III of Spain, and Catalina de la Cerda y Portugal. Luisa was descended from the Kings of Portugal through her mother and her father. She was also a descendant of Ferdinand II, King of Aragon through one of his illegitimate children, and Pope Alexander VI, born Rodrigo Borgia, via one of his many mistresses.

Luisa had four brothers:

  • Gaspar de Guzmán y Sandoval, 9th Duke of Medina Sidonia (1602 – 1664), married (1) Ana de Guzmán y Silva, had four children (2) Juana Fernández de Córdoba y Enríquez de Ribera, had two children
  • Melchor de Guzmán y Sandoval (? – 1639), married Luisa Josefa Manrique de Zúñiga, 3rd Marquesa of Villamanrique, had two children
  • Alonso de Guzmán y Sandoval (born circa 1611 – ?)
  • Juan de Guzmán y Sandoval (born circa 1612 – ?)

In 1580, the throne of Portugal was taken by the Spanish Habsburgs. In 1578, King Sebastian of Portugal from the House of Aviz was killed in battle without any heirs, causing a succession crisis. He was succeeded by his elderly great-uncle Henrique, a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who had no descendants because he had taken a vow of chastity as a priest. When Cardinal-King Enrique died two years later, three grandchildren of Manuel I, King of Portugal (1469 – 1521) claimed the Portuguese throne:  King Felipe II of Spain (the son of Manuel I’s daughter Isabella of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress), António, Prior of Crato (the son of Manuel I’s son Luis, Duke of Beja), and João’s grandmother Catarina, Duchess of Braganza (the daughter of Manuel I’s son Duarte, Duke of Guimarães and the grandmother of Luisa’s husband João IV, King of Portugal). Ultimately, the grandchild who was successful in his claim was Felipe II, King of Spain. The Iberian Union was the union of the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal that existed between 1580 and 1640, under the Spanish Habsburg kings Felipe II, Felipe III, and Felipe IV who reigned as Filipe I, Filipe II, and Filipe III of Portugal.

Felipe IV, King of Spain (also Filipe III, King of Portugal) planned to incorporate Portugal into the Kingdom of Spain. Part of the plan was to carry out a Spanish-Portuguese marriage policy to confuse and unify the nobles of Spain and Portugal. The marriage of the Spanish Luisa de Guzmán and the Portuguese João Braganza, 8th Duke of Braganza came as an opportunity not to be missed. By bringing together two important ducal houses, one from Spain and the other from Portugal, the Spanish government hoped to prevent a Portuguese uprising against Spain.

Luisa’s husband, João Braganza, 8th Duke of Braganza, later João IV, King of Portugal, in 1630; Credit – Wikipedia

On January 12, 1633, Luisa married João Braganza, 8th Duke of Braganza.

Luisa and João had seven children:

Luisa’s daughter Catherine, later Queen of England and Queen of Scots, as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

Spain’s plan to prevent a Portuguese uprising through Luisa and João’s marriage did not work. By 1640, taxes on Portuguese merchants had increased. Portuguese nobles began to lose their influence as government posts in Portugal were increasingly given to Spaniards. They soon realized that if Portugal became part of the Kingdom of Spain, they would lose all their power. Luisa was ambitious by nature, and despite being Spanish, she supported a rebellion against Spain, saying to her husband, “Rather Queen for a day than Duchess all my life.”

This situation eventually caused a rebellion organized by the Forty Conspirators, a Portuguese nationalist group composed of forty men of the Portuguese nobility. On December 1, 1640, taking advantage that Spanish troops were fighting in the Thirty Years’ War and dealing with a revolution in the Catalonia region of Spain, the Forty Conspirators’ plot unfolded. Secretary of State Miguel de Vasconcelos was killed. Filipe III’s cousin Margaret of Savoy, the Habsburg Vicereine of Portugal who ruled in Filipe III’s place, was arrested. Within a few hours, Luisa’s husband João was proclaimed João IV, King of Portugal, claiming legitimate succession through his grandmother Catarina, Duchess of Braganza, and she was Queen of Portugal.

Luisa as Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

After she became Queen of Portugal, Luisa settled at the Ribeira Palace in Lisbon. She oversaw her children’s education and took an active part in Portuguese politics. Luisa supported her husband’s policies during the Portuguese Restoration War (1640 – 1648), periodic skirmishes between Portugal and Spain that lasted into the reign of João IV’s son, and ended with Spain’s official recognition of Portugal’s independence in 1648. After the Revolt of 1641 and the attempted assassination of João IV on August 29, 1641, Luisa supported the execution of the conspirators. Luisa acted as the regent whenever João needed to leave Lisbon.

João IV, King of Portugal died on November 6, 1656, aged 52, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He had suffered from gout and its side effects since 1648. In his will, João IV had appointed Luisa as the regent during the minority of their son Afonso VI who became King of Portugal at the age of thirteen. During her years as Regent of Portugal, Luisa defended the independence of Portugal and was responsible for the diplomatic success of the new alliance with England which included the marriage of her daughter Catherine to Charles II, King of England and King of Scots.

Because Afonso VI was physically and mentally challenged, his mother Luisa wanted to continue as regent after he reached the age of majority in November 1662. However, shortly after Afonso VI reached the age of majority, 26-year-old Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor saw an opportunity to gain power at court by befriending the mentally unstable king. Becoming Afonso’s favorite, Castelo Melhor convinced Afonso that his mother Luisa was planning to steal his throne and exile him from Portugal, although there was no evidence that this was true. As a result, Afonso took control of the throne and appointed Castelo Melhor his escrivão da puridade (scribe of purity), a position that enabled Castelo Melhor to exercise the functions of a prime minister. Luisa remained in the palace until March 1663, when she retired to the Discalced Carmelite convent in Xabregas, Lisbon, Portugal.

Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza Credit – Wikipedia Commons

Luisa died on February 27, 1666, aged 52, at the Discalced Carmelite convent in Xabregas, Lisbon, Portugal where she was initially buried. Her remains were later transferred to the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, the burial site for members of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

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.

Works Cited

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