Queen Maria II of Portugal

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2016

Queen Maria II of Portugal. source: Wikipedia

Queen Maria II of Portugal first became Queen at just seven years old. Deposed two years later, she returned to the throne at age 15 and reigned until her death. She was born Maria da Glória Joana Carlota Leopoldina da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Isidora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga on April 4, 1819, at the São Cristóvão Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Maria was the eldest of six children of the future King Pedro IV of Portugal (and Emperor Pedro I of Brazil) and his first wife, Archduchess Maria Leopoldina of Austria. Born in Brazil, Maria is the only European monarch born outside of Europe.

She had six siblings:

And one half-sister, from her father’s second marriage to Princess Amélie of Leuchtenberg:

When Maria’s grandfather King João VI of Portugal died in March 1826, it caused a succession crisis. His eldest living son and heir was Maria’s father Pedro but he had declared Brazil’s independence and was ruling as Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. Before he died, King João VI appointed his daughter Isabel Maria to serve as regent until the “legitimate heir returned to the Kingdom”. However, he never specified who that should be. Pedro was ruling as Emperor of Brazil, and the king’s younger son Miguel had been exiled to Austria after leading several revolutions against his father and his liberal regime.

While Pedro was the legitimate heir, the Brazilian people did not want the two thrones to be reunited. Pedro abdicated the Portuguese throne on May 2, 1826, and Maria became Queen of Portugal at seven years old. As part of the agreement, Miguel would return to Portugal and serve as Regent (once he reached age 25), and would marry Maria once she came of age. This would all be under a new liberal constitution that would re-establish a constitutional monarchy. In July 1827, with Infanta Isabella Maria very ill, and the regency very unstable, a decree was issued, granting Miguel his new role as Regent, and he set out for Portugal.

Queen Maria II, circa 1833. source: Wikipedia

With Miguel serving as Regent, Maria was sent to Vienna to continue her education. While in Vienna, Maria learned that Miguel had deposed her and declared himself King of Portugal on June 23, 1828. Emperor Pedro insisted that his daughter was the rightful Queen of Portugal, and demanded that she be treated as such. Maria traveled to the United Kingdom, hoping to garner the British government’s support but they instead supported Miguel. She met up with her father in France, where they stayed with King Louis Philippe I of France, and Maria received her education. For the next six years, forces loyal to Maria and her father would try to force Miguel from the throne. In 1831, Emperor Pedro abdicated the Brazilian throne and joined the fight. Finally, on May 26, 1834, Miguel was forced to abdicate and Maria was returned to the Portuguese throne. Her betrothal to Miguel was annulled several months later.

On January 26, 1835, Maria married Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg. He was the son of Eugène de Beauharnais (a son of Empress Josephine of France) and Princess Augusta of Bavaria. Sadly, Auguste died just two months later.

Queen Maria with her eldest son, the future King Pedro V. source: Wikipedia

In Lisbon, on April 9, 1836, at the Palácio das Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal, Maria married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Ferdinand was the son of Prince Ferdinand Georg of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág. Through his father, he was a first cousin of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her future husband, Prince Albert, as well as King Leopold II of Belgium and Empress Carlota of Mexico. Maria and Ferdinand had eleven children:

Queen Maria II, c1852, painted by Sir William Charles Ross. Source: Wikipedia

Maria II faced problems in giving birth with prolonged and extremely difficult labors. She had eleven pregnancies: seven resulted in children who survived childhood, two babies died within hours of birth, and two were stillbirths.  By the time Maria was 25 years old, she was obese and the births became even more complicated. The combination of many successive pregnancies, her obesity which eventually caused her heart problems, and the prolonged, difficult labors led doctors to warn Maria about the serious risks she would face in future pregnancies. Maria replied, “If I die, I die at my post.”

On November 15, 1853, Maria II, Queen of Portugal died at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal at the age of 34 after giving birth to a stillborn son. She is buried at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

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