by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

The Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal was founded in 1147 as an Augustinian monastery by King Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal. It was dedicated to Saint Vincent of Saragossa, patron saint of Lisbon, who was martyred by the Romans around 304. The present buildings are the result of a reconstruction project started by King Felipe II of Spain, who had become King of Portugal (as Felipe I) after a succession crisis in 1580.

After the nationalization of the property of monasteries in 1834, the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora became the palace for the Archbishops of Lisbon. Fernando II, King Consort of Portugal (born Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), second husband of Queen Maria II, had the monks’ old refectory transformed into the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, a burial site for members of the House of Braganza. Originally, members of the House of Braganza had been interred in the main church of the monastery. Their remains were transferred into the new pantheon.

The majority of the tombs are located on the sides of the pantheon. Those tombs are simple marble boxes in groups of four tombs. If the tomb belongs to a monarch, a crown has been engraved in gold on the side of the tomb and a crown placed on top of the entire group of tombs. This can be seen in the photo below.

Two tombs of the four in the center aisle of the pantheon belong to Carlos I, King of Portugal and his son and heir Luís Filipe, Prince Royal of Portugal, who were shot to death in 1908 by assassins sympathetic to republican interests. In 1933, a statue of a crying woman symbolizing the country crying for its martyrs was erected next to the tombs.

The two other tombs in the center aisle belong to Amélie of Orléans, wife of Carlos I and the last Queen Consort of Portugal, and her son Manuel II, the last King of Portugal.

For more information on the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora and a list of those buried in the Pantheon of the House of Braganza see:

• Unofficial Royalty: Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal

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House of Braganza – Kings and Queens Regnant of Portugal

In 1640, the Braganzas came to rule the Kingdom of Portugal after deposing the Philippine Dynasty, the House of the Spanish Habsburgs in Portugal, resulting in João II, Duke of Braganza becoming King João IV of Portugal. From 1640 – 1822, the Braganzas ruled Portugal and the Portuguese Empire. In 1822, Brazil, part of the Portuguese Empire, became independent and the Braganzas also reigned as rulers of Brazil. The Braganzas lost their power when Emperor Pedro II was deposed in Brazil in 1889 and when King Manuel II was deposed in Portugal in 1910.

• João IV, reigned 1640 – 1656, son of Teodósio II, Duke of Braganza
• Afonso VI, reigned 1656 – 1683, son of João IV
• Pedro II, reigned 1683 – 1706, son of João IV
• João V, reigned 1706 – 1750, son of Pedro II
• José I, reigned 1750 – 1777, son of João V
• Maria I, reigned 1777 – 1816, daughter of José I
• Pedro III, reigned 1777 – 1786 jointly with his wife and niece Maria I, son of João V
• João VI, reigned 1816 – 1826, son of Maria I and Pedro III
• Pedro IV, reigned March 10, 1826 – May 2, 1826, also Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil 1822 – 1831, son of João VI
• Maria II, reigned 1826 – 1828, 1834 – 1853, daughter of Pedro IV of Portugal/Pedro I of Brazil
• Miguel I, reigned 1828 – 1834, son of João VI
• Pedro V, reigned 1853 – 1861, son of Maria II
• Luís I, reigned 1861 – 1889, son of Maria II
• Carlos I, reigned 1889 – 1908, son of Luís I
• Manuel II, reigned 1908 – 1910, son of Carlos I

Unofficial Royalty: Portuguese Index

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All portraits/photos of monarchs and consorts below are from Wikipedia.

Photos are unavailable for a number of tombs but the photo below gives a good view of the tombs along the sides of the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza where the monarchs, consorts, and other members of the House of Braganza are interred. The four tombs in the center aisle belong to King Carlos I, his son Luís Filipe, Prince Royal, Carlos I’s wife Amélie of Orléans, and King Manuel II, Carlos I’s son and the last King of Portugal.

João IV, King of Portugal, reigned 1640 – 1656

Unofficial Royalty: João IV, King of Portugal

Born on March 19, 1604, João IV, King of Portugal was the son of Teodósio II, Duke of Braganza and Ana de Velasco y Girón. Upon his father’s death, he became João II, Duke of Braganza. Three Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg also ruled as Kings of Portugal from 1581 to 1640. Between 1630 and 1645, João was the leader of the Restoration War, fighting for the independence of Portugal from the control of Spain. On December 1, 1640, João was proclaimed King of Portugal.

On January 12, 1633, João married Luisa de Guzmán, daughter of Juan Manuel Pérez de Guzmán, 8th Duke of Medina-Sidonia and Juana Lorenza Gomez de Sandoval y la Cerda. João and Luisa had seven children including Catherine of Braganza who married King Charles II of England.

João IV died on November 6, 1656, aged 52 at the Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He is buried at the Pantheon of the Royal House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

Luisa de Guzmán, Queen of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Luisa de Guzmán, Queen of Portugal

Luisa María Francisca de Guzmán y Sandoval was born in Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain on October 13, 1613. She was the daughter of the Spanish nobleman Juan Manuel Pérez de Guzmán, 8th Duke of Medina Sidonia and Juana Lorenza Gomez de Sandoval y la Cerda. On January 12, 1633, in Lisbon, Portugal, Luisa married João II, Duke of Braganza, who became João IV, King of Portugal in 1640. Luisa and João had seven children. Their daughter Caterina married Charles II, King of England and is better known as Catherine of Braganza.

Luisa died on February 27, 1666, at the age of 52. She was originally buried at the Convent of Xabregas but her remains were later transferred to the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

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Afonso VI, King of Portugal (reigned 1656 – 1683)

Unofficial Royalty: Afonso VI, King of Portugal

Afonso VI, King of Portugal was born at the Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal on August 21, 1643. He was the second, but the eldest surviving of the three sons of João IV, King of Portugal and Luisa de Guzmán. When he was three years old, Afonso had an illness that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body and mentally unstable.

In 1666, Afonso married Marie Françoise of Nemours, daughter of Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours and Élisabeth of Bourbon. The marriage was unsuccessful and never consummated. In 1667, in a palace coup organized by Marie Françoise and Afonso’s brother Pedro, Afonso was deprived of all power, and Pedro became Prince Regent. In 1668, Marie Françoise was able to have her unconsummated marriage annulled and then married Afonso’s brother Pedro.

Afonso was sent into exile on Terceira Island in the Azores. In 1674, after a conspiracy to return Afonso to power was discovered, he was returned to Lisbon and locked up at the Palace of Sintra. He remained there until his death on September 12, 1683, at the age of 40. Afonso VI was first buried in Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon-Belém, Portugal. His remains were later transferred to the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

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Pedro II, King of Portugal (reigned 1683 – 1706)

Unofficial Royalty: Pedro II, King of Portugal

Pedro II, King of Portugal was the second of the three surviving sons of João IV, King of Portugal and Luisa de Guzmán. He was born on April 26, 1648, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. His elder brother had succeeded their father upon his death as Afonso VI, King of Portugal. However, Afonso had an illness at age three that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body and mentally unstable.

In 1667, Afonso VI’s wife Maria Francisca of Savoy, who was in an unhappy, unconsummated marriage, organized a palace coup that deprived Afonso of all power and Pedro became Prince Regent. Maria Franciscwas able to have her unconsummated marriage annulled and then she married Pedro. Pedro and Maria Francisca had one daughter.

Upon Afonso VI’s death in 1683, Pedro ascended the Portuguese throne as King Pedro II. Maria Francisca also died in 1683. Pedro married again in 1687 to Maria Sophia Elisabeth of Neuburg. The couple had eight children, including João V, King of Portugal who succeeded his father.

Pedro II, King of Portugal died on December 9, 1706, at the Palhavã Palace in Alcântara, Portugal at the age of 58.  He is buried at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

Maria Francisca of Savoy, Queen of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Maria Francisca of Savoy, Queen of Portugal

Maria Francisca of Savoy, wife to two Kings of Portugal, was born June 21, 1646, at the Hôtel de Nemours in Paris, France. Her parents were Charles Amadeus, Duke of Nemours, and Élisabeth de Bourbon, a granddaughter of Henri IV, King of France and his mistress Gabrielle d’Estrées. To make an alliance with Portugal against their mutual enemy Spain, King Louis XIV of France arranged a marriage between Maria Francisca and Afonso VI, King of Portugal.

In 1667, Marie Francisca and Afonso’s younger brother Pedro organized a palace coup that deprived Afonso of all power and Pedro became Prince Regent. Marie Françoise was able to have her unconsummated marriage annulled and then she married Pedro. Pedro and Marie Françoise had one daughter. When Afonso VI died in 1683, Pedro succeeded him as Pedro II of Portugal and Marie Françoise became Queen of Portugal again.

Marie Françoise died just three months after her first husband at the Palhavã Palace in Alcântara, Portugal on December 27, 1683, at the age of 37. She was first buried at the Convent of Francesinhas which she had founded. In 1912, her remains were transferred to the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

Maria Sophia of Neuburg, Queen of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Maria Sophia of Neuburg, Queen of Portugal

Maria Sophia of Neuberg was born on August 6, 1666, at Schloss Benrath in Düsseldorf, now in Germany. Her parents were Philipp Wilhelm, Elector Palatine and Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt. In 1687, Maria Sophia married the widowed Pedro II, King of Portugal who needed male heirs as the only child from his first marriage was a sickly daughter. The couple had eight children, including João V, King of Portugal who succeeded his father.

Maria Sophia died from erysipelas at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal on August 4, 1699, at the age of 32. She was buried wearing the habit of a Franciscan nun at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

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João V, King of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: João V, King of Portugal

João V, King of Portugal was born on October 22, 1689, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He was the second but eldest surviving son of Pedro II, King of Portugal and his second wife Maria Sofia of Neuburg.

Seventeen-year-old João succeeded to the throne upon the death of his father on December 9, 1706. To strengthen the alliance with Austria, João married his first cousin Maria Anna of Austria, daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor Magdalen of Neuberg. João and Maria Anna had six children including two future Kings of Portugal, José I and Pedro III, and Barbara who married Fernando VI, King of Spain.

In 1742, João suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed and his wife Maria Anna became Regent. João V, King of Portugal died at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal on July 31, 1750, at the age of 60. He is buried at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

Maria Anna of Austria, Queen of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Maria Anna of Austria, Queen of Portugal

Maria Anna of Austria, daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor Magdalen of Neuberg, was born on September 7, 1683, in Linz, Austria. In 1708, she married her first cousin João V, King of Portugal. Although the couple had six children and the marriage was initially happy, Maria Anna had to resign herself to the fact that her husband had mistresses.

Maria Anna served as Regent for her husband twice. The first time was in 1716 when João V convalesced in Vila Viçosa, Portugal from an apparent period of depression. The second time occurred during the last years of João V’s reign after he suffered a stroke.

Maria Anna died at the Belém Palace on August 14, 1754, at the age of 70. She was first buried at the Monastery of St. John Nepomuk of the Discalced Carmelites in Lisbon, Portugal, which she had founded. Her heart was placed in a heart urn and was brought to Vienna, Austria by her confessor and interred at the Imperial Crypt of the Capuchin Monastery, the traditional burial place of the Austrian House of Habsburg, where it still rests today. Maria Anna’s body was later transferred to the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

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José I, King of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: José I, King of Portugal

José I, King of Portugal was the eldest surviving son of João V, King of Portugal and Maria Anna of Austria. He was born at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal on June 6, 1714. On January 19, 1729, José married the Spanish Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain, daughter of Felipe V of Spain. José and Mariana Victoria had four daughters including Maria I, Queen of Portugal who succeeded her father.

José did not become King of Portugal until he was 36 years old, upon the death of his father in 1750. His reign was marred by the destructive 1755 Lisbon earthquake which killed 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.

After José suffered a series of strokes, Mariana Victoria was created Regent of Portugal in 1776. 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.

Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal

Mariana Victoria, Infanta of Spain was born at the Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain on March 31, 1718. She was the eldest daughter of Felipe V, King of Spain and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese. Her father, the first Bourbon king of Spain, was born Philippe of France, Duke of Anjou and was a grandson of Louis XIV, King of France.

In 1729, Mariana Victoria married the future José I, King of Portugal and the couple had four daughters including Maria I, Queen of Portugal.  José had several mistresses and had to face the very strong disapproval of his wife.

Mariana Victoria became Queen Consort of Portugal in 1750 upon the death of her father-in-law. After José suffered a series of strokes, Mariana Victoria was created Regent of Portugal in 1776. Her husband died the following year. During the reign of her daughter Queen Maria I, Mariana Victoria acted as an advisor to the queen.

Mariana Victoria died at the Barraca Real of Ajuda, Portugal on January 15, 1781, at the age of 62. Initially, she was buried at the Church of Saint Francis of Paola in Lisbon, Portugal but her remains were later transferred to the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

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Maria I, Queen of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Maria I, Queen of Portugal

Maria I, Queen of Portugal was born on December 17, 1734, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, the eldest child of José I, King of Portugal and Mariana Victoria of Spain. When her father ascended the throne in 1750, Maria, the eldest of four daughters, became the heir presumptive to the throne.

On June 6, 1760, Maria married her uncle Pedro of Portugal, the younger brother of her father. Despite the seventeen-year age gap, the marriage was a happy one and the couple had seven children including João VI, King of Portugal. When Maria ascended the throne in 1777, Pedro became co-monarch as Pedro III, King of Portugal with the stipulation that if Maria died first, his reign would end and the crown would pass to Maria’s descendants. However, Pedro predeceased Maria, dying in 1786.

Maria I, Queen of Portugal died at the Carmo Convent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 20 , 1816, at the age of 81. She was initially buried at the Ajuda Convent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After the Portuguese royal family returned to Portugal in 1821, Maria I’s remains were brought to Lisbon where she was buried at the Estrela Basilica which she founded.

Pedro III, King of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Pedro III, King of Portugal

Pedro III, King of Portugal was born on July 5, 1717, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. He was the younger of the two surviving sons of João V, King of Portugal and Maria Anna of Austria. His elder brother José I, King of Portugal succeeded their father.

On June 6, 1760, Pedro married his niece Maria, the eldest of the four daughters of his brother José I, King of Portugal. At the time of their marriage, Maria was the heir presumptive to the throne of Portugal. Despite the seventeen-year age gap, Pedro and Maria had a happy marriage and had seven children. When Maria ascended the throne in 1777, Pedro became co-monarch as Pedro III, King of Portugal but he played no part in politics, preferring to spend his time hunting or in religious activities.

Pedro III, King of Portugal died at the Royal Palace of Queluz in Lisbon, Portugal on May 25, 1786, at the age of 68. He is buried at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

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João VI, King of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: João VI, King of Portugal

João VI, King of Portugal, born at the Royal Palace of Queluz in Lisbon, Portugal on May 13, 1767, was the son of Maria I, Queen of Portugal and Pedro III, King of Portugal. The second of the two sons who survived childhood, João was not expected to be King of Portugal. However, his elder brother José died from smallpox at the age of 27 and João became the heir apparent to the throne.

In 1785, João married Carlota Joaquina, Infanta of Spain, daughter of Carlos IV, King of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. Despite the marriage being unhappy, the couple had nine children including Pedro IV of Portugal/Pedro I of Brazil, Miguel I of Portugal, and Maria Isabel who was the second of the four wives of Fernando VII, King of Spain.

João’s mother Maria I was mentally ill and by 1792, it was necessary for him to be named Prince Regent. In 1807, the Portuguese royal family moved to Brazil to escape the Napoleonic invasion and Rio de Janeiro became the de facto capital of the Portuguese Empire. Even after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the family remained in Brazil. Maria I died in 1816 and João came to the throne as João VI, King of Portugal.

In 1821, after a series of revolutions and army mutinies, João VI, under pressure from the Portuguese parliament, departed Brazil for Portugal, leaving behind his eldest son Pedro as Regent of Brazil. In 1822, João VI lost Brazil when it was declared independent from Portugal and his son Pedro was declared Emperor of Brazil.

In March 1826, João VI, King of Portugal became quite ill with vomiting and convulsions. He died at Bemposta Palace in Lisbon, Portugal on March 10, 1826, at the age of 58. A definite cause of death could not be determined but it was suspected that he had been poisoned. He is buried in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. In the 1990s, a team of investigators exhumed the container where his entrails and heart had been buried. An analysis detected the presence of arsenic confirming the possibility that he may have been poisoned.

Carlota Joaquina of Spain, Queen of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Carlota Joaquina of Spain, Queen of Portugal

Carlota Joaquina of Spain, Queen of Portugal was born on April 25, 1775, at the Royal Palace in Aranjuez, Spain. She was the eldest surviving child of Carlos III, King of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. Her marriage to the future João VI, King of Portugal was one of the two marriages arranged by her father and his sister Mariana Victoria, Dowager Queen of Portugal to strengthen diplomatic relations between Spain and Portugal.

In 1807, the Portuguese royal family moved to Brazil to escape the Napoleonic invasion and Rio de Janeiro became the de facto capital of the Portuguese Empire. Even after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the family remained in Brazil. In 1816, when Carlota Joaquina ’s husband ascended the throne as João VI, King of Portugal, she became Queen Consort of Portugal. Carlota Joaquina began conspiring against her husband. She claimed that he did not have the mental capacity to govern and wanted a regency established. She also planned to usurp the Spanish crown that was then in the hands of Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte.

In 1821, after a series of revolutions and army mutinies, João VI, under pressure from the Portuguese parliament, returned to Portugal with Carlota Joaquina. João VI died in 1826 and poisoning has long been suspected as the cause of his death. Carlota Joaquina would be on the list of possible poisoners. João and Carlota Joaquina ’s son Pedro became King of Portugal but abdicated two months later in favor of his seven-year-old daughter Maria II. Carlota Joaquina’s son Miguel served as regent for his niece Maria.

As regent, Miguel claimed the Portuguese throne in his own right with the help of his scheming mother Carlota Joaquina. This led to a difficult political situation, during which many people were killed, imprisoned, persecuted, or sent into exile, finally culminating in the Portuguese Liberal Wars. Ultimately, Miguel was deposed in 1834 and lived the last 32 years of his life in exile.

Carlota Joaquina did not live to see the fate of her son Miguel. She died at the Palace of Queluz in Lisbon, Portugal on January 7, 1830, at the age of 54. There is some speculation that she may have committed suicide. She is buried at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

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Pedro IV, King of Portugal / Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil

Unofficial Royalty: Pedro IV, King of Portugal / Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil

Pedro IV of Portugal / Pedro I of Brazil was born on October 12, 1798, at the Royal Palace of Queluz in Lisbon, Portugal, the second but the eldest surviving son of João VI, King of Portugal and Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain. In 1807, the Portuguese royal family moved to Brazil to escape the Napoleonic invasion and then remained in Brazil where Rio de Janeiro became the de facto capital of the Portuguese Empire. Even after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the Portuguese royal family remained in Brazil.

In 1817, in Brazil, Pedro married Maria Leopoldina of Austria, the daughter of Emperor Franz I of Austria and Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily. Pedro and Leopoldina had seven children. Sadly, Leopoldina died on December 11, 1826, from puerperal fever (childbed fever) after a miscarriage. Pedro married for a second time, in 1829, to Amélie of Leuchtenberg, daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais Duke of Leuchtenberg and Princess Augusta of Bavaria. Pedro and Amélie had one daughter.

In 1821, after a series of revolutions and army mutinies, Pedro’s father João VI, under pressure from the Portuguese parliament, departed Brazil for Portugal, leaving behind his eldest son Pedro as Regent of Brazil. In 1822, João VI lost Brazil when it was declared independent from Portugal and his son Pedro was declared Emperor of Brazil.

Pedro’s father King João VI of Portugal died in March 1826, Pedro succeeded to the throne of Portugal as Pedro IV. However, the Brazilian people did not want the two thrones to be reunited. Pedro reigned as King of Portugal for only two months and then abdicated the Portuguese throne on May 2, 1826, in favor of his seven-year-old daughter Queen Maria II. Maria II’s paternal uncle Miguel served as her Regent. However, almost immediately, Miguel claimed the Portuguese throne in his own right. For several years, forces loyal to Maria and her father would try to force Miguel from the throne. Finally, on May 26, 1834, Miguel was forced to abdicate, and Maria was returned to the Portuguese throne.

On April 7, 1831, after a political crisis that ended with the resignation of his ministers and in the middle of an economic crisis, Pedro abdicated the throne of Brazil in favor of his six-year-old son who reigned as Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. Pedro and his second wife Amélie returned to Europe.

On September 24, 1834, at the age of 35, Pedro died from tuberculosis at his birthplace, the Royal Palace of Queluz in Lisbon, Portugal. He was first buried at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. In 1972, Pedro’s remains were transferred to the Brazilian Imperial Crypt and Chapel under the Monument of the Ipiranga (Monument to the Independence of Brazil) in São Paulo, Brazil.

Maria Leopoldina of Austria, Empress of Brazil, Queen of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Maria Leopoldina of Austria, Empress of Brazil, Queen of Portugal

Maria Leopoldina, known as Leopoldina, was born on January 22, 1797, at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of Emperor Franz I of Austria and the second of his four wives, Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily. When Leopoldina was 19 years old, negotiations began for marriage with 18-year-old Pedro, Crown Prince of Portugal and Prince of Brazil, the son of King João VI of Portugal and Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain. At that time, Brazil was ruled as a kingdom united with Portugal.

Leopoldina left Vienna to embark on a three-month voyage to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where the Portuguese royal family had lived since 1807. On November 6, 1817, Leopoldina and Pedro were married in the chapel of the Paço de São Cristóvão in Rio de Janeiro. The couple had seven children including Queen Maria II of Portugal and Emperor Pedro II of Brazil.

In 1821, after a series of revolutions and army mutinies, Pedro’s father João VI departed Brazil for Portugal, leaving behind Pedro as Regent of Brazil. In 1822, Brazil was declared independent from Portugal and Pedro was declared Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. When Pedro’s father King João VI of Portugal died in March 1826, Pedro succeeded to the throne of Portugal as Pedro IV. However, the Brazilian people did not want the two thrones to be reunited. Pedro reigned as King of Portugal for only two months and then abdicated the Portuguese throne in favor of his seven-year-old daughter Queen Maria II.

In 1826, Leopoldina became pregnant with her eighth child. She had given birth to seven children in six years. On December 11, 1826, Leopoldina died from puerperal fever (childbed fever) after a miscarriage at the age of 29. She was buried in the Ajuda Convent in Rio de Janeiro. When the convent was demolished in 1911, Leopoldina’s remains were transferred to the Convent of St. Anthony in Rio de Janeiro where a mausoleum was built for her and some other members of the Brazilian Imperial Family. Eventually, Leopoldina’s remains were transferred to the Brazilian Imperial Crypt and Chapel under the Monument of the Ipiranga (Monument to the Independence of Brazil) in São Paulo, Brazil.

Amélie of Leuchtenberg, Empress of Brazil

Unofficial Royalty: Amélie of Leuchtenberg, Empress of Brazil

Born on July 31, 1812, in Milan in the Kingdom of Italy, Amélie of Leuchtenberg was the daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg and Princess Augusta of Bavaria. She became the second wife of the widowed Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil on October 15, 1829, at the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Amélie and Pedro had one daughter.

On April 7, 1831, after a political crisis that ended with the resignation of his ministers and in the middle of an economic crisis, Pedro abdicated the throne of Brazil in favor of his six-year-old son who reigned as Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. Pedro and his second wife Amélie returned to Europe. Three years later, at the age of 35, Pedro died from tuberculosis leaving Amélie a widow at the age of twenty-two with a three-year-old daughter. Amélie, who never remarried, devoted herself exclusively to the care and education of her daughter Maria Amélie.   Maria Amélie became ill with tuberculosis, the same disease that had killed her father. She died on February 4, 1853, at the age of twenty-one.

On January 26, 1873, Amélie died at the age of 60. She was first buried in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. In 1982, her remains were transferred to Brazil and placed in the Brazilian Imperial Crypt and Chapel under the Monument of the Ipiranga (Monument to the Independence of Brazil) in São Paulo, Brazil next to her husband Emperor Pedro I and his first wife Maria Leopoldina of Austria.

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Maria II, Queen of Portugal (reigned 1826 – 1828, 1834 – 1853)

Unofficial Royalty: Maria II, Queen of Portugal

Born on April 4, 1819, at the Imperial Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Maria II, Queen of Portugal was the eldest of six children of the King Pedro IV of Portugal / Emperor Pedro I of Brazil and his first wife Maria Leopoldina of Austria. She became Queen of Portugal at the age of seven when her father abdicated in her favor. She was deposed two years later by her uncle Miguel and then she returned to the throne at age 15 and reigned until her death.

On January 26, 1835, Maria married Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, the son of Eugène de Beauharnais and Princess Augusta of Bavaria. Sadly, Auguste died just two months later. On April 9, 1836, Maria was married to Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of Prince Ferdinand Georg of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág. Maria and Ferdinand had seven children who survived childhood including King Pedro V and King Luís I.

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 there were two 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.

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

Unofficial Royalty: Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, Prince Consort of Portugal

Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg was born December 9, 1810, at the Royal Villa of Monza, just outside of Milan, Italy. He was the eldest son of Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, son of Napoleon I’s first wife Empress Joséphine from her first marriage, and Princess Augusta of Bavaria, daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria.

24-year-old Auguste married 15-year-old Queen Maria II of Portugal in Lisbon on January 26, 1835.  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 Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

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

Unofficial Royalty: Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal

Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, King Consort of Portugal was born 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. Through his father, Ferdinand was a first cousin of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, as well as King Leopold II of Belgium and Empress Carlota of Mexico.

Ferdinand married the 16-year-old widowed Queen Maria II of Portugal in Lisbon on April 9, 1836, and was created Prince Consort. Over the next seventeen years, they had eleven children but only seven survived childhood.

In keeping with tradition, Ferdinand was elevated to King Consort following the birth of his 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. On November 15, 1853, Queen Maria II died after giving birth to a stillborn son. Ferdinand served as Regent for his eldest son, the new King Pedro V, until he became of age. In late 1861, Ferdinand suffered the tragedy of witnessing the death of three of his five surviving sons, including King Pedro V, from typhoid fever.

On June 10, 1869, in Lisbon, Ferdinand married again. His wife, Elise Hensler, was a Swiss-born American actress, who he first met in 1860 when she was performing in an opera in Lisbon. Just before they married, Ferdinand’s cousin, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, created Elise Countess of Edla in her own right. The couple had no children.

King Ferdinand died in Lisbon 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.

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Miguel I, King of Portugal (reigned 1828 – 1834)

Unofficial Royalty: Miguel I, King of Portugal

Miguel I, King of Portugal was born on October 26, 1802, in Lisbon, Portugal, the seventh of the nine children of King João VI of Portugal and Carlota Joaquina of Spain. During the Napoleonic Wars, he lived in exile with his family in Brazil. The Portuguese royal family returned to Portugal in 1821 from their exile in Brazil. In 1826, when their father died, Miguel’s elder brother, who was already Emperor of Brazil, became King Pedro IV of Portugal. Pedro was king for only two months, abdicating in favor of his daughter Maria II. Miguel served as Regent for his niece Maria.

As Regent, Miguel claimed the Portuguese throne in his own right. This led to a difficult political situation, during which many people were killed, imprisoned, persecuted, or sent into exile, finally culminating in the Portuguese Liberal Wars. Ultimately, Miguel was deposed in 1834 and lived the last 32 years of his life in exile in the Grand Duchy of Baden.

On September 24, 1851, Miguel married Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg,  daughter of Constantine, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.  Miguel and Adelaide had six daughters and a son, all styled as Infanta and Infante of Portugal. Through the marriages of their many children and grandchildren, Miguel and Adelaide are the ancestors of the current monarchs of Luxembourg, Belgium, and Liechtenstein, as well as pretenders to the thrones of Portugal, Austria, Bavaria, and Italy.

Miguel died while hunting at his home Schloss Bronnbach in the Grand Duchy of Baden (now Germany) on November 14, 1866, at the age of 64. Initially, Miguel was buried in his wife’s family’s vault at the Engelberg Monastery in Grossheubach, Bavaria. In 1967, his remains and those of his wife (who had been buried in Ryde on the Isle of Wight, England, where she had died) were transferred to the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

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Pedro V, King of Portugal (reigned 1853 – 1861)

Unofficial Royalty: Pedro V, King of Portugal

Pedro V, King of Portugal was born on September 15, 1837, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, the eldest child of Queen Maria II of Portugal and her second husband Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. 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.

On May 18, 1858, Pedro married Princess Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, daughter of Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern, and Josephine of Baden. The couple was very happy but sadly, Queen Stephanie died a year later from diphtheria.

In late 1861, a typhoid epidemic hit the royal family. King Pedro V died of typhoid on November 11, 1861, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Portugal at the age of 24. His brothers Fernando and João and other royal family members also died from typhoid fever. Pedro V is buried at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal

Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal was born on July 15, 1837, in Krauchenwies, Sigmaringen, the eldest daughter of Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern and Princess Josephine of Baden. Stephanie married King Pedro V of Portugal at the Church of St. Dominic in Lisbon on May 18, 1858.

On July 17, 1859, Stephanie died from diphtheria at the age of 22. 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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Luís I, King of Portugal (reigned 1861 – 1889)

Unofficial Royalty: Luís I, King of Portugal

Luís I, King of Portugal came to the throne following the death from typhoid fever of his childless elder brother King Pedro V. Born on October 31, 1838, at the Palace of Necessidades in Lisbon, Luís was the second son of Queen Maria II of Portugal and Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

On October 6, 1862, King Luís married Princess Maria Pia of Savoy, daughter of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy and Adelheid of Austria, at the Church of St. Dominic in Lisbon. The couple had two sons including King Carlos I of Portugal.

Luís I, King of Portugal died at the Citadel of Cascais in Cascais, Portugal on October 19, 1889, at the age of 50. He is buried at the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

Maria Pia of Savoy, Queen of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Maria Pia of Savoy, Queen of Portugal

Born at the Royal Palace of Turin on February 14, 1847, Princess Maria Pia of Savoy was the daughter of Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Sardinia (later of a united Italy) and Adelheid of Austria. In 1862, at the age of 15, Maria Pia married King Luís I of Portugal. The couple had two sons.

After her husband died in 1889, Maria Pia served as Regent for her son King Carlos I when he was out of the country. The early 1900s were a difficult time for Maria Pia. Her brother King Umberto I of Italy was assassinated in 1900. Following the assassination of her son King Carlos I of Portugal and his son Luís Filipe, Prince Royal of Portugal in 1908 and then the deposition of her grandson Manuel II two years later, Maria Pia fell into a deep depression. She returned to her native Italy where she died on July 5, 1911, aged 63, at the Royal Chateau at Stupingi Palace. She is buried in the Pantheon of the House of Savoy at the Basilica of Superga in Turin, Italy.

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Carlos I, King of Portugal (reigned 1889 – 1908)

Unofficial Royalty: Carlos I, King of Portugal

Carlos I, King of Portugal was the elder of the two sons of King Luís I of Portugal and Princess Maria Pia of Savoy. He was born on September 28, 1863, at the Ajuda Palace in Lisbon, Portugal.

Carlos married Princess Amélie of Orléans, daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris and Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans at the Church of St. Dominic in Lisbon on May 22, 1886. The couple had two children: the heir to the throne, Infante Luís Filipe, Prince Royal who was assassinated along with his father in 1908, and the eventual successor to the throne Manuel II, King of Portugal.

In 1889, upon his father’s death, Carlos became King of Portugal. During his reign, Carlos faced a crisis with the Portuguese colonies in Africa and had to deal with two bankruptcies of his kingdom. Public support for King Carlos was diminishing and it would eventually lead to his tragic death.

On February 1, 1908, as the royal family was returning in an open carriage to the palace, shots were fired from the crowd by two republican activists. King Carlos I, aged 44, died immediately, his heir 20-year-old Luís Filipe was mortally wounded and lived for another twenty minutes, and his younger son Manuel was hit in the arm but survived. Queen Amélie was uninjured. The two assassins were killed on the spot by police and bodyguards. 18-year-old Manuel was thrust into an unexpected role, one he was not prepared for, as he succeeded his assassinated father as King of Portugal.

• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Carlos I, King of Portugal and Luís Filipe, Prince Royal

Carlos I, King of Portugal and his son and heir Luís Filipe, Prince Royal of Portugal are buried next to each other in the center aisle of the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

Amélie of Orléans, Queen of Portugal

Unofficial Royalty: Amélie of Orléans, Queen of Portugal

Princess Amélie of Orléans was born on September 28, 1865, the eldest of eight children of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, and Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans. Although a French princess, she was born in Twickenham, London, where her family had been living in exile since Napoleon III had assumed the French throne in 1848. Following the fall of Napoleon III, the family was able to return to France in 1871.

After several proposed marriages into the Austrian and Spanish royal families did not work out, Amélie became engaged to the future King Carlos I of Portugal, the eldest son of King Luís of Portugal and Princess Maria Pia of Savoy. The couple married in 1886 and had two sons. In October 1889, Carlos and Amélie became King and Queen of Portugal following the death of King Luís.

After the assassination of her husband and her elder son, Amélie was kept under close security, along with her son, the new King Manuel II and mother-in-law Queen Maria Pia, at the Palace of Necessidades. However, Manuel was king for only two years. In October 1910, the monarchy was deposed during the Republican Revolution. Amélie went into exile along with her son, and mother-in-law, settling in Twickenham, London. After her son’s marriage in 1912, Amélie moved to France.

Her son King Manuel II predeceased her, dying in 1932. Amélie died at the Château de Bellevue in Le Chesnay, France on October 25, 1951, at the age of 86. She 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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Manuel II, King of Portugal (reigned 1908 – 1910)

Unofficial Royalty, Manuel II, King of Portugal

Manuel II was the last King of Portugal. Born on November 15, 1889, at Belém Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, he was the younger of the two sons of King Carlos I of Portugal and Princess Amélie of Orléans. Manuel found himself unexpectedly on the throne of Portugal after the assassination in 1908 of his father and his elder brother, the heir to the throne, Luís Filipe, Prince Royal.

However, Manuel was not king for long. On October 4, 1910, what started as a military coup turned into what is now known as the Republican Revolution. Manuel was deposed and lived the rest of his life in exile.

On September 4, 1913, Manuel married Augusta Viktoria of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, daughter of Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern and Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, in the chapel at Sigmaringen Castle. The couple lived at Fulwell Lodge, Manuel’s home in exile outside of London but the marriage remained childless.

King Manuel II died suddenly on July 2, 1932, at Fulwell Lodge. With permission from the Portuguese government, his remains were returned to Lisbon on a British cruiser and he was buried in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal (in exile)

Unofficial Royalty: Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Queen of Portugal (in exile)

Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was born on August 19, 1890, in Potsdam, the daughter of Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern and Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.  Augusta Viktoria married the former King Manuel of Portugal on September 4, 1913, at Sigmaringen Castle and then settled at Fulwell Park, Manuel’s home outside of London, England. The marriage remained childless.

Manuel died in 1932 and several years later, on April 23, 1939, Augusta Viktoria married Count Robert Douglas, head of the Swedish comital house of Douglas (a branch of the Scottish Clan Douglas). The couple lived at Langenstein Castle in Orsingen-Nenzingen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany and had no children. Widowed again in 1955, Augusta Viktoria continued to live in Germany and died on August 29, 1966, at the age of 76, at Eigeltingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She is buried at Langenstein Castle, owned by the family of her second husband.

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