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Maria II of Portugal

Portuguese Royalty House of Braganza John IV Children include    Teodósio, Prince of Brazil    Joana, Princess of Beira    Infanta Catarina, Queen of England    Afonso, Prince of Brazil (future Afonso VI)    Infante Pedro, Duke of Beja (future Peter II) Afonso VI Peter II Children include    Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira    João, Prince of Brazil (future John V)    Infante Francisco, Duke of Beja    Infante António    Infante Manuel, Count of Ourém    Infanta Francisca    Luísa, Duchess of Cadaval (natural daughter)    José, Archbishop of Braga (natural son) John V Children include    Infanta Bárbara, Queen of Spain    José, Prince of Brazil and Duke of Braganza (future Joseph I)    Pedro, Prince of Brazil and Duke of Braganza (future Peter III) Joseph I Children include    Maria Francisca, Princess of Brazil (future Maria I)    Infanta Mariana Francisca    Infanta Doroteia     Benedita, Dowager Princess of Brazil Maria I and Peter III Children include    José, Prince of Brazil    João, Prince Royal and Duke of Braganza (future John VI)    Infanta Mariana Vitória John VI Children include    Maria Teresa, Princess of Beira    Infanta Maria Isabel, Queen of Spain    Infante Pedro, Prince Royal and Duke of Braganza (future Pedro IV of Portugal and I of Brazil)    Infanta Maria Francisca    Infanta Isabel Maria    Infante Miguel, Duke of Braganza (future Miguel I)    Infanta Maria da Assunção    Infanta Ana de Jesus Maria, Marchioness of Loulé Pedro IV (I of Brazil) Children include    Infanta Maria da Glória, Duchess of Porto (future Maria II)    Januária, Princess Imperial of Brazil    Princess Francisca, Princess de Joinville    Prince Pedro (Pedro II of Brazil) Michael I Children include    Infanta Maria das Neves, Duchess of San Jaime    Miguel II, Duke of Braganza    Infanta Teresa, Archduchess of Austria    Infanta Maria José, Duchess in Bavaria    Infanta Adelgundes, Duchess of Guimarães, Countess di Bardi    Infanta Maria Ana, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg    Infanta Maria Antónia, Duchess of Parma Grandchildren include    Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza Great-Grandchildren include    Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza    Infante Miguel, Duke of Viseu    Infante Henrique, Duke of Coimbra Great-Great-Grandchildren include    Afonso, Prince of Beira    Infanta Maria Francisca    Infante Dinis, Duke of Porto Maria II and Ferdinand II Children include    Pedro, Duke of Braganza (future Pedro V)    Infante Luís, Duke of Porto (future Luís I)    Infante João, Duke of Beja    Infanta Maria Ana, Princess of Saxony    Infanta Antónia, Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen    Infante Augusto, Duke of Coimbra Grandchildren include    Carlos, Duke of Braganza (future Carlos I) Great-grandchildren include    Luís Filipe, Duke of Braganza    Infante Manuel, Duke of Beja (future Manuel II)

Maria II da Gloria (Rio de Janeiro, April 4, 1819 – November 15, 1853 in Lisbon), named Maria da Glória Joana Carlota Leopoldina da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Isidora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Áustria e Bragança was Queen of Portugal from 1826 to 1853. The daughter of the future King Pedro IV (Emperor of Brazil as Pedro I) and his first wife, Archduchess Maria Leopoldine Josepha Caroline, herself a daughter of Emperor Franz I of Austria, she was the second Queen regnant of Portugal and Algarves and the 29th (or 30th according to some historians) Portuguese monarch.

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

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

Most people considered that Pedro was the legitimate heir, but nobody wanted him to unite Portugal and Brazil's thrones again. The European country had been under Brazilian rule when both were part of The United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarve, established by the King João VI during his stay in Rio de Janeiro from 1808 until 1820. Aware that his brother's supporters were ready to bring Miguel back and put him in the throne, Pedro decided for a more consensual option: he abdicated the throne to his eldest daughter, Maria da Gloria (who was only 7 years old), and she should marry her uncle Miguel, who should accept the Liberal Constitution and act as a regent until his niece was an adult.

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

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

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

On 1 January 1836 she married the cultured and able Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who ruled with her as King Consort. That title he received in 1837, in accordance with Portuguese custom, when their first child Pedro, a heir to the throne, was born.

In 1842 the Pope Gregory XVI gives Maria II a Golden Rose.

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

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

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

Maria first married Auguste Charles, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg, son of Eugène de Beauharnais, grandson of Empress Josephine, who died soon arriving in Portugal. She married again to Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of Ferdinand August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his wife Maria Antoniette Gabrielle of Kohari.

See also: List of Portuguese monarchs

• War of the Two Brothers

Imperial Family of Brazil

Forefathers - John VI of Portugal - Queen Carlota Joaquina First generation - Pedro I - Empress Leopoldina - Princess Amélie of Leuchtenberg Second Generation - Pedro II - Empress Teresa Cristina - Maria II da Glória - Princess Januária of Braganza - Princess Francisca of Braganza Third generation - Princess Isabel the Redeemer - Gaston of Orleans, Count d'Eu - Princess Leopoldina of Brazil Fourth generation - Prince Luiz of Orleans-Braganza - Princess Maria Pia - Prince Pedro de Alcantara of Orléans-Braganza - Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky - Prince Antônio Gastão of Orléans-Braganza The Vassouras Branch Fifth generation - Prince Pedro Henrique of Orleans-Braganza - Princess Maria Elisabeth Sixth generation - Prince Luiz of Orleans-Braganza - Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Braganza - Prince Antonio of Orleans-Braganza - Christine, Princess de Ligne Seventh generation - Prince Pedro Luís of Orleans-Braganza - Prince Rafael of Orleans-Braganza - Princess Amélia of Orleans-Braganza The Petrópolis Branch Fifth generation - Prince Pedro Gastão of Orleans-Braganza - Princess Isabel of Orleans-Braganza - Princess Francisca of Orleans-Braganza - Prince João of Orleans-Braganza Sixth generation - Prince Pedro Carlos of Orleans-Braganza - Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans-Braganza - Princess Cristina of Orleans-Braganza - Prince Jan Sapieha-Rozánski Seventh generation - Prince Pedro Thiago of Orleans-Braganza - Princess Paula Maria Sapieha - Princess Ana Tereza Sapieha