Avançar para o conteúdo principal

Pedro V of Portugal

Pedro de Alcântara Maria Fernando Miguel Rafael Gonzaga Xavier João António Leopoldo Vitor Francisco de Assis Júlio Amélio was born on 16 September 1837, in Lisbon. He was the eldest son of Queen Maria II of Portugal, and her husband, Ferdinand II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry. As the eldest son of the monarch, Pedro was the heir apparent to the throne and was titled Prince Royal (Príncipe Real).
Although he was very young when he became King of Portugal (just 16 years old!), Pedro was considered by many as an exemplary monarch. He reconciled the people with the royal family, after his mother's reign had been borne of a civil war.
His father played a very important role in the beginning of Pedro's reign, serving as regent and advising the young King. Pedro is often described as a socially conscious king due to his education, which included community-related work and a wide knowledge of the European continent. He also studied sciences and philosophy and was fluent in Greek and Latin, and studied English.

 In 16 September 1855, when he turned 18, Pedro was officially acclaimed King of Portugal. In that same year he presided over the inauguration of the first electric telegraph in the country. In 1856, he inaugurated the railroad between Lisbon and Carregado. It was also during his reign that commenced the regular boat travels between Portugal and Angola.

 Pedro dedicated himself to his country, thoroughly studying the governmental proposals. He created the Curso Superior de Letras (precursor of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisboa), which he founded with his own money.

 The King was a staunch abolitionist. During his reign, a French slave-ship was confiscated on the coast of Mozambique, and its captain was arrested. The French government demanded the release of the ship and a big compensation. This episode shows the abolitionist convictions of the monarch, but at the same time attests to the fragility of Portugal in face of the other European countries.

 Portugal fell victim to two epidemies during Pedro's reign: a cholera one (1853-1856) and a yellow-fever one (1856-1857). During that time, the King visited hospitals and sat with the sick, instead of seeking refuge, something that earned him the love of the people.

 In 1858, Pedro married by proxy with Princess Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (Portuguese: Estefânia), who would sadly die in 1859. Pedro and Stephanie were very concerned with the public health, and together founded several public hospitals and charities. After her death, Pedro fulfilled her wish and founded the Hospital D. Estefânia, in Lisbon (still in activity).

 Pedro V of Portugal died on 11 November 1861, aged just 24. Apparently, the cause of his death was typhoid fever, but the people suspected he had been poisoned (and some mutinies occurred!). His death caused a great sadness in all levels of society. He had no children, so he was succeeded by his younger brother, Luís.

Pedro V of Portugal
Miguel Ângelo Lupi
1860

Etiquetas:

Comentários

Enviar um comentário

Mensagens populares deste blogue

Mihrimah Sultan

Mihrimah was born in Istanbul in 1522; she was the daughter of Sultan Süleyman I (aka The Magnificent) and his concubine, Hürrem Sultan . Her mother was freed in 1533 or 1534 and became the Sultan’s legal wife. On 26 November 1539, Mihrimah, aged 17, married Rüstem Pasha, who later rose to become her father’s Grand Vizier. Though this union was unhappy, Mihrimah flourished as a patroness of the arts and continued her travels with her father until her husband’s death. Mihrimah had two children: Osman and Hümaşah. Mihrimah travelled the Ottoman Empire with her father as he surveyed the lands and conquered new ones. In international politics, her mother sent letters to the Sigismund II, King of Poland, and the contents of these letters were mirrored in the letters Mihrimah sent. Although there is no proof of Hürrem and Mihrimah’s direct involvement in her half-brother Mustafa’s downfall, Ottoman sources and foreign accounts indicate that it was widely believed they worke...
1 comentário
Ler mais

Tamar of Georgia

Tamar (Georgian: თამარი, Tamari) was born circa 1160 to George III, King of Georgia, and his wife, Burdukhan of Alania. The name Tamar is of Hebrew origin and, like other biblical names, was favoured by the Georgian Bagrationi dynasty because of their claim to be descended from David, the second King of Israel. Tamar's youth coincided with a major upheaval in Georgia. In 1177, her father was confronted by a rebellious faction of nobles. The intention was to dethrone George III in favour of the King's nephew, Demna, who was considered by many to be a legitimate royal heir of his murdered father, David V. Demna's cause was just a pretext for the nobles to, led by the pretender's father-in-law Ivane Orbeli, to weaken the crown. George III managed to crush the revolt and embarked on a repression campaign on the defiant aristocratic clans. Ivane Orbeli was put to death and the surviving family was driven out of Georgia. Demna was castrated and blinded on his uncle'...
Enviar um comentário
Ler mais

Charlotte of Prussia (Alexandra Feodorovna)

Friederike Luise Charlotte Wilhelmine, better known as Charlotte, was born a princess of Prussia on 13 July 1798. She was the eldest surviving daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia and his wife, Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Her childhood was marked by the Napoleonic wars and the death of her mother when she was just 12. On February 1814, Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich, the future Tsar of Russia, and his brother. Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich visited Berlin. Arrangements were made by the two families for Nicholas to marry Charlotte and strengthen the alliance between Prussia and Russia. On a second visit, Nicholas fell in love with Charlotte; the feeling was mutual. She wrote: I like him and am sure of being happy with him . By the end of this visit, they were engaged. On 9 June 1817, Princess Charlotte travelled to Russia. When she arrived in Saint Petersburg, she converted to Russian Orthodoxy, and took the Russian name of Alexandra Feodorovna. On her 19th birthday, ...
Enviar um comentário
Ler mais