Maria Leopoldina of Austria
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| Maria Leopoldina of Austria | |
| Empress Consort of Brazil Queen Consort of Portugal Archduchess of Austria |
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| Reign | 1 December 1822 - 11 December 1826 |
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| Full name | Maria Leopoldina Josefa Carolina de Habsburgo |
| Born | January 22, 1797 |
| Birthplace | Vienna |
| Died | December 11, 1826 (aged 29) |
| Place of death | Rio de Janeiro |
| Consort to | Pedro I |
| Issue | Maria da Glória of Portugal Pedro II of Brazil Princess Francisca of Brazil Princess Januária of Brazil Paula Mariana of Braganza João Carlos of Braganza Miguel of Braganza |
| Royal House | Habsburg |
| Father | Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor |
| Mother | Maria Teresa of the Two Sicilies |
Archduchess Maria Leopoldina Josepha Caroline of Austria (Portuguese: Maria Leopoldina da Áustria; German: Erzherzogin Maria Leopoldine von Österreich ) (22 January 1797 – 11 December 1826), Empress consort of Pedro I of Brazil, and, for two months, simultaneously Queen consort of Portugal.
She was born in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, and his second wife, Maria Teresa of the Two Sicilies. Among her many siblings were Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria and Archduchess Marie Louise, the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.
In 1817 she sailed to Brazil to marry the future crown prince of Portugal, Dom Pedro of Alcântara. The Portuguese royal family had been living there in exile for ten years, as a result of the Napoleonic Wars. Leopoldine was highly cultured, fluent in six languages, and very interested in the natural sciences. In the years that followed she brought several researchers and biologists to her new homeland, starting with Johann Baptist von Spix, Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, and Johann Natterer, who accompanied her in 1817.
When his father, King João VI, returned to Lisbon in 1821, Dom Pedro chose to remain in Brazil with Leopoldine and their children. In 1822, Dom Pedro headed Brazil's declaration of independence from Portugal, and was crowned as the country's Emperor. Princess Leopoldina thus became Brazil's first Empress consort. She also played an important role on the Declaration of Independence process. The princess found out that Portugal was preparing an action against Brasil and, having no time to wait for D. Pedro's return, Leopoldina, advised by José Bonifácio, and using its interim power, met on September 2nd 1822 with the State of Council, signed the Independence decree, declaring Brasil separated from Portugal. The Empress sent her husband a letter demanding him to announce the Independência do Brasil and warned him, "The fruit is ready, it's time to harvest."
When his father died, on 10 March 1826, Pedro inherited the Portuguese throne as King Pedro IV, while remaining Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. However, only two months later, he was forced to give up the Portuguese throne to his seven-year-old daughter Maria, But for a couple of months, Leopoldine was both Empress consort in Brazil and Queen consort in Portugal.
Leopoldine and Pedro had seven children before she died in 1826 following a a miscarriage:
- Queen Maria II da Glória of Portugal (1819-1853), following Pedro's devotion to Our Lady of Glória
- Miguel, Prince of Brazil (1820).
- João Carlos, Prince of Brazil (1821-1822).
- Januária (1822-1901), named after the city of Rio de Janeiro, married Prince Louis of Two Sicilies (1824-1897), son of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies.
- Paula Mariana (1823-1833).
- Francisca Carolina (1824-1898) married François d'Orleans, prince of Joinville (1818-1900), son of Louis-Philippe King of the French.
- Emperor Pedro II of Brazil (1825-1891), married Princess Teresa of the Two Sicilies (1822-1889), the youngest daughter of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies.
- Miscarriage (11 December 1826).
The largest railway station in Rio de Janeiro is named Imperatriz Leopoldina after her.
[edit] Ancestors
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Maria Leopoldina of Austria
Born: 22 January 1797 Died: 11 December 1826 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| New title |
Empress consort of Brazil 26 March – 28 May 1826 Served alongside: Emperor Pedro I |
Vacant
Title next held by
Teresa of the Two Sicilies |
| Preceded by Charlotte of Spain |
Queen consort of Portugal 26 March – 28 May 1826 Served alongside: King Pedro IV (= Emperor Pedro I of Brazil) |
Succeeded by Auguste de Beauharnais |
[edit] External links
- Article by Princess Michael of Kent about Leopoldine Retrieved 26 January 2006
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