Maria II of Portugal and her family

[cimbrio]

These are Queen Maria II's children. I'd like to know about them and also about her two husbands, Auguste de beauharnais (1810-1835), whom she amrried the year he died, and Ferdinand (later Fernando II) of Saxe-Coburg-Koháry, Queen Victoria's first cousin (1816-1885). Their children were:

-Pedro V of Portugal (1837-1861), died a widower. He ahd married Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1837-1859). Did she ever miscarry or become pregnant? I know she was young but... They both died of tiphoid didn't they?
-Luis I (1838-1889), whose son and grandson were murdered in 1908.
-Joao Maria Fernano Pedro de Alcantara Miguel Raphael Gabriel Leopoldo Carlos Antonio Gregorio Francisco d'Assis Borja Gonzaga Felix (1842-1861), died the same year as his father the King. What of? What did he look like, and what was he like?
-Maria Anna (1843-1884), died aged 40 after giving birth to 8 children in 15 years.
-Antonia (1845-1913), mother of the future Ferdinand I of Romania.
-Fernao Maria Luiz Miguel Raphael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco d'Assis Antonio Apollinario (1846-1861) also died in 1861! What of?
-Augusto (1847-1889) died unmarried.
Any info at all on this not very happy family? Pics?

Thanks D~

[Prince_Christopher]

Maria's first husband was Augustus Charles Eugene Napoleon de Beauharnais (1810-1835). He was the eldest son of Eugene de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg (adopted and step-son of Napoleon), and Princess Augusta Amalia of Bavaria.  Augustus sister, Amelie Auguste, was the stepmother of Maria, having married Maria's father, Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil, in 1829. I remember reading somewhere that Augustus got sick either on his way to Portugal or shortly after arriving there. His death was a cruel blow to Maria, as I believe she was very much in love with him. His death was also a bitter disappointment to the de Beauharnais clan.

[Prince_Christopher]

Maria's second husband was Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Kohary (1816-1885), son of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg (who was uncle to both QV and Albert) and his wife the very rich Hungarian Princess Antonia Kohary.  Maria married Ferdinand in 1836, after having been widowed at age 16 the previous year. Queen Victoria and Albert from this point on maintained close relations with the Portuguese Royal Family. Unlike his cousin Albert, who was only made a Prince Consort, Ferdinand was made titular King of Portugal, reigning with his wife as Ferdinand II.  After Maria II died in childbirth in 1853, Ferdinand was later married to an Elizabeth Hensler (in 1869).

As for Maria's children:

Peter V and Stephanie: I've heard of no pregnancies of this couple, Peter I know died of typhoid, I'm not sure of Stephanie. Both died so young, Peter in 1861 and Stephanie in 1859.

Louis, succeeded his brother and married Maria Pia of Italy (dau. of Victor E. II), they had two sons:   Charles, who along with his eldest son Louis Philip were assassinated in 1908; and Alfonso, who married a Nevada Hayes (an American, I think).

John, Duke of  Beja  1842-1861, I believe he also died of typhoid.

Mary Anne married King George of Saxony and had a large family.

Antonia married Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Among her descendants are King Ferdinand of Roumania and his brood. She had another son, William, who was the father of Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern who married the last and exiled king of Portugal, Emanuel II. They remained childless and Emanuel died fairly young in England.

Ferdinand 1846-1861. He would have only been 15 at his death.  I'm not sure, but I believe I've read that there was a typhoid epedemic in Portugal, and this son may have also been a victim. I remember reading that these deaths were one of the blows that contributed to the death of Prince Albert in 1861.

Augustus, Duke of Coimbra 1847-1889. I have no information on this son.


Hardly a stable dynasty.

[David_Pritchard]

Was not Dom Miguel I the first husband of Dona Maria II? I do not think the marriage was ever consumated because of her young age but they were married if for only a short time. I assume that this marriage was annulled after her father Dom Pedro I of Brazil won the Civil War against her husband-uncle.

DAP

[Prince_Christopher]

I do remember that marriage between Maria II and Dom Miguel was at one time considered, but I thought it had never went through.

[cimbrio]

I think they were actually betrothed but never married, sicne he tried to usurpe the throne before (I think).

[Eurohistory]

The idea was to marry Miguel to his niece Maria II and have them rule jointly, but Miguel jumped the gun and proclaimed himself King of Portugal when Maria II was 9 years of age. This led to the ar of succession which Pedro IV eventually won.

Hence Maria's first husband was August of Leuchtenberg and not Miguel I.

Also, and this is a mistake commonly made by most, there is NO Saxe-Coburg-Kohary family.  The name of this branch was never actually changed after the marriage of Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Antonia von Kohary.  What one can do to differentiate between this junior, and Catholic line, and the others is refer to them as Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Kohary Line).  No members of the Catholic brach ever used the SCKohary name as a title or last name.

Arturo Beéche

[YaBB_Jose]

As for Maria's children:

D.Pedro V died of typhoid,in 1861

John, Duke of  Beja  1842-1861, I believe he also died of typhoid.

Antonia married Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. .

Ferdinand 1846-1861.

Augustus, Duke of Coimbra 1847-1889. I have no information on this son.

Infanta D. Maria Anna married the Pr. of Saxony in 1859.
Then in 1861 Infanta D. Antonia married the Pr. of Hohenzollern .
D. Antónia was the most cheerful and favourite sister of her brothers and when she left the country they fell so sad that the king decided they  should go on a hunting trip to Vila Viçosa where the family had a large palace and a game park.
Apparently all of them drank polluted water from a well and began to feel sick.
D. Fernando was the first to die on Nov, 6.
Then on Nov, 11 the king died.
Infante D.João, duke of Beja, died on Dec, 27.
D.Luis escaped because, as a navy officer, he went with D. Antónia to Germany.
Infante D. Augusto almost died like his brothers but he was saved by an Indian doctor with some strange potions.He was slightly retarded which was officially due to the herbs he had taken.
He never married although at a certain time there were plans to marry him to one of Queen Isabel II's daughters.
He always lived with his father and step-mother.
He was created Duke of Caminha.

Queen D. Maria had many other children who did not survive:
3. D. Maria (b.+d. 4.10.1840)
9. D. Leopoldo (b.+d. 7.5.1849)
10. D. Maria (b.+d. 3.2.1851)
11. D. Eugénio (b.+d.. 15.11.1853) whose birth caused the queen's death.

José

[Grand_Duke]

Apparently all of them drank polluted water from a well and began to feel sick.
D. Fernando was the first to die on Nov, 6.
Then on Nov, 11 the king died.
Infante D.João, duke of Beja, died on Dec, 27.
D.Luis escaped.
Infante D. Augusto almost died like his brothers

This quick sucession of deaths shocked everybody and many people suspected they were caused by poison which led to a great riot in Lisbon.

[YaBB_Jose]

True.
And they all blamed the Prime-Minister, the duke of Loulé, who was D.Pedro V's great-uncle as he married Infanta D. Ana de Jesus Maria.
People say he wanted to place in the throne his own son, so they ravaged his palace and a few more.
I think I read the duke had taken refuge in the british or french embassy

José

[Bernardino]

Hello...

Actually the future King Luis I was on trip with his brother the Duke of Beja...Things happened like this:

While they're travelling the other three brothers (King Pedro V, Inft Fernando and Inft Augusto) all got sick...Inft Fernando was the first to die on Nov 6th, then a few days later was the Kings turn (Nov 11th)...Dom Augusto was badly sick and his life in serious danger (it's notorious that he had always benn the less healthy of the brothers, and when he was born, he was baptised very quickly...because his life expectancy was very short, but he survived)...

With the Kings death and Luis not present in Portugal, ther King Consort became the regent (for 14 days)...When Luis arrived on Lisbon harbour (not knowing the facts) the officials that came on board saluted him as 'Your Majesty'...In dismay Luis said "Ai o meu pobre Pedro!" ('My poor Pedro!')...

Dom João was the second in the line of succession now...but he also contracted the dease which had killed the brothers and died Dec 27th.

Augusto continued to be very sick till a Portuguese doctor of Indian origin tried a last measure...to take Augusto out of Lisbon, to another environment...this last resource measure was probably his salvation...

Augusto (cr Duke of Coimbra at 18 years old) was never the same, he had a quiet army officer life and was always attached to his papa, with whom he lived. He died unmarried, and I don't know if there was ever marriage projects.

Maria II's only children not to get sick were Luis and his sisters (which were already married in Germany)...

[Bernardino]

Maria II was first married to her uncle (then just Infant Dom Miguel) by proxy at Vienna, 29 Oct 1826. They had the dispensation of His Holiness Pope Leo XII.

With the following events and during the civil war they were legally bounded as 'future' husband and wife. After the final defeat of (now) King Dom Miguel I, His Excellency the Patriarch of Lisbon, nullified the marriage (Lisbon, 1 Dec 1834). The same day she married by proxy the Duke of Leuchtenberg and Santa Cruz.

[Grand_Duke]

Dom João was the second in the line of succession now...but he also contracted the dease which had killed the brothers and died Dec 27th.

What I find strange in this story is that Dom João was travelling abroad when his brothers felt sick and died of typhoid. After João arrived to Portugal, he also felt sick and died of the SAME disease as his brothers.

How did João get sick?

I search on internet and found that "typhoid is transmitted by food or water contaminated with feces from an infected person".
So, João was contaminated by his surviving brother Augusto.

Too sad.  

[Bernardino]

It was indeed very sad...a dynasty with so many princes ready to make wonderful marriages...and in a few months everything turned into tragedy...

[Callasboy]

What sort of information and photobiography is there available regarding D. Fernando and the Countess of Edla? I've been doing some research but haven't been very successful...