The daughters of Joseph I of Portugal

[Mari]

Continuing:

In 1792, the ministers concluded that their Queen was mad and turned to her only surviving son, the amiable Joao, with the request to "assume the direction of public affairs". In the meantime, they summoned Dr. Francis Willis, who had treated George III of Great Britain, to come to Portugal in order to treat the Queen. At first Maria seemed to show some signs of improvement, but they did not continue for long. Soon, she took a turn for the worse. Willis left Portugal in 1793 without realising any improvement in her condition.
In 1795, a fire destroyed the Ajuda Palace and the whole court moved to Queluz. There, Maria often lay all day behind closed shutters, her quarters resounding with her demented cries. At times, she ran about the palace corridors pitifully wailing "Ai Jesus!" in a state of delirium. Beckford wrote: "The most agonising shrieks - shrieks such as I hardly conceived possible - inflicted on me a sensation of horror such as I had never felt before. The Queen, herself, whose apartment was only two doors off from the chambers where we were sitting, uttered those dreadful sounds, "Ai Jesus. Ai Jesus!" did she exclaim again and again in the utterances of agony."

In 1799, good-natured Joao was officially named Prince Regent. He was a clumsily built, lethargic and awkward youth, who had never been known to loose his temper, and yawned at parties. Joao always carried in his pocket 2 small boxes, one containing snuff and the other grilled chicken's legs to gnaw at idle moments. He had already fathered 4 children with his young bride, the Spanish Carlota Joaquina, who was known as "the ugliest royal ever" with bloodshot eyes, a hooked noose, bluish lips, uneven teeth and "unruly and dirty hair" - even on her hands. She stood hardly more than 4 feet, 6 inches in height.

Napoleon invaded Portugal in 1807 and the Royal family fled, carrying the Royal gold, state papers and art treasures with them. The convoy of coaches and mule carts was accompanied by shierks of "Ai Jesus!". On November 29th, a wind sprang up from the east and the ships finally sailed off. When the French entered Lissabon, they were still in sight of the shore. Heavy storms raged for several days, shattering the convoy, and the entire court suffered from seasickness. The mad Queen, however, seemed to benefit from the sea air.
The ship landed in Bahia, Brazil, on January 22, but it was not until March 7, that the Royal Family entered Rio de Janairo. The Brazilians welcomed the Braganças warmly, but Maria was terrified of the natives prancing around her chair. She screamed that she was in hell with devils pursuing her. Afterwards, the Royal family settled in a rich planter's estate near Rio the Janero and Maria was confined to an old convent of the Carmelites. There she died in March 1816. Her only surviving child became King Joao VI.

1 The Távoras refused to leave prison until their innocence was proclaimed.
2 Maria had refused to have him vaccinated.
Bibliography Sources:

    * Livermore, H.V.: A new history of Portugal, Cambridge University Press, 1976
    * Opfel, O.S.: Queens, Empresses, Grand Duchesses and Regents (Women Rulers of Europe AD 1328-1989), McFarland & Company, 1989
    * Cheke, M.: Carlota Joaquina (Queen of Portugal), Books for Libraries Press, 1969
    * Bivar Guerra , L. de: Die Braganza, in: Die große Dynastien, Südwest Verlag München, 1978
    * Williamson, D.: Kings and Queens of Europe, Webb & Bower, 1988
    * Ragsdale, H.: Tsar Paul and the question of madness, Greenwood Press, 1988

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kvenjb/madmonarchs/maria1/maria1_bio.htm

[Mari]

This source gives lots of information but to add to this discussion of the Sisters of Maria I here is this: I have put ? or undecided if the information differed...

All of the talents of the Braganza family was said to be entrusted in Donna Maria Anna, second of Joseph's Daughters. Shorter and thicker in her Person than the Princess of Brazil She was more agreeable in her countenance  possessing a ruddy complexion  as well as a more animated expression of features.   Her mind was likewise expanded and her understanding cultivated by polite knowledge.    Many of her hours were dedicated to reading and she was regarded as superior to bigotry. In addition to these solid endowments she joined great taste and skill in music with a fine voice. though the most accomplished of the three Sisters she was nevertheless doomed to remain unmarried at their Father's Court having attained in 1762 her thirty-sixth  year. 

Nature had in some respects been more bountiful to the third ? Princess Donna Maria Benedicta who was likewise considerable younger being only six and twenty years old at this time. Though low in stature, clumsy and much inclined to embonpoint her face was very handsome; her eyes dark and eloquent, her complexion fair, the contour of her countenance rather round that oval, and her features small as well as delicate. but she was not considered to possess the superiority of mind that distinguished Maria Anna. About seven years before the time of which I speak a treaty of marriage had been set upon between this Princess and Emperor Joseph II who was then recently become a Widower by the death of his first wife, a daughter of Don Phillip, Duke of Parma. The negotiations proceeded so far that preparations were made for transporting her from Lisbon to Flanders in her way to Vienna: and a ship constructed  expressly for the purpose in the Brazalia magnificently decorated lay waiting in the Tagus. (unsure of word)  But the intrigues and exertions of the old Dowager queen  of Spain, Mother of Charles III, and Grandmother of the Princess herself, who was incensed at the endeavors of the Marquise de Pombel, to assume the exclusive merit of this alliance rendered the plan abortive.

Wraxall's Historical Memoirs
http://books.google.com/books?id=Cq8RAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA82&dq=Joseph+I+of+Portugal+and+his+daughters&lr=&ei=w77oR-faNozcygTM9tDfCQ#PPA83,M1

[beladona]

Maria Anna as a bride for Emperor Joseph II? Very interesting information!! Maybe she could have more luck then poor Maria Josepha of Bavaria, Emperors´second wife...

[YaBB_Jose]

oh dear, I have Francisco down as a cruel man who enjoyed shooting sailors as they saluted...however Antonio as a quiet man and great scholar....? I also have a note that Francisco had 2 children by Mariana da Silveira, one of whom , Joao da ben Posta married a niece of 3 Duke of Cadaval

You are partially right.
D.Francisco was a cruel, D.António was what we call "sonso", doing the job but leaving others to "pay for the bill".
He was indeed a scholar and in his youth he was inclined to music.
AFAIK D.João V "imported" Domenico Scarlatti to teach him, but due to the progressive lack of interest of his pupil, he was assigned to Princess D.Maria Bárbara, who took him under her wing when she became Queen of Spain.

Where do you come from ?

If you can read portuguese, here are some interesting links on the 3 brothers, one with a picture.
I also add the site of D.Pedro II that escaped from my last post.


D.Pedro II
http://www.geneall.net/P/per_page.php?id=4191


Infante D.Francisco:
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco%2C_Duque_de_Beja
his picture:
http://geneweb.inria.fr/roglo?lang=pt;i=299549

Infante D.António:
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant%C3%B3nio_de_Bragan%C3%A7a_%281695%29

Infante D.Manuel:
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_de_Bragan%C3%A7a%2C_Infante_de_Portugal

[Norbert]

thank you very much Jose. very interesting.