Portuguese And Brazilian Royals Remember Queen Maria I

Two weeks ago Portuguese and Brazilian royals gathered in Lisbon to remember Queen Maria I of Portugal, Brazil and The Algarves. On March 20th it was 200 years ago that the monarch died. The queen is known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and as Maria the Mad in Brazil. The latter being a reference to her mental detoriation.

The Queen married her uncle prince Pedro of Portugal. After his death in 1786 the queen’s mental state became increasingly worse. In 1792 she was deemed insane and her son -the future king João VI- took over as regent (a title he only started using in 1799).

To remember her passing in 1816, two descendents gathered in Lisbon: Prince Afonso of de Bragança, prince of Beira and heir to the defunct Portuguese throne, and Prince Gabriel of Orleans-Bragança. The latter represented his august uncle, Dom Luís of Orleans-Bragança, chef of the Brazilian Imperial family.

On Sunday the 20th of March Prince Gabriel and the Prince of Beira attended a mass in the Estrela Basilica of Lisbon to remember their common anscestor. After the mass the two placed a wreath of yellow flowers. The Duchess of Bragança was also in attendance.

On the 21st of March prince Gabriel went to the literary society of Lisbon wher ehe read a message from his uncle Dom Luís of Orleans-Bragança. There were several lectures about queen Maria I. Among the attendees was also Dom Francisco de Bragança Van Uden, son of Princess Maria Adelaida of Portugal.

On tuesday the 22nd of March prince Gabriel visited the academy of sciences in Lisbon where he posed with a buste of of his anscestor emperor Pedro I of Brazil (also known as King Pedro IV of Portugal.

Information from blog real. Photos here.

Filed under Brazil, Portugal
Tagged Anniversary, Death, House of Orleans-Bragança, Maria I of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, Mass, Prince Afonso of Braganca, Prince Gabriel of Orleans-Bragança, The Duchess of Bragança.