Maria Leopoldina, Empress of Brazil
From Freepedia
Maria Leopoldina Josepha Caroline of Austria, archduchess of Austria, Empress consort of Brazil, was born in 1797 in Vienna, Austria. She was the daughter of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor and his second wife, Maria Theresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Among her many siblings were Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria and Marie Louise, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.
In 1817 she married Peter, heir to the throne of Portugal. Leopoldine was very cultured, and she took many researchers and biologists (including Johann Natterer) with her to Brazil, where the Portuguese Court lived in exile during the Napoleonic Wars.
Prince Peter remained in Brazil as regent upon the return of the Portuguese Court to Europe, together with Princess Leopoldine and their children. In 1822, Prince Peter led Brazil´s proclamation of independence, and was crowned as the country´s Emperor. Princess Leopoldina thus became Brazil´s first Empress-consort.
After Brazil's independence, and upon the death of his father, the Portuguese King Jonh VI on March 10th, 1926, the Brazilian Emperor also held the Portuguese throne briefly as Pedro IV of Portugal. Therefore, during that short period of time, Empress Leopoldine was also Queen-consort of Portugal.
Leopoldine gave Peter 7 children:
- Queen Maria II da Glória of Portugal, following Peter's devotion to Our Lady of Glória
- Michael (1820)
- John Charles (1821-1822)
- Januária (1822-1901), named after the city of Rio de Janeiro, married Prince Louis of Two Sicilies (b.1824-d.1897), son of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies.
- Paula Mariana (1823-1833)
- Frances Caroline (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 (b.1822-d.1889), the youngest daughter of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies.
She died in 1826, after a miscarriage. As also her daughter Maria II of Portugal died in childbirth, it has been suggested that they were not very enduring of constant childbirth.
The biggest railway station in Rio de Janeiro, is named Imperatriz Leopoldina after her.
