John VI of Portugal

John VI
King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves later King of Portugal and the Algarves
Reign	20 March 1816 – 10 March 1826
Predecessor	Maria I
Successor	Pedro IV
Emperor of Brazil (titular)
Reign	15 November 1825 – 10 March 1826
Duke of Braganza
Tenure	11 September 1788 – 20 March 1816
Predecessor	Joseph II
Successor	Pedro I
Spouse	Carlota Joaquina of Spain
Issue
Maria Teresa, Princess of Beira Francisco António, Prince of Beira Maria Isabel, Queen of Spain Pedro IV Infanta Maria Francisca Infanta Isabel Maria Miguel I Infanta Maria da Assunção Infanta Ana de Jesus Maria, Duchess of Loulé
Full name
João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael
House	House of Braganza
Father	Peter III of Portugal
Mother	Maria I of Portugal
Born	13 May 1767(1767-05-13) Lisbon, Portugal
Died	10 March 1826(1826-03-10) (aged 58) Lisbon, Portugal
Burial	Royal Pantheon of the Braganza Dynasty
Religion	Roman Catholicism

John VI (Portuguese: João VI ; 13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826) was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (later changed to just King of Portugal and the Algarves, after Brazil was recognized independent in 1825). Before his accession, he bore the titles of Duke of Braganza and Duke of Beja, as well as the title of Prince of Brazil. As the Portuguese sovereign, he was also sovereign of the Portuguese Colonial Empire.

He was born in Lisbon in 1767 as an infante (prince not heir to the throne) of Portugal. His father was Peter III of Portugal, and his mother was Queen Maria I. Eventually, he succeeded his mother as monarch of Portugal.

Before acceding to the Portuguese Throne, John served, from 1799, as Prince Regent of Portugal (and later as Prince Regent of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves), due to the mental illness of his mother, the Queen.

Early life and regency

João as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil.

John was the second son of Queen Maria I of Portugal (known as Princess of Brazil at the time of his birth) and her husband (and uncle), King Peter III of Portugal (known as Infante of Portugal at the time of his birth). His full name was João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael. His parents ascended the throne of Portugal in 1777. John's elder brother, Joseph died in 1788, so John became the heir apparent and received the title of Prince of Brazil and 15th Duke of Braganza.

In 1799 John assumed the reins of government as prince regent in the name of his widowed mother, who had declined into mental illness (perhaps due to porphyria).^{[citation needed]} He retained this position until his mother's death in 1816. John had been brought up in an ecclesiastical atmosphere, and being naturally of a somewhat weak and helpless character, he was ill-adapted for the responsibilities he was called on to undertake. His wife, Charlotte of Spain, dominated him. In 1807, Portugal was invaded by France. At the urging of Britain, the whole Portuguese royal family fled to Brazil, accompanied by an escort of British ships. His court in exile was established in Rio de Janeiro.

King of Portugal

Portrait of João as King of Portugal.

In 1816 John was recognized as king of Portugal after his mother's death, but he continued to reside in Brazil, which he had raised to the status of a kingdom on 16 December 1815. The consequent spread of dissatisfaction in Portugal resulted in the peaceful Revolution of 24 August 1820, and the proclamation of a constitutional government, to which John swore fidelity on his return to Portugal in 1821. In the same year, and again in 1823, he had to suppress a rebellion led by his younger son Miguel, whom he was ultimately compelled to banish in 1824.

Meanwhile his elder son and heir-apparent, Peter, declared Brazilian independence from Portugal on 7 September 1822, and subsequently declared himself Emperor Pedro I. John refused to recognize Brazilian independence until 29 August 1825, where he was also granted the title "Emperor of Brazil", a peace offering from John's son, the new emperor Pedro I, for his father's recognizing of Brazil's sovereignty. John's subsequent restoration of Peter to the succession led to the belief that Brazil and Portugal would be reunited in a dual monarchy federation after his own death. João died at Lisbon on 26 March 1826, and was briefly succeeded by Peter (as King Peter IV). Recent tests made to John's intestines, which had been kept buried in a vase, demonstrated that he may have died due to arsenic poisoning. His body currently rests in the Pantheon of the Braganzas at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora.

Legacy

Despite many tribulations throughout his reign, king John VI left a lasting mark especially in Brazil, where he patronised the arts, reorganised economy and created several important institutions and public services that sedimented national autonomy, being considered by many writers the true mastermind of the modern Brazilian state. Among these institutions many were pioneering in the Americas and are still in existence, such as the Bank of Brazil, the Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Medical School and the National Library of Brazil. Nonetheless, he continues being one of the more cartoonish characters of the Luso-Brazilian history, accused, among other things, of laziness, lack of political acumen and constant indecision, not to mention his person, often described as grotesque. But, according to recent researches, such an image is at best controversial and in most cases unfair, based on unreliable sources.

Marriages and descendants

John married Carlota Joaquina of Spain (25 April 1775 – 7 December 1830) in 1785 and had several children:^{[citation needed]}

Name	Birth	Death	Notes
Maria Teresa, Princess of Beira	29 April 1793	17 January 1874	Married first her cousin Pedro Carlos de Borbón y Bragança, Infante of Spain and Portugal and second to Carlos, Infante of Spain, widower of her sister Maria Francisca.
Francisco António, Prince of Beira	21 March 1795	11 June 1801	Died at the age of 6, making his younger brother, Pedro, the heir-apparent to the throne of Portugal.
Infanta Maria Isabel	19 May 1797	26 December 1818	Married Ferdinand VII, King of Spain.
Peter IV of Portugal, I of Brazil	12 October 1798	24 September 1834	Stayed in Brazil after the Peninsular War in Portugal. Proclaimed the Independence of Brazil in 1822 and became its first monarch as Emperor Peter I. He was also King of Portugal as Peter IV in 1826.
Infanta Maria Francisca	22 April 1800	4 September 1834	Married Carlos, Infante of Spain (his first marriage).
Infanta Isabel Maria	4 July 1801	22 April 1876	Served as regent of Portugal from 1826 to 1828; died unmarried
Miguel I	26 October 1802	14 November 1866	Known by the Liberals as the Usurper, he was King of Portugal between 1828 and 1834. He was forced to abdicate after the Liberal Wars.
Infanta Maria da Assunção	25 June 1805	7 January 1834	Died unmarried
Infanta Ana de Jesus Maria, Duchess of Loulé	23 October 1806	22 June 1857	Married Nuno José Severo de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Marquis and then Duke of Loulé and had issue.

References

• (Portuguese)Loyola, Leandro (30 January 2008), "A nova história de Dom João VI", Revista Época (506) .
• (Portuguese) Martins, Ismênia de Lima, "Dom João – Príncipe Regente e Rei – um soberano e muitas controvérsias", Revista Navigator (11): 39 .

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "John VI". Encyclopædia Britannica. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 444. http://www.archive.org/stream/encyclopaediabri15chisrich#page/444/mode/1up. 

John VI of Portugal House of Braganza Cadet branch of the House of Aviz Born: 13 May 1767 Died: 26 March 1826
Regnal titles
Preceded by Maria I	King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves 1816–1822	Brazil secedes to from the United Kingdom
Preceded by Title last held by Joseph I of Portugal	King of Portugal and the Algarves 1822–1826	Succeeded by Peter IV
Preceded by Peter I	Emperor of Brazil (titular) 1825-1826	Succeeded by Peter I