# A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Maria II. da Gloria Dona

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MARIA II. DA GLORIA DONA,
Princess de Beira and Queen of Portugal, was born in Rio de Janeiro, South America, May 3rd., 1819. Her father, Dom Pedro, was the Emperor of Brazil, and on the death of his father, John the Second, became nominally King of Portugal also, though that country was governed by the Infanta Isabella as regent. In May, 1826, Dom Pedro abdicated the Portuguese throne in favour of his daughter Maria, (he remaining king during her minority,) on condition of her marrying her uncle, Dora Miguel; but he being a fanatic in religion, and a violent enemy to the constitution Dom Pedro had granted, in short, a bigot and a tyrant, endeavoured, with the aid of Spain, to seize the throne, and reign absolute King of Portugal. Dom Pedro invoked the assistance of England in favour of his daughter, the young Maria, and after alternate victories and defeats, the Portuguese nation finally received Dona Maria as their queen in 1833.
Her father, who was regent, died in 1834; but previous to his decease, caused his daughter to be declared of age, though she was then only fifteen years old. He had selected the Dukes of Palmella and Terceira to be the leading members of her cabinet. But the young queen soon disagreed with these faithful supporters of her cause in the contest which had only so shortly before been brought to a close, and the Marshal Saldanha, who had placed himself at the head of the more liberal party, became prime minister. It was hoped that this step would tend to render the new government popular with the mass of the people, and to allay the party disputes which had begun to agitate the kingdom. The event was different from what was anticipated. No sooner did Saldanha undertake to control the violence of his friends, than he lost his own popularity, and the agitation in the community became more violent than before. A short time after her accession to the throne. Dona Maria had married the Duke Augustus, of Leuchtenberg, who died in March, 1835. In April, 1836, she was married again to the Duke Ferdinand, of Saxe-Coburg-Cohary. The latter did not make a favourable impression on the Portuguese; and the rejection of the queen's nomination of him to the Cortes, as commander-in​chief of the army, was the occasion of two successive dissolutions of that body, which, in their turn, contributed to aggravate the prevailing discontent. An insurrection at length broke out on the 9th. of September, 1836, and the greater portion of the troops passing over to the side of the insurgents, the queen was constrained to dismiss her ministers, and to abrogate tho existing constitution of government in favour of that of the year 1822. From November 4th., of this year, the government was entirely controlled by the National Guard of Lisbon, and the clubs. The "chartists," or adherents of the constitutional charter of Dom Pedro, under Saldanha and the Duke of Terceira, organized their forces in the north of the kingdom, and threatened the capital. They were obliged to capitulate on the 20th. of September, 1837. In the meanwhile, the extraordinary Cortes were assembled to form a new constitution, and they performed their task in a moderate and compromising spirit. Retaining the modes of election, and other democratic elements of the constitution of 1822, they conceded to the queen an unqualified veto in all matters of legislation. A difficulty next arose with England; a new Cortes was chosen, favourable to the views of the more moderate party, and the threatened storm passed over. A difference with Spain, which occurred soon after, was accommodated through the mediation of the British government. The reconciliation of the pope with the Court of Lisbon, as well as the acknowledgment of Dona Maria as Queen of Portugal by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, in 1841, were events that contributed to give stability to her throne.
In the commencement of 1842, the moderados or moderate party, made an attempt to re-establish the constitution of Dora Pedro, abrogated in 1836, and succeeded, through the co-operation of the troops stationed at Lisbon, on the 10th. of February, 1842. A new administration was immediately formed, having at its head the Duke of Terceira and Costa Cabral. It aimed to strengthen the alliance of Portugal with England, and to repair the disordered condition of the public finances. The economy that has been observed in the public expenditure, and the imposition of additional taxation, caused several attempts to effect the overthrow of the administration, but they were unsuccessful. An insurrection broke out in February, 1844, in a regiment stationed at Torres Novas, and was not finally suppressed till the end of April, in the same year. Yet, notwithstanding these tumults, Portugal is, on the whole, progressive, and the people are improving. These beneficial changes may be owing more to the good nature of the queen than to her great abilities; but she evidently desires to promote the happiness of her people; she is not a bigot; and the contrast between her character and that of Dom Miguel, should lead the Portuguese to thank Providence that Dona Maria is their sovereign. She is amiable and exemplary in her domestic relations, an affectionate wife, and tender mother to a large family of children, as the following list, which does not include the youngest, will show. The names of her children are Dom Pedro de Alcantara, heir of the throne, born September 16, 1837; Dom Luis Felipe, Duke of Oporto, born 1838; Dom Joao, Duke of Beja. born 1842; Dom Fernando, born 1846; Dom Augusto, born 1847. Dona Maria and Dona Antonia, the former born in 1843, and the latter in 1845, are the daughters of this queen of the land of Camoens.