Pedro V of Portugal

Peter V. (Portuguese Dom Pedro de Alcântara Maria Fernando Miguel Rafael Gonzaga Xavier João António Leopoldo Víctor Francisco de Assis Júlio Amelio de Saxe - Gotha e Bragança Coburgo - ) ( born September 16, 1837 in Lisbon, † November 11, 1861 in Lisbon ) was King of Portugal from the house of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, and reigned from 1853 to 1861.

Life

Peter V. was the eldest son of Queen Maria II of Portugal and whose husband Ferdinand II of Saxe -Coburg- Gotha. Because of the early death of his mother he mounted already as a 16- year-old Portuguese throne. During his minority, led his father, Ferdinand II, for him the regency, 1855, he began to rule independently.

In the same year he dismissed the Prime Minister, the Duke of Saldanha, who had a decisive influence on the Portuguese politics during the reign of his mother and the reign of his father for many years. Peter V. appointed to the Duke of Loulé of the Progressive Party for the first time since 1842 again a left-liberal politicians ( " Setembrist " ) head of government. While his parents had given one-sided conservative right-wing liberal politicians preference ( " Cartisten " regeneration Party) Peter V. began with a system that would be later called " Rotativismus " and was in the care that the representatives of both major parties alternately and about came for the same time to the government. This system was maintained by the successors of Peter and was by and large by the end of the Portuguese monarchy 1910.

1856/1857 Lisbon was struck by a terrible epidemic of cholera. Unlike many of the nobles and the wealthy Peter V. did not flee from the town, but visited hospitals and spoke to the sick consolation, without worrying about the risk of possible infection. Through this selfless behavior, the popularity of the young king rose Folk, Peter was "o rei santo ", the holy king, named.

1858 married King Peter V. Stephanie, nee Princess of Hohenzollern- Sigmaringen. The other King's reign was tragic. The young queen died only a year after their wedding. Because of this death and the death of a good friend of the king fell into a deep depression.

1861 affected the king and two of his brothers during a trip to a fever epidemic. First died, his younger brother Ferdinand, five days later, Peter himself, at the age of only 24 years. A few weeks later succumbed even Prince John, another younger brother of the disease.

Peter died without children. Therefore, the throne passed to another younger brother, Louis I of Portugal.

See also: History of Portugal, Chronology Portugal.