Portugal Monarch. She reigned as Queen of Portugal from 1826 to 1828 and from 1834 to 1853. She was the daughter of king Pedro IV of Portugal, who also reigned as Pedro I, emperor of Brazil. Her mother was Pedros first wife, Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria, daughter of the last Roman emperor Franz II. In March 1826 king João VI died, and a crisis was installed in Portugal. King João VI had a male heir, Pedro, but he had proclaimed the independence of Brazil in 1822 and he was now emperor of that country. João VI also had a second son, Miguel, but he was exiled in Austria after leading a number of rebellions against his father and his liberal regime. Subsequently Pedro was installed as king Pedro IV. He nominated his favorite daughter Isabel Maria as regent until "the legitimate heir returned to the kingdom". Only did he not specify who that legitimate heir was. Was it himself, the liberal emperor of Brazil or was it Miguel, the absolutist, exiled prince? Most people considered Pedro the legitimate heir, but nobody wanted him to unite the thrones of Portugal and Brazil again. Aware, that his brothers supporters were ready to bring Miguel back and put him on the throne, he decided for a more consensual option: he abdicated the throne to his eldest daughter, Maria da Glória (who was only 7 years old), and she should marry her uncle Miguel, who should accept the liberal constitution and act as regent until his niece was an adult.Miguel pretended to accept, but when he arrived to Portugal, he deposed Maria and proclaimed himself absolutist king. During his reign of terror, Maria travelled for many European courts. Pedro abdicated the Brazilian throne in 1834 and from a base in the Azores he attacked Miguel, forcing him to abdicate in 1834. Maria was thereupon restored to the throne, and an annulment of her marriage obtained. 1835, at the age of 15, she married August Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg. He died only 2 months later. Jan.1, 1836 she married the cultured and able prince Ferdinand von Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha who ruled with her as king consort. Marias reign saw a revolutionaary insurrection in May 1846, but this was crushed by royalist troops in Febuary 1847, and Portugal otherwise avoided the European upheavals of 1848. Maria's reign was also notable for a public health act aimed at curbing the spread of cholera throughout the country. She gave birth to 11 children.