| Ferdinand II | |
|---|---|
 King Ferdinand in 1861 | |
| King of Portugal | |
| Reign | 16 September 1837 –15 November 1853 |
| Predecessor | Maria II |
| Successor | Pedro V |
| Co-monarch | Maria II |
| Prince consort of Portugal | |
| Tenure | 9 April 1836 –16 September 1837 |
| Regent of Portugal | |
| Regency | 15 November 1853 –16 September 1855 |
| Monarch | Pedro V |
| Born | Prinz Ferdinand von Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld (1816-10-29)29 October 1816 Palais Coburg,Vienna,Austrian Empire |
| Died | 15 December 1885(1885-12-15) (aged 69) Necessidades Palace,Lisbon, Portugal |
| Burial | 21 December 1885 Pantheon of the House of Braganza, Lisbon, Portugal |
| Spouses | |
| Issue Detail | Pedro V Luís I Infante João, Duke of Beja Maria Ana, Princess Georg of Saxony Antónia, Princess of Hohenzollern Infante Fernando Infante Augusto, Duke of Coimbra |
| House | Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry |
| Father | Ferdinand, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry |
| Mother | Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág et Szitnya |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature |  |
DomFerdinand II (German:Ferdinand August Franz Anton Koháry von Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha; 29 October 1816 – 15 December 1885), also known asFerdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and as "the King-artist" (Portuguese:o Rei-Artista),[1] wasKing of Portugal from 16 September 1837 to 15 November 1853 as thehusband and co-ruler ofQueen Maria II.
In keeping with Portuguese law, Ferdinand only became king after the birth of his first son,Prince Pedro, in 1837. Ferdinand's reign came to an end with the death of his wife in 1853, but he served asregent for his son and successor, King Pedro V, until 1855.
He retained the style and title of king even after the death of Maria II and her succession by their children Pedro V and thenLuís I. His sons were reigning kings, while Ferdinand himself was aking-father during their reigns.
Born Ferdinand August Franz Anton in Vienna on 29 October 1816, he was the eldest son ofPrince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld andPrincess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág et Szitnya, heiress to theHouse of Koháry. The younger Ferdinand grew up in several places: the family estates in modern-daySlovakia, the imperial court of Austria, and Germany. He was a nephew of KingLeopold I of Belgium, and thus a first cousin toLeopold II of Belgium andEmpress Carlota of Mexico, as well asQueen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her husbandPrince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In 1826, his title changed from Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld to Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, following the re-arrangement of the Saxon duchies.
According to Portuguese law, the husband of a queen regnant could only be titled king after the birth of an heir from that marriage; this was the reason Maria II's first husband,Auguste de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, never acquired the title of king. After the birth of their eldest son and heir, the futurePedro V of Portugal, Ferdinand was proclaimed King Dom Fernando II.
Although it was Maria who reigned by right, the royal couple formed an effective team during their joint reign, with Ferdinand reigning by himself during his wife's pregnancies.
Eventually, Maria II died as a result of the birth of their eleventh child, and Ferdinand II's reign ended. However, he would assume the regency of Portugal from 1853 to 1855, during the minority of his son King Pedro V.
Ferdinand was an intelligent and artistically minded man with modern and liberal ideas. He was adept at etching, pottery and painting aquarelles. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Sciences and the Arts, Lord Protector of the University ofCoimbra and Grand-Master of theRosicrucians.[which?][citation needed]
In 1838, he acquired the former Hieronymite monastery of Our Lady of Pena, which had been built by King Manuel I in 1511 on the top of the hill aboveSintra and had been left unoccupied since 1834, when the religious orders were suppressed in Portugal. The monastery consisted of the cloister and its outbuildings, the chapel, the sacristy and the bell tower, which today form the northern section of thePena National Palace (the "Old Palace").
Ferdinand began by making repairs to the former monastery, which, according to the historical sources of that time, was in poor condition. He refurbished the whole of the upper floor, replacing the fourteen cells used by the monks with larger-sized rooms and covering them with the vaulted ceilings that can still be seen today. In 1843, the king decided to enlarge the palace by building a new wing (the New Palace) with even larger rooms (one of them being the Great Hall), ending in a circular tower next to the new kitchens. The building work was directed by the Baron von Eschwege, a wild architectural fantasy in aneclectic style full of symbolism that could be compared with the castleNeuschwanstein of KingLudwig II of Bavaria. The palace was built in such a way as to be visible from any point in the park, which consists of a forest and luxuriant gardens with over five hundred different species of trees originating from the four corners of the earth. Ferdinand would spend his last years in this castle with his second wife, receiving the greatest artists of his time.
When he was 60, Ferdinand suffered from facialcancer that severely disfigured him and kept him away from public life. On 12 December 1885, due todouble vision caused by the tumor, he tripped when going down the stairs to the foyer of the São Carlos Theater, violently hitting his head against a wall and fell into a coma, dying three days after. In his will, he left almost all his assets to his second wife, which caused a public commotion.[2]
He rests next to Mary II, his first wife, in thePantheon of the House of Braganza, inSão Vicente de Fora,Lisbon.
On 9 April 1836, Ferdinand married QueenMaria II of Portugal. Eleven children were born to the royal couple before Maria died of complications due to childbirth in 1853. Ferdinand was destined to outlive eight of his eleven children. In late 1861, an attack of cholera or typhoid fever struck the royal family and Ferdinand suffered the tragedy of witnessing the death of three of his five surviving sons.
Later in his life, Ferdinand married again in Lisbon on 10 June 1869 to actressElisa Hensler (Neuchâtel, 22 May 1836 – Lisbon, Coração de Jesus, 21 May 1929).[3] Just before the marriage, she was styledGräfin (Countess) von Edla by Ferdinand's cousinErnest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The couple had no children.[4]
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ByMaria II of Portugal (4 April 1819 – 15 November 1853; married on 9 April 1836) | |||
| Pedro V | 16 September 1837 | 11 November 1861 | Succeeded his mother asKing of Portugal. |
| Luís I | 31 October 1838 | 19 October 1889 | Succeeded his brother asKing of Portugal. |
| Infanta Maria | 4 October 1840 | 4 October 1840 | Stillborn. |
| Infante João | 16 March 1842 | 27 December 1861 | Duke of Beja. Died of cholera in 1861. |
| Infanta Maria Ana | 21 August 1843 | 5 February 1884 | Married KingGeorge of Saxony and was the mother of KingFrederick August III of Saxony, and the maternal grandmother ofCharles I, the lastEmperor of Austria. |
| Infanta Antónia | 17 February 1845 | 27 December 1913 | MarriedLeopold, Prince of Hohenzollern and was the mother of KingFerdinand I of Romania. |
| Infante Fernando | 23 July 1846 | 6 November 1861 | Died of cholera in 1861. |
| Infante Augusto | 4 November 1847 | 26 September 1889 | Duke of Coimbra. |
| Infante Leopoldo | 7 May 1849 | 7 May 1849 | Stillborn. |
| Infanta Maria | 3 February 1851 | 3 February 1851 | Stillborn. |
| Infante Eugénio | 15 November 1853 | 15 November 1853 | Stillborn. |
| Ancestors of Ferdinand II of Portugal |
|---|
| Royal styles of King Fernando II of Portugal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Majesty |
Austrian Empire:Grand Cross of St. Stephen,1843[7]
Belgium: Grand Cordon of theOrder of Leopold,15 July 1835[8]
Empire of Brazil:
Denmark:Knight of the Elephant,12 April 1841[9]
Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of theSaxe-Ernestine House Order,December 1835[10]
Kingdom of France: Grand Cross of theLegion of Honour
Netherlands:Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion
Kingdom of Prussia:
Russian Empire:[12]
Kingdom of Sardinia:
Kingdom of Saxony:
Spain:Knight of the Golden Fleece,16 October 1838[15]
Sweden-Norway:Knight of the Seraphim, with Collar,15 February 1852[16]
Two Sicilies:Grand Cross of St. Ferdinand and Merit
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)Ferdinand II of Portugal Cadet branch of theHouse of Wettin Born: 13 May 1767 Died: 10 March 1826 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byas sole monarch | King of Portugal 16 September 1837 – 15 November 1853 withMaria II | Succeeded by |
| Portuguese royalty | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Auguste de Beauharnais | Prince consort of Portugal 9 April 1836 – 16 September 1837 | Vacant Title next held by Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringenas queen consort |
| House of Burgundy (1139–1383) | _-_Lesser.png) | |
|---|---|---|
| House of Aviz (1385–1580) | ||
| House of Habsburg (1581–1640) | ||
| House of Braganza (1640–1910) | ||
Debatable or disputed rulers are initalics. | ||
| 1st generation |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd generation | ||
| 3rd generation |
| |
The House of Saxe-Coburg and Braganza was not a recognized house in the formerKingdom of Portugal and monarchs following Maria II and Ferdinand II officially continued to be members of theHouse of Braganza | ||
