THE DEATH OF THE KING OF PORTUGAL, K.G.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XVII, Issue 1722, 1 February 1862, Page 4

THE DEATH OF THE KING OF PORTUGAL, K.G.

'(From the Morning Post.*]

AVe have to recon] this day the premature death of his Most Faithful Majesty Dom Pedro V., King of Portugal and Algarves, a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and a Knight Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. The melancholy event took place at Lisbon. His Majesty had contracted an ague and typhus fever from a visit to the Alemtejo after the first autumnal rains, and after a few days* illness has yielded to the attack. Many circumstances connected with the life of the youthful Sovereign thus cut off in his2sth year—notably themotberly affeation shown to him and his brother by our Queen, when they visited this country in 1854— will cause his premature death to be much regretted in this country, Dom Pedro V., born September 16, 1837, was the eldest son of Prince Ferdinand Augustus Anthony Francis of Saxe-Coburg, by Maria 11. da Gloria, Queen of Portugil, and rejoiced in the possession of fourteen Christian names, ” Maria Fernando Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Jollo Antonio Leopoldo Victor Francisco d’Assise Julio Amelio.” His father is the Prince-Consort’s first cousin ; and his paternal uncle, Prince Augustus, married a daughter of King Louis Phillippe and Queen Marie Amelie of France. The King of the Belgians and the lute Duchess of Kent were bis great uncle and great aunt, and the Empctot of Brazil was his uncle.

When the youthful Prince was but sixteen years old, his excellent mother died—under most distressing circumstances —in childbed, and Dom Pedro became King, November 15, 1853. Donna Maria, who was but thirty-four years old nt her death, was about six weeks older than our Queen, with whom she bad made acquaintance in her youth. Her father, Dom Pedro I. of Brazil, eldest son of John VI. of Portugal, became, hy choice of the people, Emperor of Brazil in 1822, when that colony separated from Portugal. In 1826 he succeeded his father as King of Portugal ; but the Brazilians, who had revolted from the centralising system of Portugal, and feared lest, by the union of the two crowns, the baled system would be perpetuated, showed symptoms of discontent, and the King abdicated in favour of his daughter, then seven years old, he being regent during her minority. Hnw she was betrothed to her uncle Don Miguel, bow die latter assumed the crown, and was not dispossessed of it till after a protracted struggle, are matters of history to justify the interest felt iu tbe youthful King and his mother. We only recall the fact that tbe Queen, exiled, came over to England in 1826; that she was saluted as queenrrgnam by onr shipping ; that she was loudly cheered during her journey to London, at Marlborough, Reading, and other places ; that the Duke of Wellington and Lord Aberdeen were foremost in paying their respects to her little Majesty; that on one day 200 Portuguese nobility and gentry took tbe oath of allegiance to her—tbe Queen replying to the royal addresses with grace and self-possession ; and that she was kindly welcomed by the Princess Victoria and her illustrious mother. After tbe capture of Lisbon by Dom Pedro she returned to Iter kingdom, and married, first, in 1835, Prince Augustus of Leuchtenberg, eldest son of Eugene Beaubarnais, who died two months after the auspicious event; secondly, in 1836, Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, by whom she had eiglft children, the late King being the eldest. Upon the death of Queen Maria da Gloria, the youthful King became a minor, ami King Ferdinand became Regent for his sou. Standing in tbe Chamber of Peets on the 19lh of November, four days after his bereavement, he took the oath of fidelity to the constitution, and promised to give bis son, then standing by his side, “ the lessons of a father, and the advice of a friend,” to make him wonhy of occupying “ the glorious throne of his august ancestors.” It was in express accordance with the wish of his mother that the young King and liis brother took the tour through Europe which brought them so much before Englishmen as youths of intelligence, thoughtfulness, and good disposition. The Portuguese squadron, the Mindello, the Saldanah, and the (Brazilian stcam-cotvelte), commanded by Baron de Lezarin, Port-Admiral of Lisbon, Was seen off Hurst Castle on the 2nd June, 1854. A vest concourse of people followed the squadron up the Tagus with enthusiastic cheers, for it gratified the Portuguese that the young King was going to visit free England. The King was introduced to the British public by the papers as a young man of exceedingly prepossessing manners ond exterior,” and no doubt the circumstances of bis bereavement rendered him an object of sympathy with us. Received by the Queen and Prince-Consort with cordial affection, they accompanied her Majesty to tbe philharmonic concerts, to tbe opera, to the French plays, to the opening of the Crystal Palace, to Ascot, to Lord Breadalbane’ssplendid ball, went to Etonspeeches (June 6) and were cheered with ardour by the demonstrative and generous boys, &c. In the City of London a’n address was presented to the King, and his Majesty replied, with much feeling and good sense, that ”be had undertaken the voyoge not for his amusement but for bis instruction, and for the purpose of fitting himself to guide hereafter the destinies of that ncble people over whom he was called to rule; and, in so doing, he did but execute the late Queen’s will.” He alluded to England as tbe “ most laitbful ally of Portugal,” and expressed the •• deepest feelings of gratitude and friendship to the Queen and Prince Albeit for their cordial and affectionate reception" of him and his btother. On the 26th June, be commenced a rapid lour in the manufacturing districts, studying electro-plating, gun making, papier-mache manufacture, and button.making at Birmingham, cast-steel and railway engine manufactures at Sheffield, cleaning and carding at Manchester, and so on. His Majesty (who travelled in the north as the Duke de Guimaraces) left England on the 3rd or 4th July. He and his brother then travelled to France, Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium. He assumed the reins of government November 16, 1855.

Naturally enough, in a brief reign of six tranquil years there is little to record. In 1848 the throne of Queen Meria da Gloria was safe th rough all the troubles of that year. The Queen, on closing the Cones in August, remarked that peace and order had not been once disturbed, “ neither bad there been any necessity for recurring to extraordinary measures or an infringement of constitutional forms, thanks to tbe good sense of the couctry. During his father’s regency treaties bod been concluded with France, Belgium, and South America favourable to navigation and commerce. Dom Pedro kept the Duke of Saldanlio, who bad held office for tbe last four years, still in power, but tbe Minister fell before tbe opposition of the Chamber of Peers, the King declining to create sufficient new Peers to make a majority. Then came the Ministry of Louie, and next, in 1857, the progressive one of D'Avilo. The young King-bad imbibed very liberal and

enlightened views of public policy, being especially conspicuous for his determination to keep the power and wealth of the Roman Catholic clergy within decent bounds, and there were many who fondly hoped for a noble career for Dom Pedro.

In 1858 two events of interest in the life of the King occurred. He had been betrothed to the Stephanie Frederica Wilhelmina, dfr'e mizr of Prince Anthony Charles of Hoben-Zohern-Sigmaringen (born July 15, 1837), and the marriage took place at Berlin (by proxy) on tbe 29th April, and at Lisbon on the 18th May. For the next week or ten days Lisbon was en/dte, fltgs living from every h<uve. grand balls at the Embassies, &c. On the 27th May'ttis Majesty was invested with tbe Order of the Garter • Belem, the Matquis of Bath and Sir Charles Young (Garter) being her Majesty’s Plenipotentiaries on tile occasion.

Tbe beautiful Queen of Portugal, whose charming fey’ 'res grace tbe “ Almanach de Gotha” for 1859,rd of sore-throat, July 16 in that year, being H'a days more than 22. There bad been some talk of the King marrying a daughter of the King of Italy, but it had of late died away. The crown of Portugal now conies to the next brother of tbe late King, tbe Duke of Oporto, a captain io the navy, in his 24th year.