Queen Maria II of Portugal

 

Queen Maria the Second became the Queen of Portugal (for the first time) at the age of 7 years old. Sounds crazy right?! In 1808, Napoleon’s troops were advancing into Portugal, so the royal family went to Paris, effectively abandoning their people. When her father became king of Portugal in 1826, he quickly abdicated giving the throne to Maria. She was then engaged to marry her uncle when she came of age. However, as soon as her uncle arrives 2 years later, he deposes of her and claims that he is king. This begins the Liberal Wars in Portugal. This power struggle is not resolved until she is 15, in 1835, when she is restored to the throne and becomes Queen of Portugal for the second time. Her second reign continues to involve political unrest, but she is still able to make important contributions to her country. 

Queen Maria was an advocate for two main causes. She really fought for good public health standards in order to avoid cholera and other disease. This changed the landscape of Portugal’s public health practices and systems and curbed the spread of cholera throughout her country. Queen Maria’s other cause was education. She made a heavy push for widespread education for all the people in Portugal. She wanted the level of education throughout Portugal to be higher. I think that both of these contributions are absolutely wonderful and show where her priorities lay - with her people.  Unfortunately, she died in chil birth at the age of 34 years old. I wonder what more she could have achieved if she had the opportunity. 

I think that Queen Maria has been commemorated in some ways by the people of Portugal, but there is more that they could do. We were able to pass by the National Theater - Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II that is named for her. This theater is one of the most prestigious venues in Portugal and is located in the center of the square. I think that this is a fitting tribute to her because the arts are an important part of education and that was one of her passions. We didn’t go in, but from what I could find there isn’t anything specifically about her in the theater. I think that they could have a plaque or a statue of her located somewhere where people could learn about her and her important contributions. 

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_II_of_Portugal