Pedro II of Brazil

Pedro II
Photograph by Mathew Brady, c. 1876
Emperor of Brazil
Reign	7 April 1831 – 15 November 1889
Coronation	18 July 1841 Imperial Chapel
Predecessor	Pedro I
Successor	Monarchy abolished
Regents	See list (1831–1840)
Prime ministers	See list
Head of the Imperial House of Brazil
Tenure	7 April 1831 – 5 December 1891
Predecessor	Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil
Successor	Isabel, Princess Imperial
Born	(1825-12-02)2 December 1825 Palace of São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, Empire of Brazil
Died	5 December 1891(1891-12-05) (aged 66) Paris, France
Burial	5 December 1939 Cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara, Petrópolis, Brazil
Spouse	Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies ​ ​ (m. 1843; died 1889)​
Issue detail	Afonso, Prince Imperial Isabel, Princess Imperial Leopoldina, Princess Ludwig August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Pedro Afonso, Prince Imperial
Names Pedro de Alcântara João Carlos Leopoldo Salvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier de Paula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Habsburgo-Lorena e Bragança
House	Braganza
Father	Pedro I of Brazil
Mother	Maria Leopoldina of Austria
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature

This article is part of a series about Pedro II of Brazil
Early life (1825–40) Consolidation (1840–53) Growth (1853–64) Paraguayan War (1864–70) Apogee (1870–81) Decline and fall (1881–89) Exile and death (1889–91) Legacy
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Dom Pedro II (2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed the Magnanimous (Portuguese: O Magnânimo),^[1] was the second and last monarch of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years.^[a]

Pedro II was born in Rio de Janeiro, the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza (Portuguese: Bragança). His father's abrupt abdication and departure to Europe in 1831 left the five-year-old as emperor and led to a lonely childhood and adolescence, obliged to spend his time studying in preparation for rule. His experiences with court intrigues and political disputes during this period greatly affected his later character; he grew into a man with a strong sense of duty and devotion toward his country and his people, yet increasingly resentful of his role as monarch.

Pedro II inherited an empire on the verge of disintegration, but he turned Brazil into an emerging power in the international arena. The nation grew to be distinguished from its Hispanic neighbors on account of its political stability, freedom of speech, respect for civil rights, vibrant economic growth, and form of government—a functional representative parliamentary monarchy. Brazil was also victorious in the Platine War, the Uruguayan War, and the Paraguayan War, as well as prevailing in several other international disputes and domestic tensions. Pedro II pushed through the abolition of slavery despite opposition from powerful political and economic interests. The Emperor established a reputation as a vigorous sponsor of learning, culture, and the sciences, and he won the respect and admiration of people such as Charles Darwin, Victor Hugo, and Friedrich Nietzsche, and was a friend to Richard Wagner, Louis Pasteur, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, among others.

The Emperor was overthrown in a sudden coup d'état that had almost no support outside a clique of military leaders who desired a form of republic headed by a dictator. Pedro II had become weary of emperorship and despaired over the monarchy's future prospects, despite its overwhelming popular support. He did not allow his ouster to be opposed and did not support any attempt to restore the monarchy. He spent the last two years of his life in exile in Europe, living alone on very little money.

The reign of Pedro II ended while he was highly regarded by the people and at the pinnacle of his popularity, and some of his accomplishments were reversed as Brazil slipped into a long period of weak governments, dictatorships, and constitutional and economic crises. The men who had exiled him soon began to see in him a model for the Brazilian Republic. A few decades after his death, his reputation was restored and his remains were returned to Brazil with celebrations nationwide. Historians have regarded the Emperor positively and several have ranked him as the greatest Brazilian.

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