Portuguese Monarch. She reigned as Queen of Portugal from 1777 to 1816. She was the daughter of King José I and his Queen Marianna Victoria de Borbón, Infanta of Spain. In 1760 she married her fathers younger brother Pedro, who became her King Consort under the name Pedro III. Her first act as queen was to dismiss a very unpopular Prime minister, the Marquess de Pombal. Her consort, Peder III died on May 25, 1786. In 1801 the Spanish dictator Manuel de Godoy invaded Portugal with the backing of the French emperor, Napoleon I, but was forced to retreat the same year. Queen Maria I suffered from religious mania and melancholia. In 1799 this made her incapable of handling state affairs and so her son, the crownprince João (VI) became regent. His government refused to join the Continental Blocade against Britain. Therefore Portugal was invaded by French and Spanish troops in 1807. The Braganza Dynasty fled to Brazil on November 13, 1807. On August 1, 1808, the British General Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) landed a British army in Lisbon. When Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815, Maria I and her family were still in Brazil. The aged Queen died at Rio de Janeiro in 1816 and the Prince regent succeeded her as King João VI of Portugal and Brazil

Portuguese Monarch. She reigned as Queen of Portugal from 1777 to 1816. She was the daughter of King José I and his Queen Marianna Victoria de Borbón, Infanta of Spain. In 1760 she married her fathers younger brother Pedro, who became her King Consort under the name Pedro III. Her first act as queen was to dismiss a very unpopular Prime minister, the Marquess de Pombal. Her consort, Peder III died on May 25, 1786. In 1801 the Spanish dictator Manuel de Godoy invaded Portugal with the backing of the French emperor, Napoleon I, but was forced to retreat the same year. Queen Maria I suffered from religious mania and melancholia. In 1799 this made her incapable of handling state affairs and so her son, the crownprince João (VI) became regent. His government refused to join the Continental Blocade against Britain. Therefore Portugal was invaded by French and Spanish troops in 1807. The Braganza Dynasty fled to Brazil on November 13, 1807. On August 1, 1808, the British General Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) landed a British army in Lisbon. When Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815, Maria I and her family were still in Brazil. The aged Queen died at Rio de Janeiro in 1816 and the Prince regent succeeded her as King João VI of Portugal and Brazil

Bio by: Benny Chordt Hansen