Infanta Benedita of Portugal

Benedita of Portugal (Maria Francisca Benedita Ana Isabel Antónia Lourença Inácia Teresa Gertrudes Rita Joana Rosa de Bragança; 25 July 1746 – 18 August 1829) was a Portuguese infanta and the youngest daughter of King Joseph I of Portugal and his wife Mariana Victoria of Spain.

Biography

Benedita was born in Lisbon she was named after Pope Benedict XIV. She was well educated. She was educated in music by Davide Perez and in painting by Domingos Sequeira: a panel made by her and her sister can still be seen in the Estrela Basilica. On February 21, 1777 she married her nephew, Joseph, Prince of Beira, heir apparent of the heiress presumptive (and proclaimed heir, i.e. her sister Maria) to the throne of Portugal, as the eldest son of the future Queen Mary I. Maria Francisca Benedita and Joseph had no children, however she miscarriaged twice: firstly in 1781 and secondly in 1786.

Three days after their wedding, Benedita's father king Joseph died and Maria succeeded him as queen regnant. Infante José became the new crown prince, being given the titles Prince of Brazil and 16th Duke of Braganza. Benedita became crown princess with the title Princess of Brazil.

In 1788 her husband Joseph died and Benedita became Dowager Princess of Brazil, as she was known during the rest of her long life. In contrast to other dowagers, who founded convents and churches, she chose to found the military hospital Asilo de Inválidos Militares de Runa. She followed the royal family on their exile to Brazil in 1808.

Benedita died in Lisbon and is buried in the national pantheon at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora.

Ancestors

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Maria_Francisca_Benedita_of_Portugal Infanta Benedita of Portugal] at Wikimedia Commons