PEDRO V OF PORTUGAL

Peter V of Portugal

'Pedro V, King of Portugal' KG (pron. IPA []; English: Peter; ''Pedro de Alcântara Maria Fernando Miguel Rafael Gonzaga Xavier João António Leopoldo Vítor Francisco de Assis Júlio Amélio de Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha e Bragança''), ''the Hopeful'' (Port. ''o Esperançoso'') (Lisbon, September 16, 1837 – November 11, 1861 in Lisbon) was the 31st (or 32nd according to some historians) King of Portugal and Algarves from 1853 to 1861.
He was the oldest son of Queen Maria II and her King-Consort Ferdinand II and was born in his mother's reign. He became 19th Duke of Braganza as he was Heir Apparent to the throne.
Pedro was an unusually conscientious and hard-working monarch who, under the guidance of his father, sought radical modernisation of the Portuguese state and infrastructure. Under Pedro's reign, roads, telegraphs, and railways were constructed and improvements in public health advanced. For this he was greatly loved and his popularity further increased when, during the great cholera outbreak he roamed around hospitals handing out gifts and talking and conforing the sick.
However, this was unable to save the life of the young king who died (along with his brother Ferdinand and other royal family members) of cholera in 1861. He was so loved and his death along with other relatives was deemed so unnatural that there were actually revolts when he died. He was married to Princess Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, but had no children and the throne then passed to his brother Luis.

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