2021-07-05 Mon

Peter III nicknamed the Builder, became King of Portugal jure uxoris by the accession of his wife and niece Queen Maria I in 1777, and co-reigned alongside her until his death. The younger son of John V of Portugal, he was married in July 1760 to the daughter of his elder brother, King Joseph. When she became queen as Maria I (February 1777), Peter became nominally king. He devoted himself entirely to religious practices.

Pedro was born at 12:00 noon on 5 July 1717 in the Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. Pedro married his niece Maria, Princess of Brazil, in 1760, at which time she was the heiress presumptive to the throne then held by his brother José I. According to custom, Pedro thus became king of Portugal in the right of his wife. They had six children, of whom the eldest surviving son succeeded Maria as João VI on her death in 1816.

Pedro made no attempt to participate in government affairs, spending his time hunting or in religious exercises. He also defended the high nobility of Portugal and sponsored the petitions of those accused in the Tavora affair, whose rehabilitation was subject to new lawsuits, in which the heirs demanded the restitution of their confiscated properties

. Here is a coin that depicts the portrait of Maria and Peter facing right on its obverse face.

Image Source: Wikipedia.org