João VI of Portugal

Hello! My name is João, and I was a prince in a beautiful country called Portugal. I was born on May 13th, 1767, in a big palace in a city called Lisbon. I loved my home, but when I grew up, a powerful French emperor named Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to take over many countries, including mine. We were all very worried about what he would do.

To keep my family and my kingdom safe, I had to make a very big decision. In the year 1807, I gathered thousands of people—my family, our helpers, and all the royal court—and we boarded many ships. We were going on a long, long journey across the giant Atlantic Ocean to a special part of our kingdom called Brazil. The waves were big, and the trip took many months, but we knew it was the bravest thing to do to protect our home.

When we arrived in Brazil in 1808, the sun was warm and the land was full of amazing new sights and sounds! I made my new home in the city of Rio de Janeiro. I loved it so much that I wanted to make it as wonderful as any city in the world. I helped start a national bank, a huge library filled with books, beautiful gardens, and new schools. In 1815, I announced that Brazil was now a kingdom, just as important as Portugal!

After many years, it was finally safe to go back to Portugal. In 1821, I sailed back home, but I left my smart and brave son, Pedro, to look after Brazil. The people in Brazil loved their home so much that they wanted it to be its very own country. So, in 1822, my son Pedro helped Brazil become independent, and he became its very first emperor. I was sad to see our kingdom change, but I was also proud of my son and the wonderful new nation of Brazil.

I lived to be 58 years old. People remember me as the king who made a brave journey across the ocean to save his kingdom. My time in Brazil helped it grow into the amazing and independent country it is today, and I am remembered in both Portugal and Brazil for the special connection our people share.