João VI of Portugal

Hello! My name is João, and I was once the king of Portugal and Brazil. I was born in a grand palace in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 13th, 1767. I never expected to be king because I had an older brother, José, who was next in line for the throne. But when I was 21 years old, in the year 1788, my brother sadly passed away, and suddenly, my whole life changed. A few years later, in 1792, my mother, the wonderful Queen Maria I, became very ill and couldn't rule anymore. It was up to me to step in and help lead our country as the Prince Regent.

My time as a leader started during a very scary period in Europe. A powerful French general named Napoleon Bonaparte was trying to take over many countries, and Portugal was in danger. In 1807, Napoleon sent his army to invade us. I had to make a huge decision to protect my family and our kingdom. Instead of letting Napoleon capture us, I decided we should all escape! We packed up the entire royal court—that’s thousands of people—and set sail across the giant Atlantic Ocean. Our destination was a special part of our kingdom, a beautiful land called Brazil.

We arrived in Brazil in 1808 and made the city of Rio de Janeiro our new home and the capital of the Portuguese Empire. I fell in love with the vibrant land and its people. I wanted to help Brazil grow, so I opened its ports to trade with friendly nations, which brought new goods and ideas. I also started the Bank of Brazil, a royal library, and new schools. I was so proud of our new home that in 1815, I declared it a kingdom, equal to Portugal. When my dear mother passed away in 1816, I was officially crowned King João VI in a big ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.

After Napoleon was finally defeated in Europe, the people back in Portugal missed having their king at home. They asked me to return, and in 1821, I made the difficult journey back across the ocean. I had to leave my son, Pedro, to look after Brazil. It was a sad goodbye. Not long after I left, the people of Brazil decided they wanted to be their own independent country. In 1822, my son Pedro became their first emperor. Even though it meant our kingdom was separating, I was proud of my son and eventually, in 1825, I officially recognized Brazil as a new nation.

My last few years ruling in Portugal were filled with challenges, but I always tried to be a fair and kind king. I lived until the year 1826. I lived to be 58 years old. Today, people remember me for the brave decision I made to move my kingdom across the sea, which saved Portugal's independence from Napoleon. In Brazil, I am remembered as the king who helped set the stage for their country to become the great nation it is today. My journey connected two worlds and changed them both forever.