The Portuguese Succession Crisis of 1826 – Pedro I’s Conditional Abdication

The death of King João VI in March 1826 created a succession crisis in Portugal, as the rightful heir to the throne was his eldest son, Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. However, neither Portugal nor Brazil wanted a unified monarchy, leading to a complicated political arrangement to resolve the issue.

Pedro I’s Abdication in Favor of Maria da Glória

• Pedro I of Brazil (Pedro IV of Portugal) abdicated the Portuguese throne in April 1826 in favor of his seven-year-old daughter, Maria da Glória.
• To maintain dynastic unity and avoid further conflict, Pedro stipulated that Maria must marry his younger brother, Prince Miguel, upon coming of age.

The Constitutional Charter of 1826

• As part of the succession arrangement, Pedro granted a new constitution to Portugal, known as the Constitutional Charter of 1826.
• This moderate constitutional document balanced monarchical authority with liberal principles, offering:
  • A bicameral legislature, with a House of Peers (appointed) and a House of Deputies (elected).
  • A constitutional monarchy, granting the king executive power while maintaining representative governance.
  • Civil liberties and legal protections without fully embracing democratic rule.

Miguel’s Role as Regent

• Since Maria da Glória was too young to rule, Pedro appointed Miguel as regent of Portugal, entrusting him to govern in her name.
• This arrangement was intended to reconcile the absolutist and liberal factions in Portugal, but it would soon collapse into open civil war as Miguel sought to claim the throne for himself.

Pedro Returns to Brazil – A Fragile Peace

• With the succession crisis seemingly resolved, Pedro returned to Brazil, leaving Maria as the designated queen and Miguel as her regent.
• However, this compromise would not last, as Miguel soon rebelled against the arrangement, proclaiming himself king and rejecting the Constitutional Charter, leading to the Portuguese Civil War (1828–1834).

Conclusion – A Temporary Settlement That Led to Civil War

The succession settlement of 1826, while attempting to balance absolutist and liberal forces, only delayed further conflict. Within two years, Miguel would seize power as an absolutist ruler, forcing Pedro to return from Brazil to fight for his daughter’s rights. This struggle culminated in the Portuguese Civil War, a defining conflict between monarchical absolutism and constitutional liberalism in Portugal.