caroline-klaus: 12 OCTOBER 1822 — The inauguration of the Empire of Brazil: Dom Pedro I was a

caroline-klaus:

12OCTOBER1822—TheinaugurationoftheEmpireofBrazil:DomPedroIwasacclaimedasEmperorofBrazil

On September 2, 1822, a new decree from Portugal arrived in Rio de Janeiro while the Prince Regent of Brazil, Dom Pedro, was in a political tour in the Province of São Paulo. The letter overturned the Brazilian government and demanded the immediate return of Pedro to Portugal. His wife Princess Maria Leopoldina of Austria, the Acting Princess Regent, met the minister José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva and summons the Council of State. She signs on that day the Decree of Independence, declaring Brazil separate from Portugal. Leopoldina sends Pedro the news, along with letters from her and from José Bonifácio urging him to proclaim the independence of Brazil. On September 7, 1822 at the shore of the Ipiranga River in São Paulo the letter reached Dom Pedro and he declared the independence of Brazil from the former United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Decrees were issued to formalize the symbols of the new Empire, such as the national motto “Independence or Death”, the new coat of arms and the flag of Brazil, in which the green rectangle (in honor of Pedro’s family, the House of Braganza), represented the forests and the yellow rhombus (in honor of Leopoldina’s family, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine), represented the gold.

On October 12, 1822, on his 24th birthday, Dom Pedro was acclaimed as Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil, using as full title Constitutional Emperor and Perpetual Defender of Brazil. The ceremony took place in a palace at Campo de Santana, a plaza in Rio de Janeiro, the same place where his father King Dom João VI of Portugal was acclaimed years before. The now Emperor was accompanied by his consort Empress Maria Leopoldina of Austria and his eldest daughter Princess Maria da Glória, the future Queen Maria II of Portugal. The event was attended by members of the court, ministers, politics, officials, representatives from various provinces and a large crowd on the streets. October 12 also marks the official inauguration of the Empire of Brazil (October 12, 1822 - November 15, 1889).

Caio Castro as Emperor Dom Pedro I of BrazilandKing Dom Pedro IV of Portugal, Letícia Colin as Princess Maria Leopoldina of Austria,theEmpress Consort of Brazil, Queen Consort of PortugalandArchduchess of Austria and Isabela Porto as Queen Maria II of PortugalandPrincess Imperial of Brazil in “NovoMundo” (2017).