His parents called him João and he would be one of the least understood and more criticised kings of Portugal.
Second (surviving) son of Queen D.Maria I, he was not supposed to have become king.
Plus he was often negatively compared to his elder brother, the bright and pro-active D.José, Prince of Brazil.
When his brother died in 1788 his life changed completely and he became the heir to the throne.
One year later, the Queen fell ill with the first symptoms of madness and he became Prince-Regent.
That same year started the French Revolution.
Portugal had a long time alliance with England that could not be broken.
For years, the successive french revolutionary governments and, later, Napoleon, tried to force Portugal to reverse his alliances.
D.João tried to stall the menace, by promises he knew he could not abide to, bribery or just whisteling to the side.
When Napoleon finally had enough and send an army to invade Portugal, the Prince Regent and the Cabinet had half-prepared an armada that took the whole Royal Family, the entire Government, all the heads of the Administration, the ancestor of the Bank of Portugal, the heads of the Church and many of the aristocracy to Brazil, together with their legion of servants of course with all the values they could carry: the crown jewels, the royal treasuries, the royal coaches, the entire royal library (60.000 plus books !), the national treasury, the wealthy goods of the people who embarked, as well as cattle, poultry and all sort of food to feed such an "army".
The armada left Lisbon on Nov, 29 1807 and arrived in Rio on March, 8 1808.
It was composed by c. 16 ships from different types and sizes, and was escorted by the british royal navy.
Amazingly, during this journey, not a single ship sank.
After the 1st invasion, commanded by General Junot, was defeated, two other followed, one in 1809, commanded by General Soult and finally in 1810 by Maréchal Massena.
The anglo-portuguese army defeated the 3 invasions.
In 1812 Queen D.Maria I finally died and the Prince Regent became King D.João VI.
He loved dearly Brazil which he upgraded from the then colony to a kingdom, thus creating the United kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves.
In his memoirs, Napoleon said: He was the only king that fooled me.
If that is not a compliment ...
Only in 1821 did the King, unwillingly, returned to Lisbon.
His marriage to the infamous Carlota Joaquina of Spain had been a total failure, and, after the open spaces of Rio, he felt enclosed in Lisbon.
Plus, his younger son, infante D.Miguel, an absolutist, manipulated by Queen Carlota, plotted against him and had to be exiled to Vienna.
His last days were sad and lonely with the only company of his favourite daughter, Infanta D.Isabel Maria (not to be mistaken with her sister D.Maria Isabel who had been Queen of Spain).
There were some suspitions that he might have died poisonned but that was never scientifically prooved.
D.João VI died on March, 10 1826, still 58 y.o.
RIP.
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