Luísa Margarida de Barros Portugal, Countess of Barral
Luísa Margarida de Barros Portugal (13 April 1816 – January 1891), later Countess of Barral, was a Brazilian noble and courtier, preceptor of Brazilian princesses Isabel and Leopoldina, rumored to be the major love interest of Pedro II of Brazil and later part of Louis Philippe I of France's court.
Life[]
Early life[]
She was the daughter of the Brazilian diplomat and noble , visconde de Pedra Branca, and Maria do Carmo Gouveia Portugal. She spent her upbringing divided between France and Brazil. She married the French count Eugène de Barral.
Life at court[]
After her wedding, she was introduced to the Imperial Brazilian court and became the lady-in-waiting of Princess Francisca of Brazil. She was given this task after the empress dowager Amélie of Leuchtenberg declined to take responsibility for her stepdaughters.
In 1855, after the wedding of the emperor to Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies, she was appointed lady-in-waiting to the empress.
She was described as a dominant and forceful personality, who became one of the leading figures of Brazilian court life. Although she was a liberal, she was also a fervent Catholic of an intellectual nature and gathered a circle of intellectuals and artists around her. Her intellectual qualities made her liked by the emperor, who saw these same qualities in the stepmother he was devoted to, and he became one of her intimate friends and enjoyed the atmosphere in her circle of artistic friends.
The relationship between the Countess of Barral and Pedro II of Brazil has been assumed to be sexual, even among many of their contemporaries, and their relationship allegedly caused discord between her and the empress. However, there is no confirmation that their relationship was physical.
Gallery[]
References[]
 | This article does not cite any sources. (February 2014) |
- , 1970, Salões e Damas do Segundo Reinado, São Paulo: Martins, cap. XI, "A Condessa de Barral", p. 195-228.
- , 2008, Condessa de Barral, a paixão do imperador, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva.
External links[]
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- 1816 births
- 1891 deaths
- People from Bahia
- Brazilian people of Portuguese descent
- Brazilian people of French descent
- Brazilian nobility
- Titles of nobility in the Americas
- 19th-century Brazilian people
- Ladies-in-waiting
- Brazilian courtiers
- French nobility stubs