Portrait of King Manuel II
Author: José Nunes Ribeiro Júnior
Origin: Portugal
Dating: 1909
Material: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions (cm): 141 x 186
Inv. no.: 15-A / MNAC147 / PD1204dep
King Manuel II is depicted wearing a military gala uniform with the gold epaulettes of the Marshal General of the Navy along with several other commendations – one of which is the Collar of the Military Order of the Tower and Sword. In his left hand, he holds white gloves and a sheathed sword.
Manuel was born in Lisbon on November 15, 1889, son of King Carlos and Queen Amélia. He was the last Portuguese King.
His moral and physical educations were thorough. King Manuel II had a special liking for the arts, literature and music – he played the organ – and was also an expert in historical research. He spoke several languages, French being his second language. He started reading, writing and speaking French at the age of six.
He took the throne at the age of 18, following the assassination of his father and brother – Luís Filipe, the crown prince – in 1908.
As king, he remained loyal to the Constitutional Charter.
Nevertheless, in 1910 – after two years of rule and as a result of the establishment of the Republic in Portugal – Manuel II was deposed and exiled in England until his death.
He took part in World War I, integrating and subsidizing the International Red Cross and aiding the war wounded.
Manuel II had a special liking for the arts in general, History, Literature and Music in particular. While in exile, he assembled a precious collection of books, devoting himself to the study of Portuguese works from the 15th and 16th century.
He died in England, in 1932, at the age of 43. He was buried in the Royal Pantheon of the Bragança Dynasty on the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora (Lisboa).
