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Dom João's Fateful Instruction and Pedro's Regency
At 18:18 · chapter starts 17:40
By spring 1821, the Portuguese liberal elite have had enough and issue Dom João an ultimatum: come back or face the consequences. He reluctantly complies, but before boarding ship he calls in his 22-year-old son Pedro — the future Dom Pedro I — for an extraordinary private conversation. He tells Pedro to stay in Rio as his regent, and then delivers what Dominic calls 'the most farsighted instruction in Portuguese imperial history': if Brazil is going to break away, better it happens by your hand than by some adventurer's. Dom João is, in effect, coaching his heir to lead the revolution against his own kingdom — a breathtaking act of pragmatic dynastic survival. Dominic draws a memorable comparison: it would be like George III instructing the Prince Regent to side with the American colonists. Pedro, an intelligent, well-read young man who has grown up in Rio and genuinely loves Brazil far more than Portugal, immediately grasps what his father is really saying. [1] — Dominic Sandbrook "Before leaving Brazil for Portugal, King João VI pulled aside his 22-year-old son Pedro and said: if Brazil breaks away, let it be by your …" 17:38
