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Maria I of Portugal: The Death of Pedro III, 25 May 1786
The death of her husband on this exact day, May 25th in 1786, triggered a devastating psychological collapse for Queen Maria I that would ultimately rip her absolute power away. Before May 25th, Maria ruled alongside King Pedro III in a partnership that helped shoulder the immense burden of the Portuguese Empire. When he took his final breath, she was suddenly left entirely alone at the helm of a global superpower. The immense grief of losing her life partner was compounded by the sudden and suffocating isolation of absolute monarchy.