Barbara of Portugal

Barbara of Portugal (Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa; 4 December 1711 – 27 August 1758) was an Infanta of Portugal, and a Queen of Spain by marriage to Ferdinand VI. Life Infanta of Portugal Barbara was the daughter of King John V of Portugal and his wife Maria Anna of Austria. Their marriage remained childless for nearly three years, and thus the king made a promise to God that if an heir to the throne was born, a great convent would be built as a sign of gratitude. Upon the birth of a daughter in late 1711 began the building of the Convent of Mafra. The child was baptised Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa, honouring a number of saints and relatives, and styled Princess of Brazil as the heiress presumptive to the Portuguese throne. She was usually referred to as Bárbara or Maria Bárbara after Saint Barbara, the saint of her birthday, a name never used before among Portuguese royalty. Two years later, Barbara’s mother gave birth to a son, Pedro, and she ceased to be heir presumptive. Pedro died at the age of two, but by that time, the queen had already had another son, Joseph, and hence Barbara never became heiress presumptive aga