The Escape of the Real Family for Brazil

On 27th November, the Portuguese Royal Family embarked to Brazil, running away from Portugal. They were accompanied by the English ships, that left of Belem. In the following day the Frenchmen arrived to Lisbon. Junot, was in “Forte de S. Julião da Barra” to fire the last ship that was seen in the horizon, but without success. The army of Junot was close to Abrantes. This situation helped the decision of the Royal Family. D. João, the regent prince, pretended to have closed the English harbours and declared war to England. This was done in a last gesture of the advance of Junot. The transference of Portuguese Royal Family to Rio de Janeiro, was seen by the prince, as the only way to guarantee the independence of the country, preventing to be captured by the invaders.
The members of the Royal Family had been installed in different boats so that, in case that some disaster happened in high sea, it had always a ready descendant to assure the continuation of the ancestry. About 15.000 people had followed D. João. During and after the embankment the confusion in the “Terreiro do Paço" , in the “Ribeira das Naus” and in Belém reigned. The guard of the navy embarked not being replaced. Many goods had been stolen. The population had known the escape of the Royal Family through a decree of the prince. In the absence of the monarch, the country would be governed by an Advice of Regency.