… and first son and heir to Eugene de Beauharnais & Augusta Amalia of Bavaria (Napoloen’s step-son). Napoleon I had adopted & made his father the “heir presumptive” to the French throne. Both were named Dukes of Leuchtenberg.
Auguste suceeded his father as Duke of Leuchtenberg & Prince of Eichstatt in 1824. When his little sister Amelie (next in line) married by proxy Pedro, the King of Brazil, Auguste accompanied her to that country to watch her become Pedro’s 2nd wife.
Auguste & Pedro became good friends, and Pedro mad him the Duke of Santa Cruz in 1820. He also arranged a marriage between Auguste & his first daughter, Maria.
Maria was 15 years old, & Auguste was 24 when they were married. She became Queen Maria II of Portugal, but he never became king. He died just 2 months after their wedding, childless.
Because there was no heir, Auguste’s youngest brother Maximillian took over as heir presumptive & the Dukedom. Maria remarried, & her 2nd husband became King.
(Feature: Auguste & Maria II Queen of Portugal; below, Auguste & Maria)
