Early Life
The youngest son of John IV and being created Duke of Beja, he was appointed regent for his insane brother, Afonso VI, in January 1668, shortly before Spanish recognition of Portugal's restoration of independence. Peter first locked his brother away, but came to the throne in his own right after Afonso's death in 1683. Around this time, the discovery of gold mines in the Portuguese colony of Brazil enlarged Peter's treasury to the extent that he was able to dismiss the Cortes in 1697 and rule without its revenue grants for the rest of his reign.
Initially Peter supported France in the War of Spanish Succession (1702–1715), but on May 16, 1703, Portugal and Britain signed the famous Methuen Treaty. This trade accord granted mutual commercial privileges for Portuguese wine and English textile traders and would later give Britain huge clout in the Portuguese economy. This was followed in December 1703 by a military alliance between Portugal, Austria and Great Britain for an invasion of Spain. Portuguese and Allied forces, under the command of the Marquês das Minas, captured Madrid in 1706, during the campaign which ended in the Allied defeat at Almansa.
He was tall, well proportioned, with dark eyes and dark hair.
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