Editing Pedro II of Brazil (section)

=== Imperial authority established ===
[[File:Pedro II of Brazil by Rugendas 1846 original.jpg|thumb|upright=1|left|alt=Full-length painted portrait of a blond young man standing in a garden dressed in white trousers, a military tunic with heavy gold braid, a blue sash of office, and holding a bicorn admiral's hat|Pedro&nbsp;II at age 20 wearing court dress, 1846]]
Removal of the factious regency brought stability to the government. Pedro&nbsp;II was seen nationwide as a legitimate source of authority, whose position placed him above partisanship and petty disputes. He was, however, still no more than a boy, and a shy, insecure, and immature one.{{sfn|Barman|1999|pp=74–75}} His nature resulted from his broken childhood, when he experienced abandonment, intrigue, and betrayal.{{sfn|Barman|1999|p=66}} Behind the scenes, a group of high-ranking palace servants and notable politicians led by [[Aureliano Coutinho, Viscount of Sepetiba|Aureliano Coutinho]] (later Viscount of Sepetiba) became known as the "Courtier Faction" as they established influence over the young Emperor. Some were very close to him, such as Mariana de Verna and Steward Paulo Barbosa da Silva.{{sfn|Barman|1999|p=49}} Pedro&nbsp;II was deftly used by the Courtiers against their actual or suspected foes.{{sfn|Barman|1999|p=80}}

The Brazilian government secured the hand of Princess [[Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies|Teresa Cristina]] of the [[Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]]. She and Pedro&nbsp;II were [[married by proxy]] in [[Naples]] on 30 May 1843.<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Carvalho|2007|p=51}},
* {{harvnb|Lira 1977, Vol 1|p=122}},
* {{harvnb|Olivieri|1999|p=19}}.</ref> Upon seeing her in person, the Emperor was noticeably disappointed.<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Barman|1999|p=97}},
* {{harvnb|Lira 1977, Vol 1|p=124}},
* {{harvnb|Calmon|1975|p=239}}.</ref> Teresa Cristina was short, a bit overweight, and not considered conventionally pretty.<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Barman|1999|p=97}},
* {{harvnb|Lira 1977, Vol 1|p=124}},
* {{harvnb|Schwarcz|1998|p=95}}.</ref> He did little to hide his disillusionment. One observer stated that he turned his back to Teresa Cristina, another depicted him as being so shocked that he needed to sit.{{sfn|Barman|1999|p=97}} That evening, Pedro&nbsp;II wept and complained to Mariana de Verna, "They have deceived me, ''Dadama''!"<ref name="barman97">See:
* {{harvnb|Barman|1999|p=97}},
* {{harvnb|Calmon|1975|p=239}},
* {{harvnb|Carvalho|2007|p=52}}.</ref> It took several hours to convince him that duty demanded that he proceed.<ref name="barman97"/> The Nuptial Mass, with the ratification of the vows previously taken by proxy and the conferral of the nuptial blessing, occurred on the following day, 4 September.<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Lira 1977, Vol 1|pp=125–126}},
* {{harvnb|Calmon|1975|p=240}},
* {{harvnb|Barman|1999|p=98}}.</ref>

In late 1845 and early 1846, the Emperor made a tour of Brazil's southern provinces, traveling through [[São Paulo]] (of which [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]] was a part at this time), [[Santa Catarina (state)|Santa Catarina]] and [[Rio Grande do Sul]]. He was buoyed by the warm and enthusiastic responses he received.{{sfn|Barman|1999|p=111}} By then Pedro&nbsp;II had matured physically and mentally. He grew into a man who, at {{convert|1.90|m|ftin|sp=us}} tall with blue eyes and blond hair, was seen as handsome.<ref>See:
* {{harvnb|Lira 1977, Vol 1|p=50}},
* {{harvnb|Schwarcz|1998|p=68}},
* {{harvnb|Barman|1999|pp=81, 97}},
* {{harvnb|Calmon|1975|p=187}}.</ref> With growth, his weaknesses faded and his strengths of character came to the fore. He became self-assured and learned to be not only impartial and diligent, but also courteous, patient and personable. Barman said that he kept "his emotions under iron discipline. He was never rude and never lost his temper. He was exceptionally discreet in words and cautious in action."{{sfn|Barman|1999|pp=109, 122}} Most importantly, this period saw the end of the Courtier Faction. Pedro&nbsp;II began to fully exercise authority and successfully engineered the end of the courtiers' influence by removing them from his inner circle while avoiding any public disruption.{{sfn|Barman|1999|pp=109, 114}}