Upon leaving the country, Emperor Pedro I selected three people to take charge of his son and remaining daughters.
The first was José Bonifácio de Andrada, his friend and an influential leader during Brazilian independence, who was named guardian.
The second was Mariana de Verna, who had held the post of aia (governess) since the birth of Pedro II.
As a child, the then-Prince Imperial called her "Dadama", as he could not pronounce the word dama (Lady) correctly.
He regarded her as his surrogate mother, and would continue to call her by her nickname well into adulthood out of affection.
The third person was Rafael, an Afro-Brazilian veteran of the Cisplatine War.
He was an employee in the Palace of São Cristóvão whom Pedro I deeply trusted and asked to look after his son—a charge that he carried out for the rest of his life.

Bonifácio was dismissed from his position in December 1833 and replaced by another guardian.
Pedro II spent his days studying, with only two hours set aside for amusements.
Intelligent, he was able to acquire knowledge with great ease.
However, the hours of study were strenuous and the preparation for his role as monarch was demanding.
He had few friends of his age and limited contact with his sisters.
All that coupled with the sudden loss of his parents gave Pedro II an unhappy and lonely upbringing.
The environment in which he was raised turned him into a shy and needy person who saw books as a refuge and retreat from the real world.

The possibility of lowering the young Emperor's age of majority, instead of waiting until he turned 18, had been floated since 1835.
His elevation to the throne had led to a troublesome period of endless crises.
The regency created to rule on his behalf was plagued from the start by disputes between political factions and rebellions across the nation.
Those politicians who had risen to power during the 1830s had by now also become familiar with the pitfalls of rule.
According to historian Roderick J. Barman, by 1840 "they had lost all faith in their ability to rule the country on their own.
They accepted Pedro II as an authority figure whose presence was indispensable for the country's survival."
When asked by politicians if he would like to assume full powers, Pedro II shyly accepted.
On the following day, 23 July 1840, the General Assembly (the Brazilian Parliament) formally declared the 14-year-old Pedro II of age.
He was later acclaimed, crowned and consecrated on 18 July 1841.
Upon leaving the country, Emperor Pedro I selected three people to take charge of his son and remaining daughters. The first was José Bonifácio de Andrada, his friend and an influential leader during Brazilian independence, who was named guardian. The second was Mariana de Verna, who had held the post of aia (governess) since the birth of Pedro II. As a child, the then-Prince Imperial called her "Dadama", as he could not pronounce the word dama (Lady) correctly. He regarded her as his surrogate mother, and would continue to call her by her nickname well into adulthood out of affection. The third person was Rafael, an Afro-Brazilian veteran of the Cisplatine War. He was an employee in the Palace of São Cristóvão whom Pedro I deeply trusted and asked to look after his son—a charge that he carried out for the rest of his life.
Bonifácio was dismissed from his position in December 1833 and replaced by another guardian. Pedro II spent his days studying, with only two hours set aside for amusements. Intelligent, he was able to acquire knowledge with great ease. However, the hours of study were strenuous and the preparation for his role as monarch was demanding. He had few friends of his age and limited contact with his sisters. All that coupled with the sudden loss of his parents gave Pedro II an unhappy and lonely upbringing. The environment in which he was raised turned him into a shy and needy person who saw books as a refuge and retreat from the real world.
The possibility of lowering the young Emperor's age of majority, instead of waiting until he turned 18, had been floated since 1835. His elevation to the throne had led to a troublesome period of endless crises. The regency created to rule on his behalf was plagued from the start by disputes between political factions and rebellions across the nation. Those politicians who had risen to power during the 1830s had by now also become familiar with the pitfalls of rule. According to historian Roderick J. Barman, by 1840 "they had lost all faith in their ability to rule the country on their own. They accepted Pedro II as an authority figure whose presence was indispensable for the country's survival." When asked by politicians if he would like to assume full powers, Pedro II shyly accepted. On the following day, 23 July 1840, the General Assembly (the Brazilian Parliament) formally declared the 14-year-old Pedro II of age. He was later acclaimed, crowned and consecrated on 18 July 1841.
Pedro II of Brazil