Luísa Margarida immediately set about establishing her authority in the palace, a place where power was hotly contested, and for that reason caused the fury of many of the more self-serving officials. She had an exuberant personality, assertive air, intelligence and, at the same time, contradictory Catholic mentality, as well as physical beauty. Endowed with solid culture and friendly to intellectuals and celebrities of the time, such as Franz Liszt and Count of Gobineau, the countess served as an intermediary between the emperor and many intellectuals, with whom D Pedro II exchanged extensive correspondence.
