Princes of Brazil

Prince of Brazil ( _pt. Príncipe do Brasil) was a title used in the Kingdom of Portugal, for the heir of the royal House of Braganza.

The title was created by King John IV of Portugal on 27 October 1645 in favor of his eldest son and heir Infante Teodósio, soon after Portugal had got rid of its Spanish rulers. During the 1645–1822, "Prince of Brazil" was always conferred on the heir apparent of the throne, who also received the title of Duke of Braganza. Also, in 1750 when the hitherto "Prince of Brazil" ascended as Joseph I, he granted the title "Princess of Brazil" (but not the Dukedom of Braganza) to his eldest daughter, the future Maria I of Portugal, as the king believed he would remain without sons (his wife and he produced no further issue after 1746). In 1760, when Maria married her uncle, Infante Pedro, he also took the style "Prince of Brazil" as her consort, until she became queen regnant and he became known as King Pedro III. The eldest son and heir of the "Prince of Brazil" was styled Prince of Beira and Duke of Barcelos.

When Brazil was elevated to the status of a kingdom within the Portuguese empire, the title was changed to "Prince Royal of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves". When Brazil proclaimed its independence in 1822, the title was reused by the Imperial House of Brazil as a dynastic style for all of Emperor Pedro I's children.

Brazil's independence prompted Portugal to change the heir apparent's title once again, this time to "Prince Royal of Portugal".

=Princes of Brazil: Portuguese heirs apparent=

:"Note: Lighter shade of blue means that the person was not titled "Prince of Brazil", being only the first in the line of succession".

ee also

*Prince Imperial of Brazil, the Brazilian title, created after its independence.
*Prince of Portugal
*Prince Royal of Portugal
*Prince of Beira
*Infante
*List of Portuguese monarchs