Brazilian Imperial Family

House of Orléans-Braganza

Country	Brazil
Ancestral house	House of Orléans (France) House of Braganza (Portugal)
Titles	Prince of Orléans-Braganza
Founder	Gaston of Orléans, Count d'Eu and Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil
Current head	Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza (Vassouras branch) Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza (Petrópolis branch)
Founding	1864

On September 7, 1822, Prince Pedro of Portugal, member of the House of Braganza, heir apparent to the Portuguese throne and the King's representative in Brazil, declared the country's independence from Portugal and proclaimed himself Emperor of Brazil. The imperial title was officially bestowed upon him on October 12, 1822. This resulted in the Brazilian Declaration of Independence. In 1825, his father, King John VI of Portugal, recognized the independence of the new state, the former Portuguese dominion.

Brazil had been officially elevated to the status of United Kingdom (with Portugal) in 1815, in the reign of Queen Maria I of Portugal, by the Prince Regent Dom João (future John VI). Between 1815 and 1822, the kingdom was known officially as the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves.

Emperors of Brazil (1822–1889)

The Empire of Brazil remained a constitutional monarchy until 1889, and had two reigning emperors, both from the House of Braganza:

• Pedro I of Brazil (1822–1831): Born in 1798, deceased in 1834. Was also King of Portugal for a few days in 1826, as Pedro IV.
• Pedro II of Brazil (Regency 1831–1840; Reigned personally 1840–1889): Born in 1825 and deceased in 1891.

Pretenders to the Brazilian throne since 1889

Arms of the House of Orléans-Braganza

Arms of the Saxe-Coburg and Braganza branch.

• Pedro II of Brazil (1889–1891)
• Isabel (I) of Brazil (1891–1921): Born in 1846, died in 1921. Princess Imperial and former Regent of Brazil, she was the elder daughter of Pedro II; her husband, Gaston of Orléans, Count d'Eu, was considered, after the death of Pedro II, the de jure "emperor-consort".

The Vassouras line

• Prince Pedro (III) Henrique of Orléans-Braganza (1921–1981): Born in 1909, died in 1981. Grandson of Isabel, son and heir of her second son, Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza (1878–1920).
• Prince Luiz (I) of Orléans-Braganza (1981 - present): Born in 1938, the eldest son of Prince Pedro Henrique
  • Heir: Prince Bertrand of Orléans-Braganza (born in 1941)

The Petrópolis line

• Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (1940–2007): Born in 1913, son of Isabel's eldest son, who had renounced all rights to the Brazilian throne for himself and his descendants. The validity of the renunciation was disputed by Pedro Gastão. ^[1]
• Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza (2007 – present): eldest son of Pedro Gastão. He doesn't put in question the validity of the renunciation. Contrariwise, he declared himself a republican. ^[2]
  • Heir Prince Pedro Thiago of Orléans-Braganza (born in 1979)

Saxe-Coburg and Braganza line (not claimants)

• Prince August Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Braganza (1871–1934)
• Princess Teresa Cristina of Saxe-Coburg-Braganza (1934–1990)
• Prince Carlos Tasso of Saxe-Coburg-Braganza (1990–present)

Past members and some descendants of the imperial family

• Pedro I of Brazil (1798–1834)
  • Maria II of Portugal (1819–1853)
  • Prince Miguel of Brazil (1820–1820)
  • João Carlos, Prince of Beira (1821–1822)
  • Januária Maria, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1822–1901)
  • Princess Paula Mariana of Brazil (1823–1833)
  • Princess Francisca Carolina of Brazil (1824–1898)
  • Pedro II of Brazil (1825–1891)
    • Afonso Pedro de Alcântara, Prince Imperial of Brazil (1845–1847)
    • Isabel Cristina, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921)
      • Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão Para (1875–1940)
        • Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza (1911–2003)
        • Pedro Gastão, Prince of Orléans-Braganza (1913–2007)
          • Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1945)
            • Prince Pedro Thiago of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1979)
            • Prince Filipe of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1982)
          • Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1946)
          • Prince Afonso Duarte of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1948)
          • Prince Manuel Álvaro of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1949)
          • Princess Cristina Maria do Rosário of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1950)
          • Prince Francisco Humberto of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1956)
        • Princess Maria Francisca of Orléans-Braganza (1914–1968)
        • Prince João of Orléans-Braganza (1916–2005)
        • Princess Teresa of Orléans-Braganza (1919–2011)
      • Prince Luiz Maria of Orléans-Braganza (1878–1920)
        • Pedro Henrique, Prince of Grão-Pará (1909–1981)
          • Prince Luis Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1938)
          • Prince Eudes Maria of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1939)
          • Prince Bertrand Maria José Pio Januário of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1941)
          • Princess Isabel Maria of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1944)
          • Prince Pedro de Alcântara Henrique of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1945)
          • Prince Fernando Diniz of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1948)
          • Prince Antônio João of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1950)
            • Prince Pedro Luís of Orléans-Braganza (1983–2009)
            • Princess Amélia of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1984)
            • Prince Rafael of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1986)
            • Princess Maria Gabriela Fernanda of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1989)
          • Princess Eleonora Maria of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1953)
          • Prince Francisco Maria of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1955)
          • Prince Alberto Maria of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1957)
          • Princess Maria Teresa of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1959)
          • Princess Maria Gabriela of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1959)
        • Prince Luís Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (1911–1931)
        • Princess Pia Maria of Orléans-Braganza (1913–2000)
      • Prince Antônio Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (1881–1918)
    • Princess Leopoldina of Brazil (1847–1871)
    • Pedro Afonso, Prince Imperial of Brazil (1848–1850)
  • Princess Maria Amélia of Brazil (1831–1853)

See also

• History of Brazil
• Line of succession to the Brazilian throne
• Prince Imperial of Brazil

References

1. ^ Bodstein, Astrid (2006). "The Imperial Family of Brazil". Royalty Digest Quarterly (3). 
2. ^ Bernardo Gutiérrez, "La familia real brasileña defiende los nuevos ideales", Príncipes Republicanos (09/01/2008)

External links

• Casa Imperial do Brasil Official Website of the Vassouras Line
• Imperial e Real Brazilian constitutional monarchy historic-cultural website
• Brasil Imperial.org