Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal

Maria Ana of Portugal
Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Tenure	17 November 1905 – 25 February 1912
Spouse	William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Issue
Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Princess Hilda Sophie Marie Antoinette, Crown Princess of Bavaria Elisabeth, Princess Ludwig Philipp of Thurn and Taxis Sophie, Princess Ernst Heinrich of Saxony
House	House of Braganza
Father	Miguel I of Portugal
Mother	Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
Born	13 July 1861(1861-07-13) Schloss Bronnbach
Died	31 July 1942(1942-07-31) (aged 81) New York City, New York
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal (or of Beja or Braganza), Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, (French: Marie Anne; English: Maria Anna) (Schloss Bronnbach 13 July 1861 – New York City, New York, 31 July 1942) was a Portuguese infanta and Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg and its Regent. She was a House of Braganza member.

Family

Born at Schloss Bronnbach in Bronnbach, Wertheim am Main, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany, Infanta Marie Anne (or Maria Ana) was the fifth child and second-youngest daughter of deposed king Miguel I of Portugal and his consort Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. As such, she was titled and styled from birth as an Infanta of Portugal. At the time of her birth, her father had been exiled, and the family lived as guests in the Austrian-Hungarian empire.

In spite of their straitened circumstances, the daughters of Miguel I made good marriages, some to reigning monarchs and deposed heads of Roman Catholic European dynasties.

Marriage and children

Infanta Maria Ana was married on 21 June 1893 at Schloss Fischhorn, Zell am See, to the Protestant Guillaume IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1852–1912), Hereditary Prince of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the eldest child and heir of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, head of the House of Nassau. It was agreed that the children would be raised in their mother's Catholic faith, because that was the religion of the overwhelming majority of Luxembourg's population.

The couple had six daughters and no sons.

• Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1894–1924) who remained unmarried and childless
• Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1896–1985) who married her first cousin Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, a son of Marie Anne's younger sister.
• Princess Hilda Sophie Marie Adélaïde Wilhelmine (Berg Castle, 15 February 1897 - Berg Castle, 8 September 1979), married in Berg Castle on 29 October 1930 Adolf 10te Fürst zu Schwarzenberg (Frauenberg, 18 August 1890 - Bordighera, 27 February 1950),^[1] without issue
• Princess Antonia (1899–1954), who married Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria as his second wife
• Princess Elisabeth Marie Wilhelmine (Luxembourg, 7 March 1901 - Schloss Hohenburg, 2 August 1950), married in Schloss Hohenburg on 14 November 1922 Prince Ludwig Philipp of Thurn and Taxis (Regensburg, 2 February 1901 - Schloss Niederaichbach, 22 April 1933), son of Albert I, Prince of Thurn and Taxis,^[2] and had issue
• Princess Sophie Caroline Marie Wilhelmine (Berg Castle, 14 February 1902 - Munich, 24 May 1941), married at Schloss Hohenburg on 12 April 1921 Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony (Dresden, 9 December 1896 - Coolamber, Ireland, 14 June 1971), youngest son of king Frederick Augustus III of Saxony,^[3] and had issue

Guillaume became the reigning Grand Duke on the death of his father on 17 November 1905, and Maria Ana became the Grand Duchess, under the French version of her name, Marie Anne.

Because Guillaume IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg was the last agnate of the House of Nassau, he declared his daughters as his successors, and Marie-Adelaide was confirmed and proclaimed Heir Apparent on 10 July 1907. Upon her father's death, she became the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. Following her abdication on 14 January 1919, her sister, the second daughter, Charlotte of Luxembourg, succeeded her on the throne.

Grand Duchess Marie Anne was Regent for her husband during his terminal illness from 19 November 1908 to 15 February 1912, and then Regent for her daughter, Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde, during her minority from 25 February 1912 to 18 June 1912.

Dowager Grand Duchess Marie Anne died in exile in New York on 31 July 1942, the family having fled Germany because of World War II.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 13 July 1861 – 21 June 1893: Her Royal Highness Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal, Princess of Braganza
• 21 June 1893 – 17 November 1905: Her Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
• 17 November 1905 – 25 February 1912: Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
• 25 February 1912 – 31 July 1942: Her Royal Highness The Dowager Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

Ancestry

References

1. ^ http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff/gotha/schwarzenberg.html Princely House of Schwarzenberg
2. ^ http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff/gotha/thurn.html Princely House of Thurn and Taxis
3. ^ http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff/gotha/saxony.html Royal House of Saxony

External links

• Royal House of Portugal
• Grand-Ducal House of Luxembourg and Ducal House of Nassau

Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal House of Braganza Cadet branch of the House of Aviz Born: 13 July 1861 Died: 31 July 1942
Luxembourgish royalty
Preceded by Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau	Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg 1905–1912	Vacant Title next held by Felix of Bourbon-Parma

Persondata
Name	Marie Anne Of Portugal, Infanta
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	13 July 1861
Place of birth	Schloss Bronnbach
Date of death	31 July 1942
Place of death	New York City, New York