Line of succession to the Brazilian throne

The Brazilian monarchy came to an end in 1889 following a military coup which overthrew Emperor Pedro II. The current headship of the Imperial house is in dispute between Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza and Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza.

Prince Pedro Carlos is the senior descendant of Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil through her eldest son Prince Pedro de Alcantara of Orléans-Braganza. However, Prince Pedro de Alcantara renounced his rights for himself and his descendants to the Brazilian throne when he married, in order to obtain the approval of Princess Isabel, then the head of the Imperial House, to his non-dinastic marriage. That act of renunciation was accepted by Princess Isabel and communicated to monarchist organizations in Brazil. Prince Pedro de Alcantara never disputed the validity of the renunciation during his lifetime.

In spite of that after the death of Prince Pedro de Alcantara, his firstborn son, Prince Pedro Gastão, Prince Pedro Carlos's father, rejected renunciation and founded the Petrópolis Branch of the Brazilian Imperial House. With the death of Prince Pedro Gastão in 2007, Prince Pedro Carlos is now regarded as the head of the imperial family by the supporters of the Petrópolis branch.

Prince Luis, on the other hand is descended from Isabel’s second son who became heir to his mother on his brother's renunciation and is head of the Vassouras branch of the Brazilian Imperial house.

The Brazilian monarchy operated under male primogeniture and persons in the line of succession must hold Brazilian nationality.

Vassouras branch

Descendants of Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza (1878-1920)

*Head: HI&RH Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1938)

#HI&RH Prince Bertrand of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1942)
#HI&RH Prince Antônio of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1950)
#HI&RH Prince Pedro Luís of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1983)
#HI&RH Prince Rafael of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1986)
#HI&RH Princess Amélia of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1984)
#HI&RH Princess Maria Gabriela of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1989)
#HI&RH Princess Isabel Maria of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1944)
#HI&RH Princess Eleonora Maria of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1953)
#HH Prince Henri Antoine of Ligne (b. 1989)
#HH Princess Alix Marie of Ligne (b. 1984)
#HE Baron Carlos Tasso of Saxe-Coburg and Braganza of Bordogna and Valnigra (b. 1931)
#HE Baron Afonso Carlos of Saxe-Coburg and Braganza of Bordogna and Valnigra (b. 1939)

ee also

*Brazilian Imperial Family
*Prince Imperial of Brazil
*History of Brazil

External links

* [http://www.imperialereal.com The Brazilian Constitutional Monarchy Historic-Cultural Website]
* [http://www.monarquia.org.br Monarquia.org]
* [http://www.brasilimperial.org.br Brasil Imperial.org]