Misplaced Pages

#772227

116-505: The members of the family are dynastic descendants of Emperor Pedro I. Claimants to headship of the post-monarchic Brazilian Imperial legacy descend from Emperor Pedro II , including the senior agnates of two branches of the House of Orléans-Braganza ; the so-called Petrópolis and Vassouras lines. Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza (born 1945) heads the Petrópolis line, while

232-460: A military coup d'état , and had two reigning emperors, both from the House of Braganza : Their full style and title were: "His Imperial Majesty, Constitutional Emperor and Perpetual Defender of Brazil". Genealogical tree of the Brazilian branch House of Braganza and the subsequent House of Orléans-Braganza , cadet branch and current Imperial Family. Dynasty#Dynasts A dynasty

348-541: A reigning or formerly reigning dynasty, as both Orléans and Braganza traditions expected of brides. Although the constitution of the Brazilian Empire did not require dynasts to marry equally , it made the marriage of the heir to the throne dependent upon the sovereign's consent. As Prince Dom Pedro wanted to marry with his mother's blessing, he renounced his rights to the throne of Brazil at Cannes on 30 October 1908. The resignation document, signed in three copies,

464-585: A "dynast" is a family member who would have had succession rights, were the monarchy's rules still in force. For example, after the 1914 assassinations of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his morganatic wife, their son Maximilian, Duke of Hohenberg , was bypassed for the Austro-Hungarian throne because he was not a Habsburg dynast. Even after the abolition of the Austrian monarchy, Duke Maximilian and his descendants have not been considered

580-517: A certain shrewdness, but she was very accepting of existence as it was and certainly not given to pondering the justification of existence for the established order." All this meant that Isabel would not attempt "a position in life autonomous of her father", even less rival him. That happened because the Princess Imperial was "at an essential disadvantage with her father. She had a strong personality but she could not turn it to account. As

696-414: A child she did not share Pedro II's seriousness, his single mindedness, or his interest in the larger world. The coming of adolescence did not improve matters." In fact, she lacked introspection and had a "tendency to take a cheerful view of life". Also, Isabel "did not naturally possess much patience or notable powers of endurance. She moved from one interest to another as each in turn caught her fancy. She

812-542: A child, and even Pedro II, who gave lessons in Latin , geometry , and astronomy. The education provided to Isabel was lacking, however. All she assimilated were abstract ideas which did not teach her "how to integrate" them "with practical application". Her tutors and parents did not prepare her to rule Brazil, nor to understand its political and social issues. A way of preparing her for a role as future Empress "would have been to give her from an early age personal experience of

928-584: A clause of the English Act of Settlement 1701 remained in effect at that time, stipulating that dynasts who marry Roman Catholics are considered "dead" for the purpose of succession to the British throne. That exclusion, too, ceased to apply on 26 March 2015, with retroactive effect for those who had been dynasts before triggering it by marriage to a Roman Catholic. A "dynastic marriage" is one that complies with monarchical house law restrictions, so that

1044-485: A family with influence and power in other areas, such as a series of successive owners of a major company, or any family with a legacy, such as a dynasty of poets or actors. It is also extended to unrelated people, such as major poets of the same school or various rosters of a single sports team. The dynastic family or lineage may be known as a "noble house", which may be styled as " imperial ", " royal ", " princely ", " ducal ", " comital " or " baronial ", depending upon

1160-464: A female. Dynastic politics has declined over time, owing to a decline in monarchy as a form of government, a rise in democracy, and a reduction within democracies of elected members from dynastic families. The word "dynasty" (from the Greek : δυναστεία , dynasteía "power", "lordship", from dynástes "ruler") is sometimes used informally for people who are not rulers but are, for example, members of

1276-521: A female. For instance, the House of Windsor is maintained through the children of Queen Elizabeth II , as it did with the monarchy of the Netherlands , whose dynasty remained the House of Orange-Nassau through three successive queens regnant . The earliest such example among major European monarchies was in the Russian Empire in the 18th century, where the name of the House of Romanov

SECTION 10

#1732765732773

1392-453: A final agreement to the marriage. Isabel and Leopoldina were not informed until Gaston and August were mid-Atlantic. Arriving in early September, Gaston described the princesses as "ugly", but thought Isabel less so than her sister. For her part, Isabel in her own words "began to feel a great and tender love" for Gaston. Gaston and Isabel, and August and Leopoldina, were engaged on 18 September. On 15 October, Gaston and Isabel were married at

1508-417: A framework of successive dynasties. As such, the term "dynasty" may be used to delimit the era during which a family reigned, and also to describe events, trends and artifacts of that period (e.g., "a Ming dynasty vase"). Until the 19th century, it was taken for granted that a legitimate function of a monarch was to aggrandize his dynasty: that is, to expand the wealth and power of his family members. Before

1624-632: A framework of successive dynasties. As such, the term "dynasty" may be used to delimit the era during which a family reigned. Before the 18th century, most dynasties throughout the world have traditionally been reckoned patrilineally , such as those that follow the Frankish Salic law . In polities where it was permitted, succession through a daughter usually established a new dynasty in her husband's family name. This has changed in all of Europe's remaining monarchies, where succession law and conventions have maintained dynastic names de jure through

1740-429: A home life that was secure, safe and predictable." Isabel and her sister "loved their gentle mother and worshipped their demanding but emotionally distant father." From both parents, Isabel inherited a lack of racism. Pedro II surrounded himself with men "regardless of their race." Historian James McMurtry Longo said that as "her father's student, daughter, and heir Princess Isabel followed his example. Race never played

1856-516: A law, named Lei Áurea or the Golden Law, emancipating all slaves in Brazil . Even though the action was broadly popular, there was strong opposition to her succession to the throne. Her gender, strong Catholic faith, and marriage to a foreigner were seen as impediments against her, and the emancipation of the slaves generated dislike among powerful planters. In 1889, her family was deposed in

1972-724: A military coup , and she spent the last 30 years of her life in exile in France. Isabel was born at 6:30 p.m. on 29 July 1846 in Rio de Janeiro 's Paço de São Cristóvão (Palace of Saint Christopher). She was the daughter of Brazil's Emperor Pedro II and his wife Teresa Cristina . On 15 November the infant princess was baptized in an elaborate ceremony in Igreja da Glória (Church of Glory). Her godparents, both represented by proxy, were her uncle, King Ferdinand II of Portugal , and her maternal grandmother María Isabella of Spain . She

2088-487: A military coup d'état took place and the proclamation of the Brazilian republic overthrew the monarchy. Prince Pedro, then, was acclaimed as Emperor of Brazil throughout the land. The constitution of the Brazilian Empire of 1824 – the first Brazilian constitutional charter – was organized two years after independence, with the emperor being the head of state and head of government of the Empire of Brazil, as well as head of

2204-540: A nephew of Queen Elizabeth II , is in the line of succession to the British crown , making him a British dynast. On the other hand, since he is not a patrilineal member of the British royal family, he is therefore not a dynast of the House of Windsor. Comparatively, the German aristocrat Prince Ernst August of Hanover , a male-line descendant of King George III , possesses no legal British name, titles or styles (although he

2320-584: A role in her social life, political relationships, alliances or disagreements." And concludes: "It may have been the most important lesson learned from him." The Imperial family lived in São Cristóvão palace but during the summer (from December to April) went to Pedro II's palace in Petrópolis (nowadays the Imperial Museum of Brazil ). Isabel lived an almost completely secluded life from

2436-446: A single issue: the immediate abolition of slavery". It is for this achievement that she is remembered. As explained by Barman, paradoxically this "principal exercise of power by which posterity alone remembers her ... contributed to her exclusion from public life". Isabel herself wrote, on the day after the republican coup d'état that deposed her father, "If abolition is the cause for this, I don't regret it; I consider it worth losing

SECTION 20

#1732765732773

2552-522: A strict father who demanded obedience", but who, at the same time, was very kind and concerned with his children. However, Pedro II "found difficult if not impossible" to grant intimacy to not only Isabel, but "to any member of his family." During her upbringing Isabel "absorbed from her instructors conformity to traditional gender roles. She accepted women as dependent and obedient, and indeed her mother's and her governess's behavior did not justify anything else." She "did not lack powers of observation and

2668-628: A successor during their own lifetime, or a member of their family may maneuver to take control of the dictatorship after the strongman's death. Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil Dona Isabel (29 July 1846 – 14 November 1921), nicknamed " the Redemptress ", was the Princess Imperial ( heiress presumptive to the throne) of the Empire of Brazil and the Empire's regent on three occasions. Born in Rio de Janeiro as

2784-575: A sudden coup d'état led by a clique of military leaders whose goal was the formation of a republic headed by a dictator, forming the First Brazilian Republic . With the proclamation of the Brazilian republic on 15 November 1889, the imperial family went into exile in Portugal , Spain , France and Austria-Hungary . In the party that accompanied the imperial family were included many loyal subjects and nobles, as politicians such

2900-570: A visit to Europe in 1873 she consulted a specialist doctor, and visited the shrine at Lourdes . By December 1873, she was pregnant. Despite Isabel's pleas to remain in Europe until after the birth, the Emperor insisted she returned to Brazil so that the child, who might inherit the throne, would not be born abroad. They arrived at Rio in June 1874. After a labor of 50 hours in late July, the baby died in

3016-459: A week." She might have been officially heiress to the throne, "but by his treatment of her Pedro II deprived the honor of any meaning." Pedro II's behavior as a father was completely different as an emperor. A "man remarkable for his self-control, was at his most affectionate and most outgoing with children, above all his daughters." His daughters, "whom I love deeply", as Pedro II wrote in his diary in 1861, "both loved and admired him." He "was

3132-651: Is Pedro Henrique's son by a Bavarian princess and upholds his dynastic claim to the same legacy. Following the tradition of the Portuguese monarchy , itself abolished in 1910, the closest relatives of the Brazilian emperor are considered members of the Brazilian imperial family. Founded by Pedro of Braganza , until then Prince Royal of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves , member of

3248-432: Is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics . A dynasty may also be referred to as a " house ", " family " or " clan ", among others. Historians periodize the histories of many states and civilizations , such as Ancient Iran (3200–539 BC), Ancient Egypt (3100–30 BC), and Ancient and Imperial China (2070 BC – AD 1912), using

3364-627: Is entitled to reclaim the former royal dukedom of Cumberland ). He was born in the line of succession to the British throne and was bound by Britain's Royal Marriages Act 1772 until it was repealed when the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 took effect on 26 March 2015. Thus, he requested and obtained formal permission from Queen Elizabeth II to marry the Roman Catholic Princess Caroline of Monaco in 1999. Yet,

3480-468: The Vassouras branch is led by his second cousin, Bertrand of Orléans-Braganza . Rivalry within the family erupted in 1946 when Dom Pedro Gastão (1913–2007) repudiated the renunciation to the throne of his late father, Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará (1875–1940), for himself and his future descendants, when he made a non-dynastic marriage in 1908. Pedro de Alcântara was the eldest son of

3596-539: The Château d'Eu , former residence of King Louis Philippe of France and property of Gaston of Orléans, Count d'Eu , husband of Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil , heiress of Pedro II and de jure Empress-in-Exile of Brazil. Despite the prohibition then in force, Prince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza tried to disembark in Rio de Janeiro in 1906, but was prevented by local authorities. Finally, President Epitácio Pessoa , by presidential decree of 3 September 1920, revoked

Brazilian imperial family - Misplaced Pages Continue

3712-533: The Convent of Santo Antônio . The so-called Brazilian dynastic question concerns inheritance rights to the titles of Head of the Brazilian Imperial House, Prince Imperial of Brazil , Prince of Grão-Pará and Prince of Brazil , who consequently would indicate the preferred heirs to the Brazilian imperial throne. The primacy in the line of succession is disputed by some members and partisans of

3828-801: The House of Braganza , heir apparent to the Portuguese throne and the King 's representative in the Kingdom of Brazil as Prince Regent, the Imperial House of Brazil was sovereign from 7 September 1822, when Prince Pedro proclaimed the independence of the Kingdom of Brazil from the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves and was subsequently acclaimed as Emperor of Brazil on 12 October that same year until 15 November 1889, when

3944-714: The Imperial Chapel in Rio by the archbishop of Bahia. Although Gaston encouraged his wife to read broadly, and the Emperor took her on tours of government offices, her outlook remained one of narrow domesticity. She led a life typical of aristocratic women of her generation. For the first six months of 1865, she and her husband toured Europe. As Brazil had broken off diplomatic relations with Britain, and her French relations had been deposed in France, they travelled as private citizens and met Queen Victoria as relatives not as official state guests. On their return to Brazil, Gaston

4060-538: The Prince of Joinville , was considered. His mother was Isabel's aunt Princess Francisca of Brazil . Pierre, however, was not interested and declined. Instead, Joinville suggested his nephews, Gaston, Count of Eu, and Prince Ludwig August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as suitable choices for the imperial princesses. The two young men travelled to Brazil in August 1864 so that the prospective brides and grooms could meet before

4176-502: The Princess Imperial Isabel (1846–1921) who, as Pedro II's elder daughter and heir presumptive when he was dethroned, became the last undisputed head of the family after her father's death in exile in 1891. Pedro Carlos is Dom Pedro Gastão's eldest son. Dom Bertrand descends from Isabel's younger son, Prince Luís (1878–1920) who, by a Bourbon princess, fathered Prince Pedro Henrique (1909–1981). Dom Bertrand

4292-463: The Viscount of Ouro Preto , the deposed last Prime Minister of the Empire , as well the Emperor's particular doctor. Prince August Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , grandson of Emperor Pedro II was the only member of the imperial family not boarded to exile because he was on board the cruiser Almirante Barroso , on a circumnavigation trip. Subsequently, upon receiving the news of the deposition of

4408-546: The château d'Eu in Normandy, the former home of King Louis Philippe I , and the couple furnished it with items received from Brazil in the early 1890s. By 1908, Isabel's eldest son Pedro wanted to marry an Austro-Hungarian aristocrat Countess Elisabeth Dobrženský of Dobrženitz , but Gaston and Isabel withheld consent because Elisabeth was not a princess. Their consent was only forthcoming when their second son, Luiz, who had travelled to Brazil but had been forbidden to land by

4524-721: The order of succession to the Dutch throne , and consequently lost his title as a "Prince of the Netherlands", and left his children without dynastic rights. Empress Maria Theresa of the Habsburg dynasty had her children married into various European dynasties. Habsburg marriage policy amongst European dynasties led to the Pax Austriaca . Historians periodize the histories of many states and civilizations , such as Ancient Iran (3200–539 BC), Ancient Egypt (3100–30 BC) and Ancient and Imperial China (2070 BC – AD 1912), using

4640-433: The 18th century, most dynasties throughout the world have traditionally been reckoned patrilineally , such as those that follow the Frankish Salic law . In polities where it was permitted, succession through a daughter usually established a new dynasty in her husband's family name. This has changed in all of Europe's remaining monarchies, where succession law and conventions have maintained dynastic names de jure through

4756-476: The Banishment Law. The Imperial Family was then able to return to Brazilian soil. The occasion was used to repatriate the remains of the last emperor and his consort, who would be transferred from Portugal a year later. Of the nine members of the imperial family originally exiled, only two returned to Brazil alive: Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará and his father, Prince Gaston, Count of Eu, who died

Brazilian imperial family - Misplaced Pages Continue

4872-709: The Beau Séjour. Gaston's father provided them with a monthly allowance. By September, they had taken a villa near Versailles and their sons were enrolled in Parisian schools. Isabel's father died in December 1891, and his property in Brazil was sold with much of the proceeds used to pay off his debts in Europe. Isabel and Gaston purchased a villa in Boulogne-sur-Seine , where they lived an essentially quiet life. Attempts by Brazilian monarchists to restore

4988-689: The Brazilian throne, could only return after the end of World War II . Currently, the remains of five members of the imperial family are buried in the Imperial Mausoleum in Petrópolis : Emperor Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina, whose mortal remains were transferred from the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza in Lisbon , in 1921, on the occasion of the centenary of the Independence of Brazil, Princess Isabel, removed from

5104-401: The Brazilian throne. Two other siblings followed: Leopoldina in 1847 and Pedro in 1848. Afonso's death in 1847, at the age of 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 , propelled Isabel to the position of Pedro II's heir presumptive . She briefly lost the position with the birth of Prince Imperial Pedro. After his death in 1850, Isabel became the definitive heiress as Princess Imperial, the title given to

5220-484: The Emperor and Empress embarked on their own tour of Europe. Isabel was appointed regent with full powers to govern Brazil in the Emperor's absence, though prime minister José Paranhos, Viscount of Rio Branco , and Gaston were expected to hold the reins of power in reality. Following the abolition of slavery in the United States, Pedro II was committed to a gradual program of liberation. On 27 September 1871, with

5336-678: The Emperor still abroad, Isabel signed a new anti-slavery act, passed by the Chamber of Deputies . The Law of Free Birth , as it was called, freed all children born of slaves after that date. On Pedro II's return to Brazil in March 1872, Isabel was once again excluded from government, and resumed private life. Throughout the first years of her marriage, Isabel was eager to have children, but her first pregnancy ended in miscarriage in October 1872. Worried about her apparent inability to conceive, during

5452-516: The Empire of Brazil, promulgated on 25 March 1824, accords to me the Crown of that nation. I declare, therefore, that by my free and spontaneous will I hereby renounce, in my own name, as well as for any and all of my descendants, to all and any rights that the aforesaid Constitution confers upon us to the Brazilian Crown and Throne, which shall pass to the lines which follow mine, conforming to

5568-493: The Imperial House associated itself with the House of Orléans , that composes the French royal family . Thus began a new dynastic branch of Brazil: Orléans-Braganza, which never had the opportunity to reign in Brazil. Of the four children of the couple, two have generated offspring and this branch of the family has more than thirty members. Many are those who renounced for themselves and their descendants any rights in succession to

5684-520: The Rio Police's mishandling of a pro-abolition demonstration in early 1888, Isabel acted and appointed Conservative João Alfredo Correia de Oliveira in Cotegipe's place. Oliveira's government supported unconditional abolition and swiftly introduced legislation. On 13 May 1888, Isabel signed the Golden Law ( A Lei Áurea ), as it was known, which enabled the complete cessation of slavery. Isabel

5800-561: The Saxe-Coburg-Braganza branch yielded first place in the line of succession to the Orleans-Braganza branch. The only members of the Saxe-Coburg-Braganza branch who still retain Brazilian nationality, which was a constitutional requirement to succeed to the now defunct Brazilian throne, are the descendants of Princess Teresa Cristina of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , daughter of Augusto Leopoldo. Her Brazilian nationality

5916-492: The absence of a ruling monarch as the ultimate arbiter in political disputes led to regional civil wars between local factions. Having inherited an empire on the verge of disintegration, Pedro II, once he was declared of age, managed to bring peace and stability to the country, which eventually became an emerging international power. Even though the last four decades of Pedro II's reign were marked by continuous internal peace and economic prosperity, he had no expectation to see

SECTION 50

#1732765732773

6032-471: The armistice. Isabel wrote to Gaston that she "went out of [her] mind" with grief "but the Good Lord restored it." Just three months later, Luiz died after a long illness. Isabel's own health was deteriorating, and by 1921 she was barely able to walk. She was too ill to travel to Brazil when the republican government lifted the family's banishment in 1920. Gaston and Pedro revisited Brazil in early 1921, for

6148-508: The authorities, married Princess Maria di Grazia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Pedro renounced his claim to the Brazilian throne in favor of his brother. Luiz and his youngest brother Antônio both served in the British army during World War I (as members of the French royal family they were forbidden to serve in the French military). Luiz was invalided from active service in 1915, and Antônio died from wounds sustained in an air crash shortly after

6264-498: The birth, to the dismay of local physicians whose pride was wounded by Isabel's use of foreign practitioners. After a labor of 13 hours, a boy, baptized Pedro de Alcântara after his grandfather, was delivered with the aid of forceps. Possibly as the result of the difficult delivery, Pedro was born with a disabled left arm. The Emperor embarked on a major tour of North America, Europe and the Middle East in March 1876, and Isabel

6380-525: The cemetery of Eu in 1953 with her husband, Prince Gaston, and the Prince of Grão-Pará, transferred from the cemetery of Petrópolis in 1990, together with his wife. Prince Luiz and Prince Antônio are buried in the Royal Chapel of Dreux , France, where the wife of the first, Princess Maria Pia, was buried in 1973. Princes Pedro Augusto , August Leopold, Joseph Ferdinand and Ludwig Gaston are buried in

6496-477: The character of both the princesses ought to be shaped as suits Ladies who, it may be, will have to direct the constitutional government of an Empire such as Brazil". Although the Emperor still had a legal successor in his beloved daughter Isabel, the male-dominated society of the time left him little hope that a woman could rule Brazil. He was fond and respectful of the women in his life, but he did not consider it feasible that Isabel could survive as monarch, given

6612-505: The chief or present title borne by its members, but it is more often referred by adding the name afterwards, as in " House of Habsburg ". A ruler from a dynasty is sometimes referred to as a "dynast", but this term is also used to describe any member of a reigning family who retains a right to succeed to a throne . For example, King Edward VIII ceased to be a dynast of the House of Windsor following his abdication. In historical and monarchist references to formerly reigning families,

6728-629: The congratulations upon the marriages of my dear children Pedro and Luiz. Luiz's took place in Cannes on the 4th with the brilliance that is desired for so solemn an act in the life of my successor to the Throne of Brazil. I was very pleased. Pedro's shall take place next on the 14th. Before the marriage of Luiz he signed his resignation to the crown of Brazil, and here I send it to you, while keeping here an identical copy. I believe that this news must be published as soon as possible (you gentlemen shall do it in

6844-495: The country that I have loved and love so much, and to the happiness of which I have striven to contribute and for which I will continue to hold the most ardent hopes. The imperial family arrived at Lisbon on 7 December 1889. Three weeks later, Isabel's mother died at Porto , while Isabel and her family were in southern Spain. Back in Portugal, Isabel fainted at her mother's lying in state . Further bad news came from Brazil, as

6960-473: The country's affairs" to any minister or Isabel. Isabel retired to her estate at Petrópolis where she gave birth to a second son, Luiz, in late January 1878. Three months later, Gaston, Isabel and their two sons left Brazil for an extended stay in Europe, where Pedro was to receive medical treatment for his arm. Throughout their stay of three and a half years, Isabel avoided politics and showed no interest in current affairs. Pedro's treatment proved futile, and

7076-523: The couple made plans to return after the birth (with the assistance of forceps) of their final child and third son, Antônio, in August 1881. Isabel and her family returned to Brazil in December 1881. From November 1884 to March 1885, Isabel toured southern Brazil with her husband, and in January 1887, they left Brazil for a six-month visit to Europe. Their trip was cut short, however, as Pedro II fell ill in March, and they returned in early June. The Emperor

SECTION 60

#1732765732773

7192-561: The crown were unsuccessful, and Isabel lent them only half-hearted support. She thought military action unwise and unwelcome, and correctly assumed that it was unlikely to succeed. Gaston's father died in 1896, and Gaston's inheritance gave him and Isabel financial security. Their three sons enrolled at a military school in Vienna, and Isabel continued her charitable work associated with the Catholic Church. In 1905, Gaston purchased

7308-949: The crypt of the Church of St. Augustine in Coburg , Germany, where their mother, Princess Leopoldina , had been buried in 1871. In 1954, the remains of the first Empress, Maria Leopoldina , were transferred to the Imperial Crypt and Chapel in São Paulo , which were in the Santo Antônio Convent, Rio de Janeiro. Some of the children of both emperors are buried in the Santo Antônio Convent: Prince Miguel, Prince João Carlos , Princess Paula Mariana , Prince Afonso Pedro and Prince Pedro Afonso , as well as Princess Luísa Vitória. In 1972, on

7424-455: The death of his son Pedro in 1850, he wrote: "This has been the most fatal blow that I could receive, and certainly I would not have survived were it not that I still have a wife and two children whom I must educate so that they can assure the happiness of the country in which they were born." Seven years later, in 1857, when it was more than clear that no more children would be born, the Emperor wrote: "As to their education, I will only say that

7540-479: The descendants are eligible to inherit the throne or other royal privileges. For example, the marriage of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands to Máxima Zorreguieta in 2002 was dynastic, making their eldest child, Princess Catharina-Amalia , the heir apparent to the Crown of the Netherlands. The marriage of his younger brother, Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau , in 2003 lacked government support and parliamentary approval. Thus, Prince Friso forfeited his place in

7656-502: The dynastic branches of Petrópolis and Vassouras . In 1908, Dom Pedro de Alcântara, then Prince Imperial of Brazil in exile, wanted to marry Countess Elisabeth Dobržensky de Dobrženicz (1875–1951), whose family had belonged to the nobility of the kingdom of Bohemia since 1339, and whose legitimate members, male and female, bore the title of baron since 1744 and of count or countess since issuance of Austrian letters patent on 21 February 1906. The countess did not, however, belong to

7772-523: The eldest daughter of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil and Empress Teresa Cristina , she was a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza (Portuguese: Bragança ). After the deaths of her two brothers in infancy, she was recognized as her father's heiress presumptive. She married a French prince, Gaston, Count of Eu , in an arranged marriage and they had three sons. During her father's absences abroad, Isabel acted as regent. In her third and final regency, she actively promoted and ultimately signed

7888-477: The elected positions of republics and constitutional monarchies . Eminence, influence , tradition , genetics , and nepotism may contribute to the phenomenon. Hereditary dictatorships are personalist dictatorships in which political power stays within a strongman's family due to the overwhelming authority of the strongman, rather than by the democratic consent of the people. The strongman typically fills government positions with their relatives. They may groom

8004-403: The end of slavery. They had lost the support of slave-owning plantation owners, who held great political, economic and social power. Isabel was uninterested in politics and did not cultivate politicians or public support. Her religious zeal was distrusted, and it was widely assumed that if she became Empress Gaston would hold power, but Gaston was isolated because of his increasing deafness, and

8120-413: The female gender. "Pedro II believed, as did most men of his day", says Barman, "that a single woman could not manage life's problem on her own, even if she possessed the powers and authority of an empress." Isabel began her education on 1 May 1854, when she was taught how to read and write by a male instructor, who was openly republican. As the Portuguese (and later Brazilian) court tradition demanded,

8236-457: The first in the line of succession. Isabel's early years were a time of peace and prosperity in Brazil. Her parents provided a happy and healthy upbringing. She and her sister "grew up in a stable, secure environment dramatically different from the one her father and aunts had known, and light years away from the childhood chaos of Pedro I." The early death of both of his sons had an enormous impact on Pedro II. Aside from his personal grief,

8352-574: The following year aboard the ship Massilia, on their way to Brazil to celebrate the centenary of independence. Prince Pedro de Alcântara acquired one of its former palaces, the Palácio do Grão-Pará in Petropolis, where it resided until his death and where his descendants still live. On the other hand, not all the family returned immediately to Brazil, and the Vassouras branch, present clamoring to

8468-502: The former imperial family should occupy the throne if monarchy had been re-instated, but the option of restoration was defeated despite garnering approximately 7 million votes. After the death of Pedro Gastão in 2007, his eldest son Prince Pedro Carlos and younger children declared themselves republicans. Several of Pedro Gastão's grandchildren also have dual citizenship. With the marriage of Isabel of Braganza, Princess Imperial of Brazil , with Prince Gaston of Orléans, Count d'Eu in 1864,

8584-590: The heir of the throne was supposed to have an aio (supervisor, tutor or governess ) in charge of his education once he achieved the age of seven. After a long search, Pedro II chose the Brazilian-born Luísa Margarida Portugal de Barros , the Countess of Barral, daughter of a Brazilian noble and wife of a French noble. Barral assumed her position on 9 September 1856, when Isabel was ten years old. The 40-year-old Countess

8700-451: The imperial throne, losing titles and precedence in the imperial family. In 1909, Prince Gaston engaged in negotiations with Philippe, Duke of Orléans , resulting in a document signed by nearly all the male-line princes descended from France's citizen-king, Louis Philippe , called the Pacte de Famille (or "Declaration of Brussels"): the title of Prince of Orléans-Braganza was created, and

8816-469: The line of succession. Dynasties lasting at least 250 years include the following. Legendary lineages that cannot be historically confirmed are not included. There are 43 sovereign states with a monarch as head of state , of which 41 are ruled by dynasties. There are currently 26 sovereign dynasties. Though in elected governments , rule does not pass automatically by inheritance, political power often accrues to generations of related individuals in

8932-512: The loss of his sons affected his future conduct as monarch and would determine the fate of the Empire. In the Emperor's eyes, the deaths of his children seemed to portend an eventual end of the Imperial system. The future of the monarchy as an institution no longer concerned him, as he increasingly saw his position as being nothing more than that of Head of State for his lifetime. The Emperor's words revealed his inner conviction. After learning of

9048-442: The middle of 1877, during a serious drought in northeastern Brazil that threatened public order, Isabel largely remained at home resting because she was again going through a difficult pregnancy. On Pedro II's return to Brazil in late September 1877, he avoided speaking to Isabel, and distanced himself from the government's actions during the regency by declaring that throughout his entire journey he had not sent "a single telegram on

9164-400: The moderator power and the executive power. He reigned until 7 April 1831 when he abdicated due to a long ideological conflict between with a sizable parliamentary faction over the role of the monarch in the government and other obstacles. Pedro I's successor in Brazil was his five-year-old son, Pedro II. As the latter was still a minor, a weak regency was created. The power vacuum resulting from

9280-414: The monarchy survive beyond his lifetime and made no effort to maintain support for the institution. The next in line to the throne was his daughter Isabel , but neither Pedro II nor the ruling classes considered a female monarch acceptable. Lacking any viable heir, the Empire's political leaders saw no reason to defend the monarchy. After a 58-year reign, on 15 November 1889 the Emperor was overthrown in

9396-482: The monarchy, he was sent into exile. In addition to the ban, the Republican government confiscated and auctioned many of the assets of the imperial family. In 1890, thirteen auctions of Imperial House goods were made. Empress Teresa Cristina died in the first months of exile. Later Emperor Pedro II died in France, where he received a head of state's funeral by the French government. The imperial family settled in

9512-492: The new government abolished the imperial family's allowances, their only substantial source of income, and declared the family banished. On the back of a large loan from a Portuguese businessman, the imperial family moved into the Hotel Beau Séjour at Cannes . In early 1890, Isabel and Gaston moved into a private villa, which was far cheaper than the hotel, but their father refused to accompany them and remained at

9628-609: The occasion of the sesquicentenary of Independence, the remains of Emperor Pedro I were transferred from the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza to the Imperial Chapel. The body of his second wife, Empress Amélie , was transferred from the Braganza Pantheon to the Imperial Chapel in 1982. In that same year the body of her daughter, Princess Maria Amélia , was transferred from the Braganza Pantheon to

9744-559: The order of succession as established by article 117. Before God I promise, for myself and my descendants, to hold to the present declaration. Cannes 30 October 1908 signed: Pedro de Alcântara of Orleans-Braganza This renunciation was followed by a letter from Isabel to royalists in Brazil: 9 November 1908, Château d'Eu Most Excellent Gentlemen Members of the Monarchist Directory, With all my heart I thank you for

9860-691: The outside world, far away from the eyes of the Brazilians. She and her sisters had a few friends. Three of them would remain lifelong friends of Isabel: Maria Ribeiro de Avelar (whose mother was a childhood friend of Pedro II's sisters), Maria Amanda de Paranaguá (daughter of João Lustosa da Cunha Paranaguá, the 2nd Marquis of Paranaguá, a member of the Liberal Party and later Prime Minister) and Adelaide Taunay (daughter of Pedro II's former teacher Félix Émile Taunay and sister of Alfredo d'Escragnolle Taunay, Viscount of Taunay ). The sole male child who

9976-405: The political realities and climate. To historian Roderick J. Barman, the Emperor "could not conceive of women, his daughters included, playing any part in governance. [...] In consequence, although he valued D. Isabel as his daughter, he simply could not accept or perceive her in cold reality as his successor or regard her as a viable ruler." The main reason for this behavior was his attitude toward

10092-430: The position which with all my heart I desire that one day he will hold. You may write to him as many times as you may want to so that he shall be informed of everything. My strength is not the same as it once was, but my heart is still the same to love my homeland and all those who are so dedicated to us. I give you all my friendship and confidence, a) Isabel, comtesse d'Eu If the 1908 renunciation of Pedro de Alcântara

10208-576: The reburial of Isabel's parents in Petrópolis Cathedral. Isabel died before the end of the year, and was buried in her husband's family tomb at Dreux 's chapel royal. Gaston died the following year. In 1953, the remains of Gaston and Isabel were repatriated to Brazil, and in 1971 they were interred in the Cathedral of Petrópolis . Historian Roderick J. Barman wrote that "in the view of posterity, [Isabel] acted decisively only once on

10324-411: The republican creed has made since his departure last year enormous advances that impress everybody; and, notwithstanding the economic prosperity during the present year, never, for the past 40 years, has the situation of the Brazilian monarchy appeared more shaky than today. With the Emperor ill and Isabel withdrawn from public life, no effort was made to capitalize on the public popularity engendered by

10440-409: The rightful pretenders by Austrian monarchists, nor have they claimed that position. The term "dynast" is sometimes used only to refer to agnatic descendants of a realm's monarchs, and sometimes to include those who hold succession rights through cognatic royal descent. The term can therefore describe overlapping but distinct sets of people. For example, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon ,

10556-498: The style of Royal Highness recognized, exclusive to male-line descendants of that branch of the family. The Saxe-Coburg-Braganza branch is descended from Princess Leopoldina of Brazil , second daughter of Dom Pedro II, and her husband, Prince Ludwig August of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry . Due to several years of difficulties that the Princess Imperial Isabel experienced in producing an heir to

10672-415: The tasks she would face and to relate it to what she learned in the classroom." That did not happen. Pedro II "showed her no state papers. He did not discuss politics with her. He did not take her with him on his constant visits to government offices. He did not include her in the despacho , the weekly meetings with the cabinet members, nor did he allow her to attend the public audiences that took place twice

10788-562: The teachers who taught it." For over nine and a half hours per day and six days per week, Isabel and her sister were in class. Subjects were broad and included Portuguese and French literature , astronomy , chemistry , the history of Portugal , England and France , drawing , piano , dancing , political economy , geography , geology , and the history of philosophy . As an adult, beyond her native Portuguese , Isabel became fluent in French , English and German . Among her teachers were Barral, others who had taught her father as

10904-402: The throne for." The Princess's full style and title was "Her Imperial Highness Senhora Dona Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil." Princess Isabel was a recipient of the following Brazilian orders: She was a recipient of the following foreign honors: Isabel's marriage with Gaston produced three sons and one daughter. The eldest son, who was named after her father, as the firstborn son of

11020-416: The throne, clauses were included in the marriage contract between Leopoldina and her husband to ensure that the couple should, among other things, reside part of the year in Brazil and have their children on Brazilian territory, as heirs presumptive of Isabel: Pedro Augusto , Augusto Leopoldo , and José Fernando . With the birth of Dom Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará and eldest son of Princess Isabel,

11136-417: The trenches. Prince Pedro de Alcântara did not dispute the validity of the renunciation. Though he did not claim the headship of the Imperial House himself, in 1937 he did say in an interview that his renunciation "did not meet the requirements of Brazilian Law, there was no prior consultation with the nation, there was none of the necessary protocol that is required for acts of this nature and, furthermore, it

11252-472: The way that you judge to be most satisfactory) in order to prevent the formation of parties that would be a great evil for our country. Pedro will continue to love his homeland, and will give all possible support to his brother. Thank God they are very united. Luiz will engage actively in everything with respect to the monarchy and any good for our land. However, without giving up my rights I want that he be up to date on everything so that he may prepare himself for

11368-470: The womb. Her Catholic faith provided some solace, but her association with ultramontanism , which emphasized the authority of the Church over the government, drew criticism from those who thought the Church should defer to temporal authorities. Isabel remained concerned throughout her third pregnancy, in 1875, fearful that it would again end in failure. A doctor and midwife from France were brought over for

11484-490: Was deposed in a military coup . He dismissed all suggestions for quelling the rebellion that politicians and military leaders put forward, and simply commented: "If it is so, it will be my retirement. I have worked too hard and I am tired. I will go rest then." Within two days, he and his family were on their way to exile in Europe. Isabel released a public statement that read: It is with my heart riven with sorrow that I take leave of my friends, of all Brazilians, and of

11600-434: Was a charming and vivacious woman who soon captured the heart of Isabel and became a kind of role model to the young princess. In Pedro II's own words, his daughters' education "should not differ from that given to men, combined with that suited the other sex, but in a manner that does not distract from the first." He "provided his daughters with a broad, democratic and rigorous education, through both its curriculum and

11716-479: Was advised to seek medical help in Europe, as a result of which he left Brazil on 30 June, leaving Isabel as regent. Abolitionism in Brazil was growing in strength, but the government of Conservative João Maurício Wanderley, Baron of Cotegipe , attempted to slow the pace of reform. Isabel, in her own words, "became ever more convinced that some action had to be taken" to expand the emancipation program and pressured Cotegipe unsuccessfully to free more slaves. After

11832-470: Was again made regent. Elections later in the year returned the incumbent government (led by the Duke of Caxias ) but fraud and violence during the campaign damaged both its and Isabel's reputations. Her popularity also suffered as a result of continued tension between the Church and State. Adding to her stress, she miscarried on 11 September 1876, and was weakened by loss of blood. At the same time, her husband

11948-462: Was also ill with bronchitis, as a result of which he was virtually bed-ridden for three weeks. The couple decided to withdraw from public life, as Gaston explained, "When the princess is no longer seen every day in the streets of Rio, she is forgotten for a while and there is less temptation to denounce each of her acts and decisions to a discontented public." Their seclusion, however, left them isolated and unable to influence public opinion. Throughout

12064-470: Was called to the battle front of the Paraguayan War by the Emperor, leaving Isabel lonely at Rio. After the conclusion of the war in 1870, Gaston and Isabel again toured Europe. In early 1871, they were in Vienna, where her sister Leopoldina fell fatally ill and died, leaving Isabel the sole surviving child of her parents. Gaston and Isabel returned to Brazil on 1 May 1871, just three weeks before

12180-428: Was christened Isabel Cristina Leopoldina Augusta Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga. Her last four names were always bestowed upon the members of her family, and Isabel and Cristina honored Isabel's maternal grandmother and mother, respectively. She was a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza through her father, and from birth was referred to using the honorific Dona (English: Dame or Lady ). She

12296-462: Was due to disagreements over how to choose a non German house. In Limpopo Province of South Africa , Balobedu determined descent matrilineally , while rulers have at other times adopted the name of their mother's dynasty when coming into her inheritance. Less frequently, a monarchy has alternated or been rotated, in a multi-dynastic (or polydynastic) system—that is, the most senior living members of parallel dynasties, at any point in time, constitute

12412-406: Was maintained through Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna . This also happened in the case of Queen Maria II of Portugal , who married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry , but whose descendants remained members of the House of Braganza , per Portuguese law; in fact, since the 1800s, the only female monarch in Europe who had children belonging to a different house was Queen Victoria and that

12528-482: Was not a hereditary renunciation." The dynastic dispute over the Brazilian crown began after 1940 when Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza , eldest son of Pedro de Alcântara repudiated his father's renunciation and claimed the headship of the Brazilian Imperial House. Pedro Gastão actively campaigned in support of Brazil's 1993 referendum on restoration of the Brazilian monarchy, which would have postponed for subsequent decision by Parliament of which descendant of

12644-429: Was not afraid to speak her mind, and she held strong views. However, when she encountered something she did not like, she found it difficult to focus and organize her resistance so as to make her view prevail. She tended to flare up and then to submit or to lose interest." Isabel's mother, Teresa Cristina, "lived for her family and found fulfillment in making her spouse and her daughters happy." She "created for her family

12760-400: Was part of Isabel's all female group was Dominique, the only son of the Countess of Barral, who was regarded by the Princess Imperial and her sister as "the younger brother they never had". Isabel was short, had blue eyes, blond hair, was a little overweight and lacked eyebrows. Her father sought a match among the royal house of France, and initially Pierre, Duke of Penthièvre , the son of

12876-469: Was popularly acclaimed as "the Redemptress" ( A Redentora ), and was given a Golden Rose by Pope Leo XIII for her actions. In August 1888, to Isabel's relief, Pedro II returned from Europe and her regency ended. Gaston wrote: The avidity and the enthusiasm of the public for the Emperor have been very great, more even more marked, it appears to me, than on previous arrivals. But it is a totally personal homage; because, as I think I have already written,

12992-466: Was recognized by the government of Brazil only in 1922; her four children were registered in the consulate of Brazil in Vienna as Brazilian citizens. Carlos Tasso de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança , Baron Taxis-Bordogna-Valnigra and son of Princess Teresa Cristina, is the current head of this branch. The Empire of Brazil remained a constitutional monarchy until 1889 – when the republic was proclaimed after

13108-557: Was sent to the Brazilian Monarchical Directory , an official body created to manage monarchical interests in the country. To solemnize this, Dom Pedro, aged thirty-three, signed the document translated here: I, Prince Pedro de Alcântara Luiz Filipe Maria Gastão Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga of Orleans-Braganza , having maturely reflected, have resolved to renounce the right that, by the Constitution of

13224-480: Was the granddaughter of Brazil's Emperor Pedro I (who also briefly reigned as Portugal's King Pedro IV), and the niece of Queen Maria II of Portugal (wife of Ferdinand II). Through her mother, she was a granddaughter of Francis I and niece to Ferdinand II , both kings of the Two Sicilies in turn. At the time of her birth, she had an elder brother named Afonso who was heir apparent to

13340-438: Was unpopular because of his foreign birth. Her position was further weakened by the intrigues of her nephew Prince Pedro Augusto of Saxe-Coburg , who was maneuvering to be recognized as Pedro II's heir. Pedro Augusto was told bluntly by his younger brother , "the succession does not belong to her [Isabel], nor to the maimed [Isabel's eldest son Pedro], nor to the deaf [Gaston], nor to you either." On 15 November 1889, Pedro II

13456-474: Was valid, his brother Luiz (and eventually, Pedro Henrique) became next in the line of succession after their mother. Isabel's headship of the Brazilian Imperial House lasted until her death in 1921, when she is widely considered to have been succeeded by her grandson, Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza . Pedro Henrique was the elder son of Prince Luiz , second child of Isabel and a veteran of World War I who had died in 1920 from an illness he contracted in

#772227