Brazilian Imperial Family

Brazilian Imperial Family
Original coat of arms of the Imperial House of Brazil, before 1912, when was added the coat of arms of the House of Orléans in the middle of the Imperial blason (23 years after the Brazilian proclamation of the republic).
Country	Brazil
Parent house	House of Braganza
Titles	Emperor of Brazil Prince Imperial of Brazil
Final ruler	Dom Pedro II of Brazil
Current head	Prince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza
Ethnicity	Brazilian, Portuguese

On September 7, 1822, Dom Pedro of Braganza, Prince Royal of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, 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 the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves 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, signing the treaty of Rio de Janeiro of this date, his father, King Dom João VI, recognized the independence of the new state, the former Portuguese dominion, now Empire of Brazil.

Brazil, from 1530 to 1815 a colony of the Portuguese Empire, 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 of Braganza (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 - when the republic was proclaimed after a military coup d'état, and had two reigning emperors, both from the House of Braganza:

• Dom Pedro I of Brazil (1822–1831): Born in 1798, deceased in 1834. Was also King of Portugal in 1826, as Pedro IV.
• Dom 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

The Brazilian Imperial Family in 1887

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

The Vassouras line

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

The Petrópolis line

• Prince Dom Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (1940–2007): Born in 1913, son of Dona 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 Dom Pedro Gastão.
• Prince Dom Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza (2007 – present): eldest son of Dom Pedro Gastão. He doesn't put in question the validity of the renunciation. Contrariwise, he declared himself a republican.
  • Heir Prince Dom Pedro Thiago of Orléans-Braganza (born in 1979)

Past members and some descendants of the imperial family

Arms of the House of Orléans-Braganza.

Arms of the Saxe-Coburg and Braganza branch.

• Dom Pedro I of Brazil (1798–1834)
  • Dona Maria II of Portugal (1819–1853)
  • Miguel, Prince of Beira (1820)
  • Dom João Carlos, Prince of Beira (1821–1822)
  • Dona Januária Maria, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1822–1901)
  • Princess Dona Paula Mariana of Brazil (1823–1833)
  • Princess Dona Francisca Carolina of Brazil (1824–1898)
  • Dom Pedro II of Brazil (1825–1891)
    • Dom Afonso Pedro de Alcântara, Prince Imperial of Brazil (1845–1847)
    • Dona Isabel Cristina, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921)
      • Dom Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão Para (1875–1940)
        • Dona Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza (1911–2003)
        • Dom Pedro Gastão, Prince of Orléans-Braganza (1913–2007)
          • Prince Dom Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza (born 1945)
            • Prince Dom Pedro Thiago of Orléans-Braganza (born 1979)
            • Prince Filipe of Orléans-Braganza (born 1982)
          • Princess Dona Maria da Glória of Orléans-Braganza (born 1946)
          • Prince Dom Afonso Duarte of Orléans-Braganza (born 1948)
          • Prince Dom Manuel Álvaro of Orléans-Braganza (born 1949)
          • Princess Cristina Maria do Rosário of Orléans-Braganza (born 1950)
          • Prince Francisco Humberto of Orléans-Braganza (born 1956)
        • Princess Dona Maria Francisca of Orléans-Braganza (1914–1968)
        • Prince Dom João of Orléans-Braganza (1916–2005)
        • Princess Teresa of Orléans-Braganza (1919–2011)
      • Prince Dom Luiz Maria of Orléans-Braganza (1878–1920)
        • Dom Pedro Henrique, Prince of Grão-Pará (1909–1981)
          • Prince Dom Luiz Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (born 1938)
          • Prince Dom Eudes Maria of Orléans-Braganza (born 1939)
          • Prince Dom Bertrand Maria José Pio Januário of Orléans-Braganza (born 1941)
          • Princess Dona Isabel Maria of Orléans-Braganza (born 1944)
          • Prince Dom Pedro de Alcântara Henrique of Orléans-Braganza (born 1945)
          • Prince Dom Fernando Diniz of Orléans-Braganza (born 1948)
          • Prince Dom Antônio João of Orléans-Braganza (born 1950)
            • Prince Dom Pedro Luiz of Orléans-Braganza (1983–2009)
            • Princess Dona Amélia Maria de Fátima of Orléans-Braganza (born 1984)
            • Prince Dom Rafael Antônio of Orléans-Braganza (born 1986)
            • Princess Dona Maria Gabriela of Orléans-Braganza (born 1989)
          • Princess Dona Eleonora Maria of Orléans-Braganza (born 1953)
            • Alice Maria de Ligne
            • Henrique Antônio de Ligne
          • Prince Dom Francisco Maria of Orléans-Braganza (born 1955)
          • Prince Dom Alberto Maria of Orléans-Braganza (born 1957)
          • Princess Dona Maria Teresa of Orléans-Braganza (born 1959)
          • Princess Dona Maria Gabriela of Orléans-Braganza (born 1959)
        • Prince Dom Luiz Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (1911–1931)
        • Princess Dona Pia Maria of Orléans-Braganza (1913–2000)
      • Prince Dom Antônio Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (1881–1918)
    • Princess Dona Leopoldina of Brazil (1847–1871)
      • Prince Pedro Augusto of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1866-1934)
      • Prince Augusto Leopoldo of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1867-1922)
        • Princess Teresa Cristina of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1902-1990)
          • Carlos Tasso de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança, Freiherr von Taxis di Bordogna e Valnigra (born 1931)
      • Prince José Fernando of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1869-1888)
    • Dom Pedro Afonso, Prince Imperial of Brazil (1848–1850)
  • Princess Dona Maria Amélia of Brazil (1831–1853)

See also

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

External links

• Imperial House of Brazil Official Website of the Vassouras Line
• Imperial Brazil Institute