Portuguese Royal Family Summer Events

Although the House of Bragança has not ruled in Portugal in over 100 years, that does not mean they are not busy! On the contrary, the family has partaken in many events at home and abroad this summer. They also attended events of other royal houses, including funerals and weddings.

To kick off the social season in Portugal, Dom Duarte and Isabel presided over the 11th annual Madeira Flower Ball, held at the Palacio Hotel Estoril. The ball is to help promote Madeira as a vacation destination and to raise money for charities. The Duchess wore a gown she would later repeat in Potsdam later that summer. Shortly thereafter, the book “A Infanta Rebelde” (meaning The Rebel Princess), authored by Raquel Ochoa was released. The book is about Infanta Maria Adelaide de Bragança Van Uden, who is Dom Duarte’s paternal aunt and at 99 years old, is the oldest Infanta of Portugal. Maria Adelaide fled Austria upon Nazi Invasion and went to Portugal and started a foundation to help victims of Nazi bombings in WWII. Because of her noble acts, the Gestapo sentenced her to death but the Portuguese President, Salazar, intervened and had her set free.

July rolled around and it was time to head for Monaco, for the wedding of Charlene and Albert. The Duke and Duchess first attended the reception offered the night before the religious ceremony along with many other royals, reigning and non-reigning alike. The following morning the Duke and Duchess attended the wedding ceremony in the palace courtyard. The Duchess wore an original design by Laurinda Farmhouse, who designed her wedding dress, and a simple beige hat. She also wore a diamond necklace which belonged to her late mother-in-law. The couple was seated next to the Margrave and Margravess of Baden, and in the row behind Madeleine and Carl-Phillip of Sweden. In the evening, the Duke and Duchess attended the ball offered to the guests at the Opera house, the Duke wore the order of Our Lady of Vila Viçosa, of which he is Grand Master. The Duchess did not wear any order as most ladies did not, but she wore a long black gown, another original design of Laurinda Farmhouse, and a diamond bandeau also provenance of her late mother-in-law (who wore the tiara to the King and Queen of Spain’s pre-wedding ball). To round out the events, Dom Duarte and Dona Isabel attended the brunch held on Sunday at the Palace before heading back home. In an interview given after the fact, Duarte said that he was able to greet Albert in Zulu, a language spoken in South Africa, and Charlene found humor in his greeting. He also said he left the ball at 3 AM but King Albert of Belgium was still there and very animated.

This summer Duarte was also conferred in the brotherhood of the Alvarinho wine. Duarte was very happy to join the brotherhood because he likes to support and promote all national products. The investiture took place in the Palace of Brejoeira in the north of Portugal in the town of Monção. The next major event Duarte attended was not as joyous an occasion as a wedding; it was the funeral of Archduke Otto of Habsburg. This event Duarte did not attend with his wife, but alone. Archduke Otto was in attendance at Duarte and Isabel’s wedding in 1995, and they were in attendance at many of Archduke Otto’s children’s weddings.

By invitation of the President of Syria, Duarte went to Syria and met with both the President and Prime Minister of Syria. The President asked Duarte to relay a message to other royal houses and the Portuguese Government, the message was that he plans to draft a constitution, based on the one in Morocco and propose it to the people by form of referendum. Duarte said that the President seemed serious in his intentions.

And to round out the summer events, Duarte and Isabel attended another wedding, this time that of HI&RH Georg Friedrich of Prussia and HSH Princess Sophie of Isenburg in Potsdam. Duarte and Isabel attended the ecumenical religious ceremony and evening gala, both held in the grounds of Sans Souci Palace. The Duke once again wore the order of our lady of Vila Viçosa (the patron saint of the Portuguese Kingdom) but the Duchess broke with protocol a bit in the evening by not wearing one of several tiaras that she owns. Unlike the Monegasque wedding Duarte and Isabel have not given any interviews about their thought on this wedding.

To know more about the Portuguese Royal family’s current events visit this link: The Duke and Duchess of Bragança and Family: February 2008-

Filed under Portugal
Tagged Austria, Biography, Books, Funeral, Germany, Infanta Maria Adelaide de Bragança, Interview, Monaco, Orders, Syria, The Duchess of Bragança, The Duke of Bragança, Wedding, Working Visit.