Infanta Maria Francisca Weds Duarte de Sousa Araújo Martins

Infanta Maria Franscica married Duarte de Sousa Araújo Martins this Saturday, October 7th, in the Basilica of the Palace and National Convent of Mafra. The princess is the only daughter of the Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Bragança – the head of the royal house of Portugal. Maria Francisca used the diamond tiara of Queen Maria Amalia, which was also worn by her mother at her wedding in 1995. The wedding dress was designed by Dona Luzia Nascimento.

The young infanta walked to the altar accompanied by her father and exchanged vows with her now husband in a church full of national and international guests. Among them Princes Louis and Sebastian of Luxembourg. Their uncle Prince Guillaume and Princess Sybilla. Various members of the former Brazilian imperial family attended too, among them the eventual heir Prince Rafael of Brazil. As did the count and countess of Paris, Archduke George and Archduchess Eilika of Austria, the Duke of Württemberg and his mother Marie, Prince Ludwig and Princess Sophie-Alexandra of Bavaria, the Prince and Princess of Prussia, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia, Princess Miriam Ghazi of Jordan and her eldest son Prince Boris of Bulgaria, the Prince and Princess de Ligne and their son-in-law Count Guy de Dampierre and Fürstin Gloria of Thurn und Taxis and her son Fürst Albert.

The Portuguese authorities were presented at the highest level: president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was seated next to the family. The mayor of Lisbon, the former EU president José Manuel Durão Barroso, former prime minister Passos Coelho and many other Portuguese officials also attended the wedding.

Filed under Portugal.