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The VF magazine did the photos of the famous known royals of Europe.
But there are many more-that are of relations and "junior" branches not mentioned-and this is interesting. There are alot of princes/princesses of
related houses in Europe, all over--and not covered in that article. There
are those who are in publicity and those who either do not seek it or avoid it,
or are lucky to not be covered yet! (privacy is like gold). B)
But there are many more-that are of relations and "junior" branches not mentioned-and this is interesting. There are alot of princes/princesses of
related houses in Europe, all over--and not covered in that article. There
are those who are in publicity and those who either do not seek it or avoid it,
or are lucky to not be covered yet! (privacy is like gold). B)
Try www.imperialereal.com. It's the web site of the Brazilian monarchy & has lots of photos & a genealogy & bios--even T-shirts, I think.
Princess Paola Maria of Bourbon Orleans and Braganza Sapieha, son of the Princess Dona Cristina Maria of the Rosary of Bourbon Orleans and Braganza and its first husband the Prince polish John Paul Sapieha. The Princess Cristina is cousin of the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I of Bourbon. The Princess Paola is a model. Paola is member of the call branch of Petropólis in Rio de Janeiro.
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HRH Prince Dom João Henrique of Orléans and Braganza, Prince of Orléans and Braganza, member of the call branch of Petropolis. It is married with a famous architect Stella Lutterbach and it has two children: Dom João Philippe and Dona Maria Cristina.
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The ladies of honor of the marriage of Maria Pia of Orléans and Braganza had been: the princesses Maria Manuela, Ana Tereza, Beatriz and Maria Gabriela that in the photo below they are with the cousin Prince Henri de Ligne, 10º in the succession to the Brazilian throne, son of HIRH Princess Dona Eleonora of Orleáns and Braganza, Princess of Brasil, Princess of Orléans and Braganza, Princess of Ligne, married with Prince Michel de Ligne, one of the heirs of the throne of Luxemburg.
HRH Prince Dom Pedro of Alcântara of Orléans and Braganza, Prince of Orléans and Braganza in the marriage of the son the princess Maria Pia in 2001. In the photo it is with the woman and a son the princess Maria Manuela.
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HRH Prince Dom Gabriel of Orléans and Braganza, Prince of Orléans and Braganza is a member of the call branch of Vassouras. Son of the Prince Dom Pedro de Alcântara. He is brother of Princess Maria Pia. been born in 1º of December of 1980, in Rio de Janeiro. The Prince attends a course right in a carioca university
HRH Princess Dona Maria of Gloria of Orléans and Braganza, Princess of Orléans and Braganza th its boyfriend João Dantas Pereira das Neves Cesário Alvim of traditional carioca family, descending of the coffee aristocracy.
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Queen of Portugal
Commoner
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would that make him Queen Amalia of Orleans brother?
The HRH Princess Maria Gabriella of Orleans and Braganza, Princess of Brasil, Princess of Orleans and Braganza, married in dezember of the 2003, a important bussiness man of brazil, of the aristocratic ancestry. For its marriage with a plebeian the princess resigned to the imperial title of the Princess of Brazil, continuing with the title of Princess of Orleans and Braganza.If you want more information and pictures of the Imperial House of Brasil, enter in the sites:Originally posted by CountessofLuxembourg@May 21st, 2003 - 1:48 am
* www.imperialereal.com
* www.chefedacasaimperial.com.br
* www.monarquia.org.br
* www.monarquia.com.br
* www.circulomonarquico.org.br
Infanta Paulette
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Imperial Family Of Brazil
Last year I picked up the September 2003 issue of Vanity Fair magazine, it was a special collector's edition about royal families. On one of the inside flaps depicting the geneology of the royal familes and I noticed that Brazil has a royal family, the House of Orleans-Bragança.
Does anyone have any information on them? I know that they don't rule the country and renounce their claim to the throne but still keep their titles. Are they in the public eye or are there any pictures of them? Just wondering. THanks. B)
Last year I picked up the September 2003 issue of Vanity Fair magazine, it was a special collector's edition about royal families. On one of the inside flaps depicting the geneology of the royal familes and I noticed that Brazil has a royal family, the House of Orleans-Bragança.
Does anyone have any information on them? I know that they don't rule the country and renounce their claim to the throne but still keep their titles. Are they in the public eye or are there any pictures of them? Just wondering. THanks. B)
Splodger
Aristocracy
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Some of the following links may be of interest to you:
Official Brazilian Monarchist Movement (In Portuguese)
Key Dates In Brazilian History
Brazilian Imperial History
Imperial Brazilian Geneology
General Info : Geneology, Orders & Decorations, Imperial Titles & Styles
Official Page of the Imperial Family of Brazil (in Portuguese with English Links)
Imperial Brazilian Palaces
Journy of the Royal Family to Brazil
Dom Pedro II on Wikipedia
Official Brazilian Monarchist Movement (In Portuguese)
Key Dates In Brazilian History
Brazilian Imperial History
Imperial Brazilian Geneology
General Info : Geneology, Orders & Decorations, Imperial Titles & Styles
Official Page of the Imperial Family of Brazil (in Portuguese with English Links)
Imperial Brazilian Palaces
Journy of the Royal Family to Brazil
Dom Pedro II on Wikipedia
The Amazon Throne
The Orleans-Braganza of Brazil
By Arturo Beéche
During the XIXth century Europe exported two dynasties across the Atlantic to America. The first was established by the Portuguese royal family in Brazil during Napoleonic times; the second was established under the sponsorship of Napoleon III in Mexico. Of the two, the Mexican experiment was the most short-lived for it barely lasted four years. In contrast, the Brazilian empire lasted almost the entire century.
Fearing Napoleon's onslaught the Portuguese royal family left Lisbon and moved their court to Brazil, the crown's most prized possession. Dom Joao of Braganza, Regent of Portugal, packed his family and his demented mother, Queen Maria I, and headed for the sunny coasts of Brazil. As the Portuguese royal family left Lisbon, Napoleon's troops led by the anti-monarchist General Junot overran the Portuguese border. On a cold November morning in 1807, the royal exodus started its long voyage into exile. Along with the royal family came an entourage estimated to include almost fifteen thousand people. The people of Lisbon watched in dismay as their ruler abandoned the country to the fate of the invading Napoleonic legions. But he had made the decision to escape the invasion, nothing would deter Dom Joao who believed that moving to Brazil would save his family from becoming Napoleon's puppets just as some of his royal cousins throughout Europe had Dome.
The Portuguese royal contingent arrived on the coasts of Brazil on January 21, 1808. Brazilians who witnessed this most unexpected arrival went wild with ovations for the exiled royals. Two months later the royal party arrived at their final destination, the beautiful port of Rio de Janeiro. It was at Rio that Dom Joao decided to settle his court in exile, and it was from there that he vigorously rebuild the fortunes of his shattered kingdom. Dom Joao opened Brazilian ports to foreign trade and basically constituted the colony into an independent, self-reliant kingdom under the rule of the House of Braganza. In due time, Dom Joao would acquire properties in the countryside to where the royal family would retire to lead a quiet life away from the exigencies of court life.
The fall of Napoleon in 1814 restored the Portuguese royal family to their throne in Lisbon. Despite this event, Dom Joao refused to return to Europe until the political situation there settled. He was also faced with an uncertain future in Brazil if he departed. Dom Joao, who was married to Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain, had two sons, neither of which had reached majority in 1814. Dom Pedro, the eldest of the Braganza princes, was sixteen, his brother Dom Miguel was only twelve years old. And since Brazil had become a semi-independent political entity during Dom Joao's stay, the Prince Regent did not want to lose control over the affairs if the colony. Further pressure to return to Portugal was caused by the death of Queen Maria I in 1816. Dom Joao had acted as regent for his mother for almost two decades. Now he had finally ascended to he throne as Joao VI of Portugal, Joao I of Brazil. His coronation took place in Brazil amid pomp never before witnessed by the colonials.
Once safely enthroned Dom Joao went about sending envoys to various European courts in search for a bride for his heir. Several potential brides were inspected, yet none had the qualifications found in the Archduchess Maria-Leopoldina of Habsburg. Referred to as Leopoldina, the Austrian Archduchess was one of the daughters of Emperor Franz I and a sister of Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon's second wife. For the faraway Braganzas the hand of Marie-Leopoldina was a great dynastic coup. It certainly did not matter one bit that Dom Pedro had never set eyes on his future bride and that he was more interested in chasing young Brazilian ladies than in entering a dynastic union with an Austrian Archduchess.
The Orleans-Braganza of Brazil
By Arturo Beéche
During the XIXth century Europe exported two dynasties across the Atlantic to America. The first was established by the Portuguese royal family in Brazil during Napoleonic times; the second was established under the sponsorship of Napoleon III in Mexico. Of the two, the Mexican experiment was the most short-lived for it barely lasted four years. In contrast, the Brazilian empire lasted almost the entire century.
Fearing Napoleon's onslaught the Portuguese royal family left Lisbon and moved their court to Brazil, the crown's most prized possession. Dom Joao of Braganza, Regent of Portugal, packed his family and his demented mother, Queen Maria I, and headed for the sunny coasts of Brazil. As the Portuguese royal family left Lisbon, Napoleon's troops led by the anti-monarchist General Junot overran the Portuguese border. On a cold November morning in 1807, the royal exodus started its long voyage into exile. Along with the royal family came an entourage estimated to include almost fifteen thousand people. The people of Lisbon watched in dismay as their ruler abandoned the country to the fate of the invading Napoleonic legions. But he had made the decision to escape the invasion, nothing would deter Dom Joao who believed that moving to Brazil would save his family from becoming Napoleon's puppets just as some of his royal cousins throughout Europe had Dome.
The Portuguese royal contingent arrived on the coasts of Brazil on January 21, 1808. Brazilians who witnessed this most unexpected arrival went wild with ovations for the exiled royals. Two months later the royal party arrived at their final destination, the beautiful port of Rio de Janeiro. It was at Rio that Dom Joao decided to settle his court in exile, and it was from there that he vigorously rebuild the fortunes of his shattered kingdom. Dom Joao opened Brazilian ports to foreign trade and basically constituted the colony into an independent, self-reliant kingdom under the rule of the House of Braganza. In due time, Dom Joao would acquire properties in the countryside to where the royal family would retire to lead a quiet life away from the exigencies of court life.
The fall of Napoleon in 1814 restored the Portuguese royal family to their throne in Lisbon. Despite this event, Dom Joao refused to return to Europe until the political situation there settled. He was also faced with an uncertain future in Brazil if he departed. Dom Joao, who was married to Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain, had two sons, neither of which had reached majority in 1814. Dom Pedro, the eldest of the Braganza princes, was sixteen, his brother Dom Miguel was only twelve years old. And since Brazil had become a semi-independent political entity during Dom Joao's stay, the Prince Regent did not want to lose control over the affairs if the colony. Further pressure to return to Portugal was caused by the death of Queen Maria I in 1816. Dom Joao had acted as regent for his mother for almost two decades. Now he had finally ascended to he throne as Joao VI of Portugal, Joao I of Brazil. His coronation took place in Brazil amid pomp never before witnessed by the colonials.
Once safely enthroned Dom Joao went about sending envoys to various European courts in search for a bride for his heir. Several potential brides were inspected, yet none had the qualifications found in the Archduchess Maria-Leopoldina of Habsburg. Referred to as Leopoldina, the Austrian Archduchess was one of the daughters of Emperor Franz I and a sister of Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon's second wife. For the faraway Braganzas the hand of Marie-Leopoldina was a great dynastic coup. It certainly did not matter one bit that Dom Pedro had never set eyes on his future bride and that he was more interested in chasing young Brazilian ladies than in entering a dynastic union with an Austrian Archduchess.
part II
Leopoldina arrived in Brazil at the end of 1817. The Braganzas waited for her with great trepidation, particularly Dom Pedro. now styled as Prince of Beira. Leopoldina must have made a good impression on her husband for several months after her arrival the Brazilian court announced her first pregnancy. Leopoldina's first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, no doubt caused by the ravages the Brazilian climate had inflicted on her frail body. Despite this, Pedro and Leopoldina continued their efforts to provide the crown with an heir. The couple's first child, Princess Maria da Gloria of Braganza, was born in 1819. Two years later the much awaited heir arrived on March 6, 1821. The newborn Braganza was given the name of Joao.
Soon after the birth of his grandson, Joao VI finally returned to Portugal. Along with him went most members of the Braganza family, Pedro remained in Brazil to act as regent for his father. Initially Joao VI was appalled at Pedro's desire to remain in Brazil, but after his son refused to back away from his decision, the king agreed to Pedro and Leopoldina remaining behind. Dom Miguel, the king's second son, did not question returning to Portugal for he never really adapted to life in Brazil. Besides it is quite possible that Miguel already foresaw his future as monarch of Portugal while his brother remained ruler of Brazil.
Leopoldina's life in Brazil was to be fraught with anxieties over her future, that of her children and the decreasing attention paid her by her husband. Her first disappointment was the untimely death of little Prince Joao in 1822. The arrival of a second daughter one month after Joao's death did not improve much the parents' spirits. For Pedro an heir was a necessity since the heir presumptive to Portugal and Brazil was his increasingly troublesome brother Dom Miguel. A third daughter, Paula Mariana, was born in 1823.
In late 1822, Prince Regent Pedro of Braganza decided to stage a coup d'etat to emancipate Brazil from the Portuguese crown. Joao VI himself had recommended this course of action as a means of guaranteeing the Brazilian crown would remain under the Braganzas. During the royal family's long stay in Brazil the colony had learned how to rule itself without Lisbon's guidance. Once Napoleon's regime was ousted, Lisbon faintly tried to restore its control over Brazilian affairs. This course of action was deeply resented by the Brazilians who were deeply resentful of Portuguese involvement in the country's internal affairs. Thus to guarantee that Brazil would not be completely lost, Prince Regent Pedro gave his support to the independence movement that sealed the colony's break from Lisbon. At the age of twenty-four, the Prince Regent became Emperor Pedro I of Brazil.
In the meantime, Pedro I continued to neglect his Austrian consort. It seemed that the only reason why he spent any time with her was in an effort to produce the long-awaited heir. The couple's fourth daughter, Francisca Carolina, was born in 1824. Pedro's impatience with Leopoldina knew no bounds and he continued to spend more time away from her and in the arms of his mistresses. Leopoldina's life in Brazil had turned into a living inferno, far away from her family, ignored by her husband, the young Brazilian empress slowly fell into deep depression. In Vienna, Emperor Franz I openly referred to his Brazilian son-in-law as a scoundrel. Nonetheless, Pedro and Leopoldina continued their efforts to produce an heir. The arrival of Prince Pedro de Alcantara of Braganza in late 1825, was Leopoldina's crowning satisfaction. Exhausted by constant childbearing since her arrival in Brazil, Empress Leopoldina died practically ignored by her husband one year after the birth of the couple's only surviving son.
Old King Joao VI died in early 1826. Faced with the quandary concerning the succession to his two thrones, Pedro I abdicated the Portuguese crown on his daughter Maria da Gloria. Pending her arrival in Portugal, Dom Miguel was declared Prince Regent of Portugal. Pedro also agreed to have his daughter marry her uncle Miguel upon becoming of age. Despite these future plans, Dom Miguel had other ideas in mind. It would not be long before Pedro I was faced with a rebellious brother who had tired of acting second fiddle for an absent monarch. In fact, Dom Miguel of Braganza considered himself the rightful heir to the Portuguese crown. Before Maria da Gloria's arrival, Dom Miguel staged a palace coup d'etat and declared enthroned himself as King Miguel I of Portugal. Maria da Gloria and her entourage sought refuge in London, pending a solution to Miguel's treacherous act. Three years she spent as the guest of the British monarch while Pedro I did little to strip Miguel of his illegally obtained kingly mantle. In 1829, Maria da Gloria returned to Brazil on the same ship transporting her widowed father's new bride, Princess Amelia of Leuchtenberg.
Leopoldina arrived in Brazil at the end of 1817. The Braganzas waited for her with great trepidation, particularly Dom Pedro. now styled as Prince of Beira. Leopoldina must have made a good impression on her husband for several months after her arrival the Brazilian court announced her first pregnancy. Leopoldina's first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, no doubt caused by the ravages the Brazilian climate had inflicted on her frail body. Despite this, Pedro and Leopoldina continued their efforts to provide the crown with an heir. The couple's first child, Princess Maria da Gloria of Braganza, was born in 1819. Two years later the much awaited heir arrived on March 6, 1821. The newborn Braganza was given the name of Joao.
Soon after the birth of his grandson, Joao VI finally returned to Portugal. Along with him went most members of the Braganza family, Pedro remained in Brazil to act as regent for his father. Initially Joao VI was appalled at Pedro's desire to remain in Brazil, but after his son refused to back away from his decision, the king agreed to Pedro and Leopoldina remaining behind. Dom Miguel, the king's second son, did not question returning to Portugal for he never really adapted to life in Brazil. Besides it is quite possible that Miguel already foresaw his future as monarch of Portugal while his brother remained ruler of Brazil.
Leopoldina's life in Brazil was to be fraught with anxieties over her future, that of her children and the decreasing attention paid her by her husband. Her first disappointment was the untimely death of little Prince Joao in 1822. The arrival of a second daughter one month after Joao's death did not improve much the parents' spirits. For Pedro an heir was a necessity since the heir presumptive to Portugal and Brazil was his increasingly troublesome brother Dom Miguel. A third daughter, Paula Mariana, was born in 1823.
In late 1822, Prince Regent Pedro of Braganza decided to stage a coup d'etat to emancipate Brazil from the Portuguese crown. Joao VI himself had recommended this course of action as a means of guaranteeing the Brazilian crown would remain under the Braganzas. During the royal family's long stay in Brazil the colony had learned how to rule itself without Lisbon's guidance. Once Napoleon's regime was ousted, Lisbon faintly tried to restore its control over Brazilian affairs. This course of action was deeply resented by the Brazilians who were deeply resentful of Portuguese involvement in the country's internal affairs. Thus to guarantee that Brazil would not be completely lost, Prince Regent Pedro gave his support to the independence movement that sealed the colony's break from Lisbon. At the age of twenty-four, the Prince Regent became Emperor Pedro I of Brazil.
In the meantime, Pedro I continued to neglect his Austrian consort. It seemed that the only reason why he spent any time with her was in an effort to produce the long-awaited heir. The couple's fourth daughter, Francisca Carolina, was born in 1824. Pedro's impatience with Leopoldina knew no bounds and he continued to spend more time away from her and in the arms of his mistresses. Leopoldina's life in Brazil had turned into a living inferno, far away from her family, ignored by her husband, the young Brazilian empress slowly fell into deep depression. In Vienna, Emperor Franz I openly referred to his Brazilian son-in-law as a scoundrel. Nonetheless, Pedro and Leopoldina continued their efforts to produce an heir. The arrival of Prince Pedro de Alcantara of Braganza in late 1825, was Leopoldina's crowning satisfaction. Exhausted by constant childbearing since her arrival in Brazil, Empress Leopoldina died practically ignored by her husband one year after the birth of the couple's only surviving son.
Old King Joao VI died in early 1826. Faced with the quandary concerning the succession to his two thrones, Pedro I abdicated the Portuguese crown on his daughter Maria da Gloria. Pending her arrival in Portugal, Dom Miguel was declared Prince Regent of Portugal. Pedro also agreed to have his daughter marry her uncle Miguel upon becoming of age. Despite these future plans, Dom Miguel had other ideas in mind. It would not be long before Pedro I was faced with a rebellious brother who had tired of acting second fiddle for an absent monarch. In fact, Dom Miguel of Braganza considered himself the rightful heir to the Portuguese crown. Before Maria da Gloria's arrival, Dom Miguel staged a palace coup d'etat and declared enthroned himself as King Miguel I of Portugal. Maria da Gloria and her entourage sought refuge in London, pending a solution to Miguel's treacherous act. Three years she spent as the guest of the British monarch while Pedro I did little to strip Miguel of his illegally obtained kingly mantle. In 1829, Maria da Gloria returned to Brazil on the same ship transporting her widowed father's new bride, Princess Amelia of Leuchtenberg.
part III
At the time of Amelia's arrival in Brazil, Pedro I was deeply involved with the woman who had made Leopoldina's last years a living hell. Domitila, Marqueza of Santos, was the mother of several of Pedro's illegitimate offspring. A woman of intense ambition she had poisoned Pedro against the his proud Austrian wife. Domitila had also wanted the emperor to legitimize their children, thus making them princes of the blood and placing them in competition with Leopoldina's own children. Already faced with a rebellious brother in Portugal, Pedro instead sent envoys to Europe in search of a new bride. Princess Amelia was their choice. She was the daughter of Eugene de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, and Princess Auguste of Bavaria. Amelia was not only the niece of the King of Bavaria, but her step-grandfather had been none other than Napoleon Bonaparte.
Pedro is said to have fallen madly in love with Amelia. Within months of her arrival in Rio de Janeiro, Amelia had basically displaced the Marqueza de Santos. The fact that Amelia seemed unable to bear children allowed her to always be willing and ready to satisfy the demanding needs of her husband. Pedro was also very relieved to see that his new wife was immediately accepted by his orphaned children.
In 1831 Pedro I finally decided to face his brother Miguel. The Emperor was also facing increasing criticism from his Brazilian subjects who demanded more imperial offices for natives. After touring the country with Amelia by his side, Pedro convinced himself that maybe it would be wise to enthrone little Dom Pedro as the new Brazilian monarch. Doing so would allow Pedro I the time to return to Portugal and put his brother Miguel in place. Finally, and not after serious confrontations with an increasingly angry populace, Pedro gave up and abdicated his throne on his only son Pedro II. A regency was quickly organized to rule Brazil until the infant monarch reached his legal age. Dom Pedro and Empress Amelia boarded an English ship, along with Maria de Gloria, and sailed towards Portugal. It had been twenty-four years since Pedro had set foot in his native Portugal.
As soon as they arrived in Europe, Pedro and Amelia toured several royal courts in search of help to overthrow King Miguel I. Despite Miguel's lack of support among other European monarchs, Pedro was not able to enlist their help for his enterprise. It was while in Paris, where he was visiting King Louis-Philippe, that Pedro came in contact with a large community of Portuguese refuges exiled by his authoritarian brother. After consultation with the leaders of the Portuguese community in Paris, Pedro accepted to lead the effort to overthrow Miguel. He also promised to uphold constitutional government in Portugal in exchange for the restoration of Maria da Gloria to her throne.
Dom Pedro mortgaged most of his property with London bankers. These funds allowed him the money needed to stage his surprise invasion of Portugal. In 1832 the rebel force quietly congregated on the Azores from where they sailed for Portugal. Dom Pedro and his seven thousand-strong army landed in Oporto in July of 1832. The city's garrison was surprised and Oporto surrendered before Pedro's forces fired a single shot. One year later, Pedro and Miguel faced each other in the battlefield. Pedro's armies was able to trap Miguel's forces administering the royal usurper's cause a deadly blow. Days later, Miguel hurriedly Abandoned Portugal and headed for exile in France. Dom Miguel would never recover his throne and eventually settled in Austria. It was there that he married a Lowenstein-Wertheim princess and fathered several children. His descendants finally made peace with the eldest branch of the Braganza family in the 1920's. And it is his great-grandson, Dom Duarte, Duke of Braganza, who is the head of the Portuguese royal family today.
Pedro did not live long enough to enjoy the success of his venture, for within a year of Miguel's overthrow he died unexpectedly. The former King of Portugal and former Emperor of Brazil was thirty-five years old. Maria II was fifteen when her father died and a ruling monarch in her own right. However, the young Queen of Portugal did not have a direct heir. In 1835 Maria II was married to the very handsome Prince Augustus of Leuchtenberg, Amelia's brother. Still, the misfortune which never left her parents' side struck soon enough and Augustus died eight months after their wedding. Disconsolate and lonely in her vast Lisbon palace, Maria II desperately needed a husband. Several candidates were offered from France, Naples, Germany and Sardinia. The royal race was won by King Leopold I of the Belgians who had submitted the candidacy of his nephew Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The marriage contract was signed at the end of 1835 and several months later Ferdinand arrived in Portugal. Maria II and Ferdinand were married at Lisbon on April 8, 1836.
At the time of Amelia's arrival in Brazil, Pedro I was deeply involved with the woman who had made Leopoldina's last years a living hell. Domitila, Marqueza of Santos, was the mother of several of Pedro's illegitimate offspring. A woman of intense ambition she had poisoned Pedro against the his proud Austrian wife. Domitila had also wanted the emperor to legitimize their children, thus making them princes of the blood and placing them in competition with Leopoldina's own children. Already faced with a rebellious brother in Portugal, Pedro instead sent envoys to Europe in search of a new bride. Princess Amelia was their choice. She was the daughter of Eugene de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg, and Princess Auguste of Bavaria. Amelia was not only the niece of the King of Bavaria, but her step-grandfather had been none other than Napoleon Bonaparte.
Pedro is said to have fallen madly in love with Amelia. Within months of her arrival in Rio de Janeiro, Amelia had basically displaced the Marqueza de Santos. The fact that Amelia seemed unable to bear children allowed her to always be willing and ready to satisfy the demanding needs of her husband. Pedro was also very relieved to see that his new wife was immediately accepted by his orphaned children.
In 1831 Pedro I finally decided to face his brother Miguel. The Emperor was also facing increasing criticism from his Brazilian subjects who demanded more imperial offices for natives. After touring the country with Amelia by his side, Pedro convinced himself that maybe it would be wise to enthrone little Dom Pedro as the new Brazilian monarch. Doing so would allow Pedro I the time to return to Portugal and put his brother Miguel in place. Finally, and not after serious confrontations with an increasingly angry populace, Pedro gave up and abdicated his throne on his only son Pedro II. A regency was quickly organized to rule Brazil until the infant monarch reached his legal age. Dom Pedro and Empress Amelia boarded an English ship, along with Maria de Gloria, and sailed towards Portugal. It had been twenty-four years since Pedro had set foot in his native Portugal.
As soon as they arrived in Europe, Pedro and Amelia toured several royal courts in search of help to overthrow King Miguel I. Despite Miguel's lack of support among other European monarchs, Pedro was not able to enlist their help for his enterprise. It was while in Paris, where he was visiting King Louis-Philippe, that Pedro came in contact with a large community of Portuguese refuges exiled by his authoritarian brother. After consultation with the leaders of the Portuguese community in Paris, Pedro accepted to lead the effort to overthrow Miguel. He also promised to uphold constitutional government in Portugal in exchange for the restoration of Maria da Gloria to her throne.
Dom Pedro mortgaged most of his property with London bankers. These funds allowed him the money needed to stage his surprise invasion of Portugal. In 1832 the rebel force quietly congregated on the Azores from where they sailed for Portugal. Dom Pedro and his seven thousand-strong army landed in Oporto in July of 1832. The city's garrison was surprised and Oporto surrendered before Pedro's forces fired a single shot. One year later, Pedro and Miguel faced each other in the battlefield. Pedro's armies was able to trap Miguel's forces administering the royal usurper's cause a deadly blow. Days later, Miguel hurriedly Abandoned Portugal and headed for exile in France. Dom Miguel would never recover his throne and eventually settled in Austria. It was there that he married a Lowenstein-Wertheim princess and fathered several children. His descendants finally made peace with the eldest branch of the Braganza family in the 1920's. And it is his great-grandson, Dom Duarte, Duke of Braganza, who is the head of the Portuguese royal family today.
Pedro did not live long enough to enjoy the success of his venture, for within a year of Miguel's overthrow he died unexpectedly. The former King of Portugal and former Emperor of Brazil was thirty-five years old. Maria II was fifteen when her father died and a ruling monarch in her own right. However, the young Queen of Portugal did not have a direct heir. In 1835 Maria II was married to the very handsome Prince Augustus of Leuchtenberg, Amelia's brother. Still, the misfortune which never left her parents' side struck soon enough and Augustus died eight months after their wedding. Disconsolate and lonely in her vast Lisbon palace, Maria II desperately needed a husband. Several candidates were offered from France, Naples, Germany and Sardinia. The royal race was won by King Leopold I of the Belgians who had submitted the candidacy of his nephew Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The marriage contract was signed at the end of 1835 and several months later Ferdinand arrived in Portugal. Maria II and Ferdinand were married at Lisbon on April 8, 1836.
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