The Duke and Duchess of Bragança and Family: February 2008- December 2014


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Nice to see new pictures of the family! Do they do this every year btw? I remember last year we got some pictures of the Duchess & children in a city in the interior of Portugal (Evora perhaps?).
 
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On the interview she gives to Caras, the Duchess says that a future baby is not out of the couple plans, now that the 3 infantes are grown up.
Both the Duke and the Duchess always said they wanted a big family, D.Isabel coming herself from a family of 5 siblings.
But after 3 ceasarian operations, she was advised to take a break before the next pregnancy.
 
The three children are very pretty. Afonso has amazing green eyes!
I saw Afonso and his sister, Mª Francisca, the other day and they look in real life as the look on the pictures: Afonso seems a very nice, shy, calm child (almost teenager!), and Francisca is more extroverted and talkative.

One more (tender) picture, of Afonso greeting his mother. (from Caras magazine, scanned by me)
 
fearghas said:
Where does the blond hair come from?
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Right question; both the Duke and the Duchess has not blond hair...maybe from the paternal family, the hair of Dom Duarte Pio seems lighter then the hair of Dona Isabel...
 
D. Duarte and his brothers had blond hair as children.

The same with Dª Isabel. Read this post.
 
Important interview with D.Duarte, on the day Portugal celebrates its independence from Spain.

EDIÇÃO IMPRESSA
 
I can't reall all the interview, only some parts of it. Anyway, D. Duarte says:

"If a huge crisis comes out, no one believes Democracy will solve it"

He also says that the Monarchy is better prepared to solve crisis, the Republic is the cause of the instability in the country, the Revolution of April 25 was the worst thing that could have happened to Portugal, and if the economical situation becomes worst, this present regime won't be able to produce good solutions...

What does he want anyway?
I don't understand him at all... He was a huge supporter of the Revolution and now he says this...
I remember he said several times that most Monarchies in Europe are countries with a large and healthy democratic history... and now he says democracy is not able to solve crisis.
If he is against democracy, why does he says many times that Portugal needs a referendum on Republic? Last time I checked a referendum is only posible on a democratic country.

I am jugding him, probably he has his reasons to say these things (and again I can't read all the interview), but if he really thinks like that, I believe his chances to the Throne are less than zero.

On another part of the interview, he says his role as Duke of Braganza can't be compared to any ambassator's work because when he is in an Arab country, he is seen as a descendent of Prophet Mohammed.
 
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He does not believe in a democracy?? Now that is rather scary! He might take a hint from the ruling monarchs of Europe, most of which are functioning in a democracy. Anyway, considering this I agree Regina, you can be happy that the chances of the monarchy being restaured are close to zero%.
 
Marengo said:
He does not believe in a democracy??
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No... What he says is that our Democracy (i.e. the Republic) is not mature enough to face the global crisis. He fears that this economic instability may lead people to ask for dictatorships... he compares the present crisis to the instability lived at the begining of the 20th century.
 
Regina said:
I can't reall all the interview, only some parts of it...
Click to expand...
I cannot get a copy of the interview to translate, but let me offer some thoughts. Perhaps he meant that government intervention is not the solution. The current crisis in the US is the result of government policies and interventions from the past couple of decades not the free market per se. If the markets were left alone, they would have taken care of themselves. In that sense, then, democracy has not worked in preventing or solving the crisis. In our history what made the Great Depression "great" was the intervention of politicians and government. Economists tell us now, if the government had done nothing the recession that the country was in would have ended within a few years. Instead the actions of Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt made matters worse and caused a recession to become a depression that lasted into WWII. And now, there are some eerie parallels being taken by our politicians (who are, by the way, making guesses as to what is going to work) No group of politicians are smart enough to control a nation's economy in which literally billions of interactions are taking place at any time. Perhaps this is what D. Duarte is getting at.

In regard to his initial support of the revolution, could that be because he was against a dictatorship? Anyway, these are just some thoughts.

Is the interview posted somewhere else, where it could be downloaded?
 
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Keith said:
Is the interview posted somewhere else, where it could be downloaded?
Click to expand...
If you click over each page (on the link provided by JSP), the text will enlarge to a readable size ;)
 
Message of H.R.H. Duarte de Bragança, Head of the Royal House

On December 1st, in Lisbon, H.R.H. Duarte, Duke of Bragança, read his yearly message to the Portuguese people, at the Conjurados dinner, attended by more than a thousand people. The Board of Directors of the Institute for Portuguese Democracy was present as a guest and greeted D. Duarte, his wife, Isabel de Herédia, and their children Afonso, 11, Maria Francisca, 9, and Dinis, 8.

Message of H.R.H. Duarte de Bragança, Head of the Royal House of Portugal​


On December 1st, 1640, our ancestors liberated Portugal. They raised to the crisis of their time, fighting for our independence against the Spanish Empire, a feat that Naples and Catalonia did not then achieve.
Difficult days are ahead. It seems clear that 2009 will be worse than recent years. To face the coming crisis and keep the social cohesion we must reinforce the spiritual values of our culture. We must reinforce family ties. We faced many terrible problems throughout our History, but we overcame them.
I appeal to your initiative, solidarity, and generosity. We live in a propitious occasion to review our priorities. We must learn to live better and consume less, saving the limited resources of our planet.
The hour has come to invest in the Portuguese people. We have a chance to opt for a sustained development. Government, entrepreneurs and associations must join hands to overcome difficulties.


The hour is to invest in the Portuguese people. Portuguese families bet in the education of their children. Teachers and parents claim for a better School, better education programs and more respect for teachers.
The hour is to invest in the Portuguese land. Farmers refuse to abandon their land, in spite of confusing EU directives and unfair competition. Portugal needs more than a policy of free trade; it needs policies of intelligent and just commerce. Our farmers need to cooperate to distribute their products to the consumers. In the last ten years we have lost 180.000 hectares of good agricultural lands.
The hour is to invest in the Portuguese territory supporting innovative companies with "green" alternative energies. We must fight energy wastefulness and give priority to railroad and maritime transports. Self-sustainability in energy is necessary. For example, if we modernize the hydroelectric-power dams, we would increase the production of energy by 20%.
I appeal to political parties to become more than mechanisms for conquering power; they may keep a decisive role in politics and can be a school for citizenship through dialogue with non-governmental organisations.


Democracy must always be improved, and I supported in 2007 the creation of the Institute for Portuguese Democracy (IDP); it has developed multiple and useful activities in some regions of the country, collaborating with several organisations and local governments.»

CLICK THE IMAGE​

«I have traveled extensively around the country. I am cordially received by city councils and the local people and I warmly thank them. I appreciate our cultural traditions. It is this "gross domestic product" that keeps high the human "stock exchange" where we must invest.
In 2008, many City Councils honoured the memory of King D. Carlos and the Prince D. Luís, assassinated 100 years ago.
When a minority proclaimed a Republic in 1910, Portugal slid behind Spain, England and Belgium, and other European monarchies, because it lost the King and his moderating power.
The Commission "D. Carlos 100 Years", organised an outstanding Congress "the Seas of Lusofonia" that will be repeated two years from now in another Portuguese-speaking country.»


Congress "the Seas of Lusofonia"​

«I collaborated in programmes of agricultural development with the brother countries of Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Timor and I greet Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, currently in Portugal, as the leader of the heroic East Timorese People.
I greet the widening of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries with Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea, Cape Vert, S. Tome, East Timor and I hope that soon, Morocco, Senegal, the Mauritian Islands, Equatorial Guinea and the Galician brothers may join this community.
I had the joy of taking my Family to Brazil, the country of my Mother, a descendant of the Emperor Pedro I, to participate in the celebrations of the 200 years of the transfer of the Government and the King to Brazil in 1808!
I greet the Portuguese military institution, defending the country since the Foundation. Today, it defends Portugal "out of area", contributing to the peace and security of the Portuguese population and the regions where it operates. The cannonisation, in 2009, of Nuno Álvares, the victor of Aljubarrota, and the founder of the House of Bragança, will be an occasion to learn with his examples of spirituality and leadership.
Let us take advantage of all these examples. The Alcobaça friars wrote one of the most beautiful formulae of Portuguese monarchy: "The king is free and we are free". Let me proclaim today: "I am free and you are free" because we owe no debt to financial powers or party politics. Together we will be able to renew the Portuguese democracy with the Royal Institution, by the will of the people, and so long as the people wants it.


My Wife Isabel, Myself, and our children Afonso, Maria Francisca and Dinis, solemnly engage in this oath because Portugal must continue democratic and independent! Those who think that the dream of the founders is alive, join us; and if somebody questions this increasing feeling of the power of the people, the reply is always: "The king is free and we are free"
Lisbon, Beato Monastery, November 30th, 2008

Realistas
 
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The other day the article was not fully available. But now it is and I could check his right words about Democracy.
He says "Se houver uma grave crise, ninguém acredita que a democracia a resolva", which means "If a huge crisis happens, no one believes Democracy will solve it".

As Elsa wrote, he fears this instability may lead people to demand dictatorships. IMO, he is right because we all know that people tend to vote in extreme parties when the economies are weak. But that would happen in a monarchy too. Maybe he doesn't believe a democracy can solve a crisis but that's him, not "everyone" as he says.
When it comes to solutions everything he can say is that only a monarchy can save us... He talks as if Portugal was very rich when it was a monarchy. Monarchy is not a solution for everything...

I liked very much to read what he says about Coorporativism, and his projects in Africa and Timor sound interesting. It's sad he didn't mention his children in the interview but it was not the right place to do so.

When he starts to speak about Monarchy as a perfect system his answers can be truly irritating (at least to me!).

In some part of the interview, he agrees monarchies are more concerned with ecology than republics, because monarchs defend the permanent Values. The journalist replies "the royal families are themselves permanent" and D. Duarte says "Monarchies are more ecological because they are closer to human nature" (?)
Journalist (J): "Republics are unnatural?"
D. Duarte D.D): "Yes, they are. Except those very traditionalists republics as Switzerland, USA, where, somehow, people elect a King"
(J): The American president is a king?"
(D.D): "Yes. It was meant to be one. And he has more power than a king of nowadays"
(J): Today, it is not the Power what defines a King"
(D.D) No, but he (American president) is like the kings of the past.


Marengo said:
Anyway, considering this I agree Regina, you can be happy that the chances of the monarchy being restaured are close to zero%.
Click to expand...

I am not happy because the chances of the monarchy being restaured are 0%. I would like to see Portugal as a Monarchy. But I am happy that D. Duarte is not the King of Portugal. :)

In fact, I wouldn't like to have as my King someone who, in the same interview, condemns what communists did to this country right after the revolution of 1975 when few minutes before he said "Monarchy is not the last defensor of Patriotism. The Communist party is also very patriotic"! And I add the portuguese communist party is also very democratic too...

He's IMO also very pretentious about himself, according to the things he says. There is always a new story to prove how special he is... and most of these stories cannot be proved at all. I wouldn't say he is lying but I take them with a bit of salt:

(D.D) The Emperor of Japan received me on his library, something he does only with his family"
(J): Do you belong to his family too? (The J. asks him that because D.Duarte said before he is a descendent of Prophet Mohamed and King David)...
(D. D) No. But something funny happened. At the end of my visit, the Emperor took me to the door to say goodbye to me, something he does only with his family. The taxi driver saw it and told it on the hotel. When I arrived at the hotel, I had the hotel's directors waiting for me. They asked me if I allowed them to take me to a special suite, because they saw the Emperor treating me as one of his family".

Can you imagine Constantine of Greece or Simeon of Bulgary telling stories like these to the media??....
 
Regina said:
When it comes to solutions everything he can say is that only a monarchy can save us... He talks as if Portugal was very rich when it was a monarchy. Monarchy is not a solution for everything
[...] When he starts to speak about Monarchy as a perfect system his answers can be truly irritating (at least to me!).
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's really annoying for me too... I hate when he tries to take us for fools... as if we were illiterate and didn't know why the the Republic was ultimatly implanted. :rolleyes:

Really, one can believe that a Monarchy, as a system, works better than a Republic (and it's his job to fight for it)... but I can't help laughing when he starts talking of the perfect D. Sebastião, coming on his white horseback in a foggy morning, to restore the promised land and the Fifth Empire.

One should know how to keep a certain balance... because there's a boundary where the message stops being believable and turns into pure fantasy.
 
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Regina said:
The other day the article was not fully available. But now it is and I could check his right words about Democracy...
Click to expand...
I first would like to say (again) that I really enjoy reading your well thought out opinions Regina.But I have to say Regina I totally and whole heartly disagree with you on portuguese communism.So I have to comment.

This reply is a bit on the political side but I have to voice my opinion on communism
A: because I am of portuguese heritage and

B:I stand against totalitarianism and other forums of repressive regimes.


Communism in Europe (excluding of russia in this case) especially in Iberia has always been a romantic ideal which still continue till this day in Portugal.This romanic view distorts the reality of communism and has been manipulating facts about its true intentions after the revolution of 1975.

If people read about Alvaro Cunhal and how he blindly supported russian policies,people would only conclude and realize he was another tyrant just waiting to take power.


Saying that the communist party in Portugal is patriotic and democratic is fine and dandy only because the party has no power.It must be seen as supporting patroitism in Portugal because people are patroitic by nature.


Communism is a totalitarian state,anyone who suger coats what communism really is,is not living in reality but in the ideal of what communism is assumed to have done in Portugal and or Spain which was to stand against an authoritarian state.


Communism is 100% opposite of democracy.

Communism has failed!Anyone who votes communist in the 21first century is absolutely living in a backwards ideal.Just take a look at what type of leaders still support communism today!And in world history retrospect look at what types of leaders it produced.

Communism is and always will be a threat to any healthy democratic society.
 
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Regina said:
Journalist (J): "Republics are unnatural?"
D. Duarte D.D): "Yes, they are. Except those very traditionalists republics as Switzerland, USA, where, somehow, people elect a King"
(J): The American president is a king?"
(D.D): "Yes. It was meant to be one. And he has more power than a king of nowadays"
(J): Today, it is not the Power what defines a King"
(D.D) No, but he (American president) is like the kings of the past.
Click to expand...

In some sense D. Duarte is right about the American president being like a king. The way we act, and with the expectations we place on our president, we act as if we want a king (Though, I do not think any one would ever admit to that). And yes, our President has much more power than any king has. Actually, we do sometimes describe our presidency as an imperial presidency.

And I would agree that a monarch would be, at least theoretically, closer to the people since, in my opinion, the monarch is primarily an advocate of the people and the nation. But just as our president can become aloof and distant from the people, I'm sure the same can happen with a monarch.

In regard to what Portugal said about communism, I agree. I would, though, add that communism is usually understood as international socialism, and so is a totalitarian ideology which is international in scope. Given that, it cannot be patriotic since its allegiance is to an international form of rule and not to a particular nation (that would be nationalist socialism). But I don't believe communists are totally honest with people. So, Regina, I would agree with you in finding what D. Duarte said about the communists as unsettling.:ermm:
 
Elsa M. said:
One should know how to keep a certain balance... because there's a boundary where the message stops being believable and turns into pure fantasy.
Click to expand...

Yes, Elsa, I agree. A monarch or a pretender should display wisdom, discretion, and empathy, and be realistic. When he or she stops being believable by the people, he or she will lose his or her ability to lead the people and be a true advocate. D. Duarte needs to watch out that he does not come across as pretentious.

Now, I have a question for everyone: Given your critiques of D. Duarte's speech, do you believe that, overall, he is helping the notion of monarchy grow in the respect and the love of the people? Or not?
 
Elsa M. said:
One should know how to keep a certain balance... because there's a boundary where the message stops being believable and turns into pure fantasy.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. If I was in his place obviously I would have to define Monarchy as the best system and explain why. I just think he should have someone at his side to tell him "enough" when he starts dreaming...

He seems to me rather vain and self-important whn he says he is a descendent of Mohamed and King David. What he is going to say next? "I am a cousin of Jesus" ?
Anyway he is smart enough to admit that in Israel he only mentions King David and in the Arab countries he only mentions Mohammed.
As a friend of mine said, it seems to me that those genealogies that attach European royals to King David go along with the strange belief that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and established a lineage in France. Bizarre

When sometime ago a journalist told him "D. Duarte... I am a republican" , he replied "well, you are then a human being in danger of extinction... " I found this funny, he was trying to joke with the reporter, no big deal. The problem are not his ideas but the way he express them... You must have some diplomacy and good manners. He's always saying "I do not need votes as presidents do, so I can say what I want". Well, he can but he takes the risk that someday no one will hear him at all...

In this interview when the journalist ask him "Did you ever have any offer to take a job?", he says something as "Yes, I had many chances to work for someone but I didn't accept these offers because, in my condition, I could not work for anyone , I would lost my independence". Most honestly I dont understand why he can't work for a company... so many royals do work for someone.

D.D - Offers as bank administrator were offered to me (I am glad I didn't take them or I would be in jail right now) ...

J - A job would take much of you time?...

D.D - No, that was not the reason because I didnt accept the job. Bank's administrators do nothing. But in my position, if I worked for a company, as a employee, my opinions would be compomised, I would lost my credibility.

What does D. Duarte want for his children then? He wants Afonso (his heir) without a job when he gets older? Is it bad for a heir without crown to work for a company? I wouldnt like to think he's suggesting that Government should pay them a rent so they can live well without a job:eek:

Portugal said:
I first would like to say (again) that I really enjoy reading your well thought out opinions Regina.But I have to say Regina I totally and whole heartly disagree with you on portuguese communism.So I have to comment.

Communism is and always will be a threat to any healthy democratic society.
Click to expand...

First: thank you, Portugal for your nice words :) I am glad to read we can disagree about the Heir and still be cordial and friendly to each other, I like your posts as well!

Second: :D :D dear Portugal, I am the most anti communist person you'll ever know in your life LOL.

When I said...

In fact, I wouldn't like to have as my King someone who, in the same interview, condemns what communists did to this country right after the revolution of 1975 when few minutes before he said "Monarchy is not the last defensor of Patriotism. The Communist party is also very patriotic"! And I add the portuguese communist party is also very democratic too...
Click to expand...

... I was being sarcastic ;) D. Duarte said (not me!) that Communist party is very patriotic.... and what I wanted to say is that the PCP is so patriotic as non-democratic... :)
I just found weird that D. Duarte said the revolution was the worst thing that could have happened here when he said years before he was totally with the revolution and with its menthors (the communists!). Did he forget that those who brought the caos to streets and our economy were the communists? How can he condemn his actions and praise them at the same time?!

Salazar regime was good in its beginning but on the 70's, Portugal needed a change, but not the way it happened, IMO. The communists and his socialists pals are still the responsible for caos and corruption of nowadays in Portugal. I just can't get it how can a pretender to a throne get along with lefty politicians. In Portugal, that is too dangerous...

Communism will never work anywhere. It fails as a theory and in practice.
 
Keith said:
In some sense D. Duarte is right about the American president being like a king. The way we act, and with the expectations we place on our president, we act as if we want a king (Though, I do not think any one would ever admit to that). And yes, our President has much more power than any king has. Actually, we do sometimes describe our presidency as an imperial presidency.
Click to expand...

I agree :). The President is seen as a King, and his wife the First Lady as the Queen. Jacqueline Kennedy is still called America's Queen.


And I would agree that a monarch would be, at least theoretically, closer to the people since, in my opinion, the monarch is primarily an advocate of the people and the nation.
Click to expand...

True. But being closer to people doesn't make a monarchy more concerned with ecology than a republic. What he said was "Monarchies are more concerned with ecology because they are closer to human nature"

I agree with D. Duarte that a president behaves always concerned with the political parties that supported him. A socialist (conservative) president won't easily go against laws made by socialists (conservatives) governments. As a president needs political supports to get re-elected they won't give problems to his party, so a President will never act so freely as a King would...
 
Jornal da Madeira - www.jornaldamadeira.pt - Edição Online

The Dukes of Bragança participated last Monday in the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of Funchal (Madeira).​

In this interview given to Jornal da Madeira, D. Duarte stated that he is worried about what he considers to be a lack of confidence in the Democracy, particularly in the Parliament, the Armed Forces, the Police and the President of the Republic.​
 
I agree with you, Portugal, when you write why you don´t like Communism. I visited Portugal when they had the "revolução dos cravos" and I did see and hear the speeches of Alvaro Cunhal. He was a very fanatic man and the country especially Lisbon was a chaos. I never saw that city so dirty with grafitti marring its beautiful monuments.
Here in my country, there was an attempt at communism, just after Cuba´s revolution and we had to pay a dear price to stay out of it. Many criticize the military regime, but the other alternative was worse.
I think Dom Duarte is right in what he says.
The last most illustrious and uncorruptible
person we had governing us, was our Emperor , Dom Pedro II.
 
Regina said:
I agree :). The President is seen as a King, and his wife the First Lady as the Queen. Jacqueline Kennedy is still called America's Queen.
.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately (or may be not:D), none of our "first-ladies" would qualify for a queen.
 
 
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