Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza

He was born in 1909 in France at Boulogne-sur-Seine during the exile of the Brazilian imperial family, which had been deposed in 1889.[1] His father, Prince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza, was the second son of the heir to the defunct Brazilian throne, the Princess Imperial Isabel, and Prince Gaston, Count of Eu. His mother was Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.[2] The year before Pedro Henrique's birth, she recognized his father, Luiz, as the heir to the succession when Luiz's elder brother, Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará, renounced his claim to the throne on behalf of himself and his descendants.[3][4]

Thus, at birth Pedro Henrique became claimant to the title of Prince of Grão-Pará, according to Article 105 of the defunct Constitution of 1824. He was baptized in the chapel of the Château d'Eu with the waters of the fountain taken from Largo da Carioca, in Rio de Janeiro. His godparents were his paternal grandmother, Princess Isabel of Brazil, and maternal grandfather Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta, Head of the royal house of the Two Sicilies. He and his family lived between the Eu castle and a palace in Boulogne-sur-Seine, both belonging to the Imperial Family. He was raised primarily by his paternal grandmother, and numerous preceptors educated him as future emperor of Brazil.[5]

In 1920, his father died in Cannes of injuries acquired in the trenches of the First World War. In 1920 Brazil's banishment of the Orléans-Braganzas was revoked by the then President Epitácio Pessoa. Pedro Henrique accompanied Count d'Eu when he led part of the Imperial Family back to Brazil, without the aged and infirm Princess Isabel. Grandfather and grandson soon returned to Europe.[6]

Upon the death of his father in 1920 Pedro Henrique became claimant to the title of Prince Imperial, but on 14 November 1921 Princess Isabel died at the Castle d'Eu. So, at age of 12 Prince Pedro Henrique became the head of the imperial family.[7] Had he became Emperor, his imperial name would be Dom Pedro III.[8]

He continued living in France with his mother, Princess Maria Pia, where she thought he could get a better education with his siblings Luiz Gastão and Pia Maria. Pedro Henrique was educated at the Ecôle des Sciences Politiques in Paris.[1] He was described by his grandmother as "a very intelligent child".[9]

In 1925, at the age of 16, the Brazilian government ruled against his request to serve in the military.[10]

Pedro de Alcântara died in 1940.[11]

Pedro Henrique was only able to return to Brazil in 1945, when the Second World War ended. He settled first in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, in the palace of the Grão-Pará, and then in the neighborhood of Retiro, also in Petrópolis. His cousin, Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza, the eldest son of Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará, challenged Pedro Henrique's claim to the succession in 1946,[1] on the basis that his father's renunciation had no legal force.

In 1951, D. Pedro Henrique bought a farm, Fazenda Santa Maria, in the town of Jacarezinho, interior of Paraná. In 1965, he returned to Rio de Janeiro, settling in Vassouras, an important city in the days of Empire for coffee production. Pedro Henrique resided at a site called Santa Maria until the end of his life.[12] He was active in the monarchist movement.[1]

On his death in 1981, Pedro Henrique's claim to the throne passed to his eldest son, Luiz.

Pedro Henrique married Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria at Nymphenburg Palace, Bavaria, on 19 August 1937.[16] They had twelve children:[7]

• Prince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza (born 6 June 1938 in Mandelieu-la-Napoule), present head of the Imperial House of Brazil (according to the Vassouras branch). Unmarried and without issue.
• Prince Eudes of Orléans-Braganza (born 8 June 1939 in Mandelieu-la-Napoule), renounced Imperial succession rights for himself and his descendants on 3 June 1966 and married, firstly, on 14 May 1967 in São Paulo, Ana Maria de Cerqueira César Moraes de Barros (born 20 November 1945 in São Paulo), from whom he was divorced in 1976, having had two children.[17][7] He remarried on 26 March 1976 in Rio de Janeiro, Mercedes Willemsens Neves da Rocha (born 26 January 1955 in Petrópolis), with whom he had more children.
• Bertrand of Orléans-Braganza (born 2 February 1941 in Mandelieu-la-Napoule), Prince Imperial of Brazil (according to the Vassouras branch). Unmarried and without issue.
• Isabel Maria Josefa Henriqueta Francisca of Orléans-Braganza (4 April 1944 in La Bourboule – 5 November 2017 in Rio de Janeiro). Died unmarried and without issue.
• Pedro de Alcántara Henrique Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga of Orléans-Braganza (born 1 December 1945 in Petrópolis), renounced Imperial succession rights for himself and his descendants on 28 December 1972 and married on 4 July 1974 in Rio de Janeiro, Maria de Fátima Baptista de Oliveira Rocha (born 14 July 1952 in Rio de Janeiro), with whom he had children:[18][7]
  • Maria Pia Josefa Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Lacerda Rocha (born 23 August 1975 in Rio de Janeiro), married on 25 August 2001 in Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Octávio Broglia Mendes (born 7 November 1974 in Rio de Janeiro), with whom he had children:
    • Antônio Broglia Mendes e Orléans-Bragança (born 21 October 2004 in São Paulo)
    • Pedro Broglia Mendes e Orleans-Bragança (born 30 January 2009 in São Paulo)
  • 'Maria Caroline Josefa Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Lacerda Rocha (born 19 September 1978 in Rio de Janeiro), married on 2 December 2005 in Rio de Janeiro, Nuno de Carvalho Moreira (born 20 September 1974 in Rio de Janeiro), and they had children:
    • Joaquim Pedro de Orleans-Bragança e Moreira (born 13 April 2009 in São Paulo)
    • Maria Sofia de Orleans-Bragança e Moreira (born 10 October 2010 in São Paulo)
  • Gabriel José Miguel Rafael Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Lacerda Rocha (born 1 December 1980 in Rio de Janeiro), married on 8 July 2009 in Rio de Janeiro, Luciana de Sousa Oliveira Guaspari (born 14 September 1981 in Rio de Janeiro), and they had children:
    • Gabriel de Orléans-Bragança (born 12 April 2013 in Rio de Janeiro)
    • Rafael de Orléans-Bragança (born in 2015)
  • Maria de Fatima Isabel Josefa Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Lacerda Rocha (born 13 May 1988 in Rio de Janeiro)
  • Maria Manuela Josefa Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Lacerda Rocha (born 1 March 1989 in Rio de Janeiro)
• Fernando Diniz Maria José Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga of Orléans-Braganza (born 2 February 1948 in Petrópolis), renounced Imperial succession rights for himself and his descendants on 24 February 1975 and married 19 March 1975 in Rio de Janeiro, Maria de Graça de Siqueira Carvalho Baere de Araújo (born 27 June 1952 in Rio de Janeiro), with whom he had children:[18][7]
  • Isabel Maria Eleonora Josefa Francisca Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Orléans Bragança e Baere de Araújo (born 30 January 1978 in Rio de Janeiro), married on 16 October 2009 in Rio de Janeiro, Count Alexander Heinrich Martin Christoph Antonius Franziskus Xaverius Benedictus Hubertus Maria zu Stolberg-Stolberg (born 26 February 1974 in Frankfurt am Main), son of Count Josef Emanuel zu Stolberg-Stolberg and Jacqueline Florin de Duikinberg. They have children:
    • Count Louis-Bernhard zu Stolberg-Stolberg (born 16 December 2014 in Brussels)
    • Count Lorenz zu Stolberg-Stolberg (born 5 September 2016 in Brussels)
  • Maria de Gloria Cristina Josefa Joana Eleonora Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Orléans Bragança e Baere de Araújo (born 11 November 1982 in Rio de Janeiro)
  • Luíza Carolina Maria de Fatima Josefa Julia Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Orléans Bragança e Baere de Araújo (born 27 October 1984 in Rio de Janeiro)
• Prince Antônio of Orléans-Braganza (born 24 June 1950 in Rio de Janeiro), married on 25 September 1981 in Belœil, Princess Christine de Ligne (born 11 August 1955 in Belœil), daughter of Antoine, 13th Prince de Ligne, and Princess Alix of Luxembourg. They have children.
• Princess Eleonora Maria Josefa Rosa Filipa Miguela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga of Orléans-Braganza (born 20 May 1953 in Jacarezinho), married on 10 March 1981 in Rio de Janeiro, Michel, 14th Prince of Ligne (born 26 May 1951 in Belœil), son of Antoine, 13th Prince de Ligne, and Princess Alix of Luxembourg. They have children.
• Francisco Maria José Rasso Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga of Orléans-Braganza (born 6 April 1955 in Jacarezinho), renounced Imperial succession rights for himself and his descendants on 11 December 1980 and married on 28 December 1980 in Rio de Janeiro, Cláudia Regina Lisboa Martins Godinho (born 11 July 1954 in Rio de Janeiro), with whom he had children:[19]
  • Maria Elizabeth Josefa Ângela Michaela Gabriela Raphaela Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Godinho (born 1 March 1982 in Rio de Janeiro), married on 6 August 2011 in Rio de Janeiro, Pablo Trinidade de Souza (born 1 May 1981 in Rio de Janeiro), and they had children:
    • Maria Isabel de Orleans-Bragança e Souza (born 29 November 2015 in Rio de Janeiro)
    • Maria Luiza de Orleans-Bragança e Souza (born in 2018)
  • Maria Thereza Cristiana Josefa Albertina Michaela Gabriela Raphaela Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Godinho (born 31 January 1984 in Rio de Janeiro), married in 2017, Guilherme dos Santos Zanker
  • Maria Eleonora Josefa Antonia Cristiana Michaela Gabriela Raphaela Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Godinho (born 31 January 1984 in Rio de Janeiro)
• Alberto Maria José João Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga of Orléans-Braganza (born 23 June 1957 in Jundiaí do Sul), renounced Imperial succession rights for himself and his descendants on 22 December 1982 and married on 11 January 1983 in Rio de Janeiro, Maritza Bulcão Ribas Bockel (born 29 April 1961 in Rio de Janeiro), with whom he had children:[19]
  • Pedro Alberto Maria José Francisco Miguel Gabriel Raphael Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Bockel (born 31 May 1988 in Rio de Janeiro)
  • Maria Beatriz Isabel Guilhermina Michaela Gabriela Raphaela Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Bockel (born 27 July 1990 in Rio de Janeiro)
  • Ana Thereza Maria Francisca Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Bockel (born 10 February 1995 in Rio de Janeiro)
  • Antônio Alberto Maria José Henrique Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orléans-Bragança e Bockel (born 20 May 1997 in Rio de Janeiro)
• Maria Teresa Aldegunda Luiza Josefa Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga of Orléans-Braganza (born 14 July 1959 in Jundiaí do Sul), married on 4 November 1995 in Rio de Janeiro, Johannes Hessel de Jong (born 5 March 1954 in Joure), and they had children:
  • Johannes Pedro Michel Marie de Orléans-Bragança e Jong (born 24 April 1997 in London)
  • Maria Pia Gabriela de Orléans-Bragança e Jong (born 12 July 2000 in Brussels)
• Maria Gabriela Dorotéa Isabel Josefa Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga of Orléans-Braganza (born 14 July 1959 in Jundiaí do Sul), married on 20 December 2003 in Teresópolis, Theodore Senna de Hungria da Silva Machado (born 12 July 1954 in Petrópolis), from whom she was divorced in 2005. She remarried João Marcos Pilli.

• Barman, Roderick J. (2002). Princess Isabel of Brazil: gender and power in the nineteenth century. Wilmington, Delaware: Scholarly Resources. ISBN 0-8420-2846-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh, ed. (1977). Burke's Royal Families of the World, Volume 1: Europe & Latin America. London: Burke's Peerage. ISBN 0-85011-023-8.
• "Haus Brasilien". Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XIV (in German). Limburg an der Lahn: C.A. Starke Verlag. 1991. ISBN 3-7980-0700-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• ORLEANS E BRAGANÇA, Pia Maria de. Minha Mãe, a Princesa Imperial Viúva. Rio de Janeiro: Edição da Autora, 1990. Tradução de José Ubaldino Motta do Amaral.
• SANTOS, Armando Alexandre dos. Dom Pedro Henrique, o Condestável das Saudades e da Esperança. São Paulo: Artpress, 2006