TheMost Serene House of Braganza (Portuguese:Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as theBrigantine dynasty (dinastia Brigantina), is adynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes ofPortuguese origin which reigned inEurope and theAmericas.
The house was founded byAfonso I, 1st Duke of Braganza, illegitimate son of KingJohn I of Portugal of theHouse of Aviz, and would eventually grow into one of the wealthiest and most powerful noble houses ofIberia during theRenaissance period.[1][2] The Braganzas came to rule theKingdom of Portugal andthe Algarves after successfully deposing thePhilippine Dynasty in theRestoration War, resulting in theDuke of Braganza becoming KingJohn IV of Portugal, in 1640.[3] The Braganzas ruled Portugal and thePortuguese Empire from 1640 and with the creation of theUnited Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, in 1815, and the subsequent independence of theEmpire of Brazil, in 1822, the Braganzas came to rule as themonarchs of Brazil.[4]
The House of Braganza produced 15Portuguese monarchs and all fourBrazilian monarchs, numerous consorts to various European kingdoms, such asCatherine of Braganza (wife ofCharles II of England who introducedtea to Britain) andMaria Isabel of Braganza (wife ofFerdinand VII of Spain who founded theEl Prado Museum), as well as sometime candidates for the thrones of Poland and Greece,Infante Manuel, Count of Ourém andPedro, Duke of Braganza, respectively, and numerous other notable figures in the histories of Europe and the Americas. The Braganzas were deposed from their thrones in Europe and the Americas at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries, whenEmperor Pedro II wasdeposed in Brazil, in 1889,[5] and whenKing Manuel II wasdeposed in Portugal, in 1910.[6]
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The House of Braganza originated withAfonso I, an illegitimate son of KingJohn I of Portugal, founder of theHouse of Aviz, and Inês Pires.[7][a] Though Afonso was illegitimate, his father valued and cared for him a great deal, demonstrated by his arrangement of Afonso's marriage toBeatriz Pereira de Alvim, daughter ofNuno Álvares Pereira,[8] Portugal's most important general and a personal friend of King John I.[2] As well as increasing his social status by his marriage into a well-established house, Afonso was also ceded the title ofCount of Barcelos.[7]
With his newly consolidated place in thenobility of Portugal, Afonso commenced what would be a highly successful political and social career. In 1415 he took part in theConquest of Ceuta, alongside his father, his brothers, and the leading members of the nobility and military. By the time of his father's death in 1433, Afonso had won favour with his brother, KingDuarte I and the rest of high Portuguese society. With his brother's premature death in 1438, a regency was established for Afonso's nephew, the 6 year old KingAfonso V, under the leadership of the king's mother,Leonor of Aragon, and later Afonso's brother,Infante Pedro, Duke of Coimbra. The Duke of Coimbra's regency, however, soon proved unpopular and Afonso quickly became the King's preferred advisor. On 30 December 1442, the Duke of Coimbra, still the King's regent and thus acting in his name, created Afonso as theDuke of Braganza,[2][9] as a gesture of good will and reconciliation between the two brothers. Afonso's elevation to the dukedom, the highest level of nobility, marked the foundation of the House of Braganza, which was to become a key family in Portuguese history.
As a result of the hard work and success of Afonso I, his children all secured successful positions and lived privileged lives. Afonso I's first son,Afonso of Braganza, was a prominent member of the nobility, having been ceded, by his grandfather, Nuno Álvares Pereira, the lucrative and powerful title ofCount of Ourém, in 1422. He was an accomplished diplomat, and served as the king's representative at theCouncil of Basel in 1436, and theCouncil of Florence in 1439. In 1451, the Count of Ourém was madeMarquis of Valença and escortedInfanta Leonor of Portugal to her husbandFrederick III, Holy Roman Emperor. Later, in 1458, he participated in the capture and conquest ofAlcácer-Ceguer. The Marquis of Valença, however, died in 1460, one year before his father and therefore did not succeed him. Afonso I's first daughter,Isabel of Braganza, marriedInfante João, Lord of Reguengos de Monsaraz, thus relinking the House of Braganza to the Royal House of Portugal.[10] Isabel's strategic marriage proved successful, and produced four children, whose descendants would be some of the most important in Iberian history. Afonso I's last child and successor,Fernando I, Duke of Braganza, continued his legacy of prominence in the military and society.
When Fernando I was born, in 1403, his grandfather, Nuno Álvares Pereira, ceded him the title ofCount of Arraiolos. Fernando became an accomplished military man, participating in variousPortuguese imperial campaigns. Though Fernando I was a popular and powerful member of the nobility, he did not always find himself in the favour of the king, most notably exemplified when Fernando I openly declaimed King Duarte I, at thePortuguese Cortes, on the topic of the rescue and recovery of the King's brother,Infante Fernando, Lord of Salvaterra de Magos from the Moors. However, Fernando I became a favourite of both the royal and imperial government and of King Afonso V, earning him the position of Governor of Ceuta and the titles ofMarquis of Vila Viçosa andCount of Neiva.
Fernando I's children, by his wife, Joana de Castro, Lady of Cadaval, continued to enlarge the influence of the House of Braganza. Of his nine children, all six who survived to adulthood established themselves either through positions or marriages, though the actions of KingJoão II would seek to weaken their influence. Fernando I's first son and successor,Fernando II, was initially a bright and popular nobleman, but his conflict with King João II would see his and the House's downfall. His second son,João of Braganza, 1st Marquis of Montemor-o-Novo, was an accomplished military man and was madeConstable of Portugal. Fernando's third son, Afonso of Braganza, became a popular nobleman of society and was made 1stCount of Faro. The Duke's fourth son,Álvaro of Braganza, inherited the fiefs of his mother, becoming the 5th Lord of Ferreira, 4th Lord of Cadaval, and 1st Lord of Tentúgal. Fernando's eldest surviving daughter, Beatriz of Braganza, married Pedro de Meneses, 1stMarquis of Vila Real. Fernando's last surviving child, Guiomar of Braganza, married Henrique de Meneses, 4thCount of Viana do Alentejo. Ultimately, however, Fernando I's children and grandchildren would suffer great difficulty under the reign of King João II.
By the tenure of the third duke,Fernando II, the House of Braganza was undoubtedly one of the greatest noble houses of Portugal and Iberia as a whole.[11] Fernando II continued the House's legacy of acquisition and gained the title ofDuke of Guimarães.[12] To the Duke and the House's downfall, however, King João II's reign concerned itself with the royal consolidation of power and the diminishment of the nobility.[13][14][15] Fernando II, having been a prominent and powerful nobleman, was accused of treason and executed by King João II in 1483;[16][17] the House's titles and properties were merged into the crown and its members exiled to Castile.[18]
Due to their father's misfortunes, Fernando II's children, from his marriage toIsabel of Viseu, daughter ofInfante Fernando, Duke of Viseu and Beja, initially had a tumultuous childhood; but King João II's successor, KingManuel I, who had previously himself been theDuke of Beja, chose to forgive the House and re-grant them all their properties in exchange for their loyalty. Fernando II's oldest surviving son and successor,Jaime I, returned to Portugal and reestablished himself atVila Viçosa,[18] the former seat of the Dukes. Fernando II's only other surviving son,Dinis of Braganza, married Beatriz de Castro Osório, Countess of Lemos, and had four children with her.
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Jaime I's tenure as Duke of Braganza was one of restoration and grandness. Upon his return to Portugal from exile, Jaime took possession of the House's formerly confiscated properties. In order to establish a new image for the House, he ordered the construction of a new seat for the House, which would become one of the largest palaces in Iberia, theDucal Palace of Vila Viçosa.[18] Jaime I's restoration also continued with the House's relations with the King, Jaime I having becoming a favourite of King Manuel I and even once his temporary heir. The Duke also had his share of scandal, having funded the conquest of the city ofAzamor, for the royal crown as, as punishment for his ordering the murder of his first wife, Leonor Pérez de Guzman, daughter ofJuan Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, 3rd Duke of Medina Sidonia.
The children of Jaime I, both the two first children by his first wife, Leonor of Pérez de Guzman, and the later eight children by his second wife, Joana of Mendoça, all saw successful lives under the restored House of Braganza. Jaime I's first daughter,Isabel of Braganza, marriedInfante Duarte, Duke of Guimarães, and had three children, while his first son and successor,Teodósio I, was a successful prince of thePortuguese Renaissance. Five of Jaime I's children, Jaime, Maria, Fulgêncio, Teotónio, and Vicência, all entered into religious orders. The Duke's second daughter, Joana of Braganza, married Bernardino de Cardenas, 3rd Marquis of Elche, and his third daughter, Eugénia of Braganza, married Francisco de Melo, 2ndMarquis of Ferreira. Jaime I's only other son, other than Teodósio I, to not enter into the church,Constantino of Braganza, married Maria de Melo, daughter of D. Rodrigo de Melo, 1stMarquis of Ferreira, but had no children. Constantino was famed as a great officer of thePortuguese Empire, having served as theViceroy of Portuguese India andCaptain of Ribeira Grande, among other positions.
The fifth Duke,Teodósio I, is remembered for being the personification of thePortuguese Renaissance. A patron of the arts and scholarly noble, Teodósio I maintained the prestige of the House of Braganza, although not leaving a significant mark on the House's history. The Duke notably ceded the Dukedom of Guimarães toInfante Duarte of Portugal as the dowry of his sister,Isabel of Braganza.
Teodósio I's second son, Jaime of Braganza, died fighting alongside KingSebastião I at theBattle of Alcácer Quibir. The Duke's only daughter, Isabel of Braganza, married Miguel Luis de Meneses, 1stDuke of Caminha, though their union had no issue. Teodósio I's first child and successor,João I, lived a very different life from Teodósio I's calm and relatively peaceful tenure, having been involved in the controversies of thePortuguese succession crisis of 1580 and the subsequentWar of the Portuguese Succession.
João I's tenure as Duke was one intertwined with controversy and intrigue. Having been married toInfanta Catarina, daughter ofInfante Duarte, Duke of Guimarães, and thus a grandchild of King Manuel I, during the succession crisis of 1580, the couple pressed their claims to the Portuguese throne. Though Infanta Catarina was a popular claimant, herHabsburg cousin was eventually crownedPhilip I of Portugal and theIberian Union was established. In an attempt at reconciliation with the Brigantine House, King Philip I renewed the title of Constable of Portugal, which João I had held previously, to the Duke's first son,Teodósio II, alongside other title and land grants to the Duke and the House.
João I's daughters, Maria, Serefina, Querubina, and Angélica, were some of the most eligible ladies of Portugal and all Iberia, though the only one to marry was Serefina of Braganza, who married CastilianJuan Fernandez Pacheco, 5th Duke of Escalona. The Duke's oldest son and successor, Teodósio II, famously fought in the Battle of Alcácer Quibir at the age of ten and later became an accomplished general. João I's second son, Duarte of Braganza, was made 1st Marquis of Frechilla, and the Duke's third son, Alexandre of Braganza, becameArchbishop of Évora, both receiving their titles and many concessions from King Philip I when the monarch was making amends with the House of Braganza. Unlike his other sons, João I's last son, Filipe of Braganza, died without marriage, children, or titles.
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The seventh Duke, Teodósio II, became famous at a young age, having been made page to KingSebastião I and having marched into the Battle of Alcácer Quibir,[19] alongside the King and his uncle, Jaime of Braganza, at the age of ten. Teodósio II later pledged his allegiance and became a faithful countryman to the Philippine Dynasty, having even defendedLisbon against King Philip I's rival claimant to the throne,António, Prior of Crato, who had been acclaimed, by his supporters, as King António I of Portugal. In recognition for his military prowess, Teodósio II was made Constable of Portugal. The Duke's support and service to the Philippine Dynasty, earned the Braganzas more lands and titles and, by 1640, the House had amassed around 80,000 vassals, alongside numerous churches, orders, and institutions under its patronage.[20]
In 1603, Teodósio II marriedAna de Velasco y Girón, daughter of CastilianJuan Fernández de Velasco, 5th Duke of Frías, and had four children with her. The Duke's first son and successor,João II, raise the House of Braganza to new heights of power, having launched thePortuguese Restoration War and been acclaimed King João IV of Portugal, thus installing the House as the ruling dynasty of Portugal. Teodósio II's second son, Duarte of Braganza, was made Lord of Vila do Conde and became a diplomat, serving at the court ofFerdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, but later died a prisoner as a cost of the Restoration War. Teodósio II's two other children, Alexandre and Catarina, both died without children, titles, or marriage.
By 1640 the wise policies of D. Philip I in respect of Portugal were long past. The country was overtaxed, Portuguese colonies were left unprotected, and the KingPhilip III of Portugal no longer had the trust or support of mostPortuguese nobility. He was especially loathed by the powerful Portuguese guild of merchants. Portugal, like the rest of Philip's kingdoms, was on the verge of rebellion.
The eighth Duke of Braganza, D.João II of Braganza, had inherited the claim of his grandmother, Infanta Catarina of Portugal, and the remoter claim through of his grandfather João I of Braganza. Because of his claims, the discontent Portuguese nobility asked João II to lead their restoration as their king.
According to court historians, D. João II was a modest man without particular ambitions to the crown. Legend says that his wife, DonaLuisa de Guzmán, daughter of the duke of Medina-Sidonia, urged him to accept the offer, saying "I'd rather be queen for one day than duchess for a lifetime." He accepted the leadership of the rebellion, which was successful, and was acclaimed João IV of Portugal on 1 December 1640.
After the accession of the Braganzas to the throne, the duchy was linked to the Crown. "Duke of Braganza" became the traditional title of the heir to the throne, together withPrince of Brazil and, later,Prince Royal of Portugal.
João's accession resulted in thePortuguese Restoration War with Spain. The sovereignty of Portugal's new dynasty would not be recognized until 1668 during the reign of João's son, Afonso VI.[21]
The zenith of the Braganza dynasty came with the long reign of D.João V (1706–1750), who ruled with grandeur and piety.[22] The reign of D.José I, son of D. João V, was marked by thegreat earthquake, which struckLisbon in 1755.[23] The political genius of his reign was the1st Marquis of Pombal.[24] The end of the 18th century was characterized by stability, under the rule of DonaMaria I (1777–1816), who discharged Pombal at her accession.[25] Because Maria's recurrent mental illness rendered her incapable of governing, her sonJoão assumed the role of head of government in 1792.[26]
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In 1807, faced with impendingNapoleonic invasion, the Braganzastransferred their royal court to theState of Brazil, Portugal's largest colony.[27] Some time after they had crossed the Atlantic, a royal decree changed the status of Brazil from a Portuguesecolony to a kingdom alongside Portugal,[28] and theUnited Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was formed. D.João VI succeeded in 1816, and returned to Portugal in 1821.
João VI left his eldest son, D.Pedro, Prince Royal of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves, as regent in Brazil. In 1822,Brazilian rebels declared independence and acclaimed D. Pedro asEmperor of Brazil.[29] D. Pedro I ruled Brazil until 1831, when he abdicated in favor of his young son D.Pedro II, and returned to Portugal to aid his daughter D. Maria II (see below).[30]
D. Pedro II, being only six years old at the time of his coronation, had a regency established. The regency rules until 1840, when the Emperor turned 14 years old.[31] His reign lasted until 1889, when the Brazilian monarchy was abolished. His reign sawthe abolition of slavery in Brazil, economic growth, and very long periods of tranquility and development in his empire.
In Portugal, D. Pedro I of Brazil became King as D. Pedro IV (1826), but no one wanted to re-establish the union of Portugal and Brazil. Pedro abdicated the Portuguese throne in favor of his daughter PrincessMaria da Glória, then seven years old. D. Pedro's brother D.Miguel was to act as Regent, and to marry Maria when she came of age.[32] In 1828, Miguel instead proclaimed himself King of Portugal and repudiated the liberal constitution granted by D. João VI, trying to establish anabsolute monarchy.[33]
In 1828, Maria II was forced into exile by her uncle, the new King Miguel I. Her father D. Pedro IV of Portugal returned from Brazil, launched a successful military campaign, from theAzores, against Miguel I.[30] He finally defeated and exiled Miguel I in 1834.[34] Though exiled, Miguel would not give up his claim to the throne and would establish theMiguelist branch of the House of Braganza.[35] The strategic marriages of his children to the various royal houses of Europe would earn him the nickname the "Grandfather of Europe" (seeDescendants of Miguel I of Portugal).
On 7 September 1822,Dom Pedro of Braganza, Prince Royal of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, member of the House of Braganza, heir apparent to the Portuguese throne and Regent of theKingdom of Brazil, declared the country's independence from theUnited Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves and was acclaimedEmperor of Brazil. On 12 October, the prince was acclaimed Pedro I, first Emperor of the newly created Empire of Brazil, a constitutional monarchy. In 1825, signing thetreaty of Rio de Janeiro of this date, his father, King DomJoão VI, recognized the independence of the new state, the former Portuguese dominion, nowEmpire of Brazil.
Pedro I encountered a number of crises during his reign. A secessionist rebellion in theCisplatine Province in early 1825 and the subsequent attempt by theUnited Provinces of the Río de la Plata (laterArgentina) to annex Cisplatina led the Empire into the failedCisplatine War. In March 1826, João VI died and Pedro I inherited the Portuguese crown, briefly becoming King Pedro IV of Portugal before abdicating in favor of his eldest daughter,Maria II. The situation worsened in 1828 when the war in the south ended with Brazil's loss of Cisplatina, which would become the independent republic ofUruguay. During the same year in Lisbon, Maria II's throne was usurped byPrince Miguel, Pedro I's younger brother.
Other difficulties arose when the Empire's parliament opened in 1826. Pedro I, along with a significant percentage of the legislature, argued for an independent judiciary, a popularly elected legislature and a government which would be led by the emperor who held broad executive powers and prerogatives. Others in parliament argued for a similar structure, only with a less influential role for the monarch and the legislative branch being dominant in policy and governance.
The struggle over whether the government would be dominated by the emperor or by the parliament was carried over into debates from 1826 to 1831 on the establishment of the governmental and political structure. Unable to deal with the problems in both Brazil and Portugal simultaneously, the Emperor abdicated on behalf of his son,Pedro II, on 7 April 1831 and immediately sailed for Europe torestore his daughter to her throne.
Pedro I's successor in Brazil was his five-year-old son, Pedro II. As the latter was still a minor, a weak regency was created. The power vacuum resulting from the absence of a ruling monarch as the ultimate arbiter in political disputes led to regional civil wars between local factions. Having inherited an empire on the verge of disintegration, Pedro II, once he was declared of age in 1840, at 14 years old, managed to bring peace and stability to the country, which eventually became an emerging international power. Brazil was victorious in three international conflicts (thePlatine War, theUruguayan War and theParaguayan War) under Pedro II's rule, and the Empire prevailed in several other international disputes and outbreaks of domestic strife. With prosperity and economic development came an influx of European immigration, including Protestants and Jews, although Brazil remained mostly Catholic. Slavery, which had initially been widespread, was restricted by successive legislation until its final abolition in 1888 byPrincess Isabel.
Even though the last four decades of Pedro II's reign were marked by continuous internal peace and economic prosperity, he had no desire to see the monarchy survive beyond his lifetime and made no effort to maintain support for the institution. The next in line to the throne was his daughter Isabel, but neither Pedro II nor the ruling classes considered a female monarch acceptable.[citation needed] Lacking any viable heir, the Empire's political leaders saw no reason to defend the monarchy. Although there was no desire among the majority of Brazilians to change the country's form of government, republicans began pressuring army officers to overthrow the monarchy. After a 58-year reign, on 15 November 1889 the Emperor was overthrown in a suddencoup d'état led by a clique of military leaders whose goal was the formation of a republic headed by a dictator, forming theFirst Brazilian Republic. Throughout the coup Pedro II dismissed all suggestions put forward by politicians and military leaders for quelling the rebellion. The Emperor and his family were exiled to the Portuguese kingdom and France. Although there was significant monarchist reaction after the fall of the Empire,[citation needed] this was thoroughly suppressed, and neither Pedro II nor his daughter and heiress supported a forced restoration.
In 1836, Queen Maria II of Portugal married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, later KingFerdinand II of Portugal.[36] Despite the tradition of following the custom of patrilineal descent of royal houses, common throughout Europe, Article 5 of the Portuguese constitution of 1826 stated that "The Reigning Dynasty of the Most Serene House of Braganza Shall Continue in the Person of Lady Princess Maria da Glória, by the Abdication and Cession of Her August Father Lord Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil, Legitimate Heir and Successor of Lord João VI.".[37]
Maria II was succeeded in 1853 by her son D.Pedro V, a hard-working reformer who died prematurely in 1861 oftyphoid fever.[38] D. Pedro V was succeeded byhis brother D. Luís, as D. Pedro V had no children.[39]
D. Luís I was succeeded in 1889 by his son, D.Carlos I. Carlos I's popularity dramatically declined after Portugal submitted to the1890 British Ultimatum, and ceded its claim to territories betweenPortuguese West Africa andPortuguese East Africa (as shown in thePink Map) toBritain.[40] Popular anger over submission to the Ultimatum, combined with thedeposition of the Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, resulted in a rise of republican sentiment in Portugal.[41]
In 1908,republicans assassinated King Carlos I and his eldest son, D.Luís Filipe, Prince Royal.[42] His younger son, D.Manuel, Duke of Beja, survived the attack and became king as Manuel II,[43] but was toppled two years later in the1910 republican revolution.[44] After the revolution, Manuel sought refuge inGreat Britain and showed little inclination towards pursuing a restoration.[45]
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After the revolution of 1910, King Manuel II settled in England until his death in 1932. He was childless, and descendants of Miguel of Braganza (the usurper of 1826) claimed the throne.[46] In 1922, the two (of the now four) branches of the House of Braganza allegedly negotiated an pact under which Manuel II named as his heirDuarte Nuno of Braganza, grandson of Miguel.[47] In 1942, Duarte Nuno, now Duke of Braganza, married a great-granddaughter of EmperorPedro II of Brazil, uniting the two lines of the House.[48] He remained the Braganza pretender until his death in 1976.
In 1950 Portugal repealed the law of exile against the Braganzas,[49] and Duarte Nuno moved to the country in 1952.[48]
Duarte Nuno was succeeded as pretender by his son,Duarte Pio of Braganza (born 1945). Duarte Pio served in thePortuguese Armed Forces and took the customary oath of allegiance to the Republic, but Portuguese monarchists recognize him as the pretender to the Portuguese throne. In 1995 he marriedIsabel de Herédia, a Portuguese businesswoman and descendant ofFrancisco Correia de Herédia, 1st Viscount of Ribeira Brava[50] (aVitalício title,[50] meaning Life peerage). He worked actively in support of the independence ofEast Timor fromIndonesia.
Duarte Pio and Isabel have three children. Duarte Pio's oldest son isAfonso de Santa Maria, who bears the traditional titles ofPrince of Beira (as heir apparent to the Portuguese pretender) andDuke of Barcelos (as heir apparent to the Duke of Braganza).[citation needed] He has a brother Dinis, Duke of Porto, and a sister, Infanta Maria Francisca.
Maria Pia of Saxe-Coburg and Braganza, who claimed she was an illegitimate daughter of King Carlos I of Portugal, began asserting that she was the heir to the throne from 1957. Allegedly, she adopted the Italian Rosario Poidimani, transferring her claimed rights to the Portuguese throne to him.
After the military coup of 1889, Emperor Dom Pedro II settled in France until his death in 1891.[51] His eldest daughter and family went to live in theChateau d'Eu in FrenchNormandy. She was recognized by Brazilian monarchists as Empress-in-Exile asDona Isabel I of Brazil until her death in 1921.
She was succeeded by her grandson,Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, asHead of the Imperial House of Brazil, and he by his sonPrince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza, who was succeeded by his brother and Current HeadBertrand of Orléans-Braganza.
With the end of the banishment of the Imperial Family in 1920, some princes returned to live in Brazil, while another remained in Europe. After the end ofWorld War II, Prince Pedro Henrique, then Head of the Imperial House and married toPrincess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria, returned to Brazil with his family.
The Imperial House of Brazil divided into rival branches because of the renunciation ofPedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará in 1908 and the subsequent repudiation of that act by his descendants.[52]
While some members of the two branches of the family subsequently lived in theGrão-Pará Palace, some married royalty or nobles and have lived in Europe, and others elsewhere in Brazil.[52] A1993 referendum on restoration of the monarchy was defeated, garnering 13.2 percent of the vote against 66 percent for the republic.[53] Members of both the so-called Petropolis branch of Braganzas (PrincesPedro Gastão and his nephew,Joazinho of Orléans-Braganza) and the more broadly recognised Vassouras line of the Imperial Family led byPrince Luiz Gastão of Orléans-Braganza, participated in the restoration effort,[52] and the Head of the Vassouras branch continues to lead a movement to restore the monarchy.[citation needed]
| Name | Became duke | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Afonso I of Braganza | 1442 | Duke of Braganza;Count of Barcelos |
| Fernando I of Braganza | 1461 | Duke of Braganza;Marquis of Vila Viçosa |
| Fernando II of Braganza | 1478 | Duke of Braganza;Duke of Guimarães |
| Jaime I of Braganza | 1498 | Duke of Braganza |
| Teodósio I of Braganza | 1532 | Duke of Braganza; ceded Dukedom of Guimarães |
| João I of Braganza | 1563 | Duke of Braganza;Duke of Barcelos |
| Teodósio II of Braganza | 1583 | Duke of Braganza |
| João II of Braganza | 1630 | Duke of Braganza;Duke of Guimarães; first Braganzamonarch of Portugal |
| Name | Became monarch | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| João IV of Portugal | 1640 | King of Portugal and the Algarves; first Braganza monarch of Portugal |
| Afonso VI of Portugal | 1656 | King of Portugal and the Algarves; died without heir |
| Pedro II of Portugal | 1683 | King of Portugal and the Algarves; brother of Afonso VI |
| João V of Portugal | 1706 | King of Portugal and the Algarves |
| José I of Portugal | 1750 | King of Portugal and the Algarves |
| Maria I of Portugal and Pedro III of Portugal | 1777 | Queen and King of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves |
| João VI of Portugal | 1816 | King of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves; Titular Emperor of Brazil |
| Pedro IV of Portugal | 1826 | King of Portugal and the Algarves; Emperor of Brazil |
| Maria II of Portugal | 1826 | Queen of Portugal and the Algarves; lost throne to Miguel I in 1828; regained throne in 1834 |
| Miguel I of Portugal | 1828 | King of Portugal and the Algarves; reigned for 6 years; succeeded by Maria II |
| Pedro V of Portugal | 1853 | King of Portugal and the Algarves |
| Luís I of Portugal | 1861 | King of Portugal and the Algarves |
| Carlos I of Portugal | 1889 | King of Portugal and the Algarves; assassinated inLisbon Regicide |
| Manuel II of Portugal | 1908 | King of Portugal and the Algarves; last monarch of Portugal |
| Name | Became monarch | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maria I of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves | 1815 | Queen and founder of theUnited Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves |
| John VI of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves | 1816 | King of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves; Titular Emperor of Brazil; last King of Brazil |
| Pedro I of Brazil | 1822 | Emperor of Brazil; proclaimer ofBrazilian Independence King of Portugal and the Algarves |
| Pedro II of Brazil | 1831 | Emperor of Brazil; last Emperor of Brazil |
The traditional symbol andcrest of the House of Braganza is a greenwyvern, commonly taken to be adragon,[54][55][56] representingSaint George,[57] patron saint of Portugal.
This symbol can be found in many different monuments in Portugal and Brazil, such as theMonument to the Independence of Brazil inSão Paulo and in the palaces of the Imperial family inRio de Janeiro andPetrópolis. It is famously found atop thePortuguese Crown Sceptre and theSceptre of the Emperor of Brazil.
The wyvern is also sometimes used as asupporter in the coat of arms of both the Brazilian and Portuguese branches of the family.
Because of its use in heraldry by the Braganza as the ruling house, and given Pedro IV's link withPorto, a dragon was added to the old coat of arms of the municipality of Porto[54] and is still a part ofFC Porto's coat of arms, who are nicknamed "The Dragons".
Since the 17th century, the House of Braganza has allegedly suffered from the Curse of the Braganzas (Portuguese:Maldição dos Braganças). For supposedly mistreating aFranciscan friar, a curse was purportedly placed on KingJoão IV of Portugal, stating that never again would a first-born male of the Braganza Dynasty live long enough to succeed to the throne.[citation needed] Since the reign of King João IV, only three have reign as monarch in Portugal or Brazil.
Supposed victims of the Curse of the Braganzas:[58]
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| Coat of arms | Title | Tenure | Coat of arms | Title | Tenure | Coat of arms | Title | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg) | Emperor of Brazil | 1822–1889 | .png) | King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves | 1815–1825 | .svg) | King of Portugal | 1640–1910 |
 | King of the Algarves | 1640–1910 | .png) | Prince of Portugal Prince of Brazil Prince Royal of Portugal | 1481–present[b] | .png) | Prince of Beira | 1734–present[c] |
 | Prince Imperial of Brazil | 1822–1889 | .png) | Duke of Braganza Duke of Guimarães Duke of Barcelos Marquis of Vila Viçosa | 1442–present[d] |  | Duke of Porto | 1833–present[e] |
 | Duke of Viseu | 1909–present[f] |  | Duke of Coimbra | 1847–present[g] |  | Count of Ourém Count of Neiva Count of Faria | 1451–present[b] |
Genealogical tree of the House of Braganza, during its ducal period, from origins of its founder,Afonso I, Duke of Braganza, to the issue of its last noble duke,Teodósio II, Duke of Braganza:
Genealogical tree of the House of Braganza, from its first monarch,João IV, King of Portugal, to the fracture of the house into its three main branches, in the issue ofJoão VI, King of United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves:
Genealogical tree of the Brazilian branch House of Braganza, from its first monarch,Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil, to the issue ofPedro II, the lastEmperor of Brazil.
| Emperor-King Pedro I/IV King of Portugal and the Algarves Emperor of Brazil (1798–1834)  .svg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Queen Maria II Queen of Portugal and the Algarves (1819–1853)  .png) | Princess Januária Princess Imperial of Brazil Countess of Aquila (1822–1901) .svg) | Emperor Pedro II Emperor of Brazil (1825–1891) | Princess Paula Princess of Brazil (1823–1833) | Princess Francisca Princess of Brazil Princess of Joinville (1824–1898) | Princess Maria Amélia Princess of Brazil (1831–1853) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| From her descends the Constitutional Line | Princess Isabel Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921) | Princess Leopoldina Princess of Brazil Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1847–1871) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| From her descends the House of Orléans-Braganza | From her descends the cadet branch of the Brazilian Imperial Family | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Genealogical tree of theHouse of Orléans-Braganza, from its origin to the current claimants:
Vassouras line:The descendants of Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza
| Princess Isabel Princess Imperial of Brazil Countess of Eu (1846–1921)  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prince Pedro de Alcântara Prince Imperial of Brazil Prince of Orléans-Braganza (1875–1940)  | Prince Luís Prince Imperial of Brazil Prince of Orléans-Braganza (1878–1920) | Prince Antônio Gastão Prince of Brazil Prince of Orléans-Braganza (1881–1918)  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prince Pedro Henrique Prince and Head of the House of Orléans-Braganza (1909–1981)  | Prince Luiz Gastão Prince Imperial of Brazil Prince of Orléans-Braganza (1911–1931) | Princess Pia Maria Princess Imperial of Brazil Princess of Orléans-Braganza Countess Nicolay (1913–2000)  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prince Luiz Prince and Head of the House of Orléans-Braganza (1938–2022) | Prince Bertrand Prince and Head of the House of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1941) | Princess Isabel Princess of Brazil Princess of Orléans-Braganza (1944–2017)  | Prince Antônio Prince Imperial of Brazil Prince of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1950) | Princess Eleanora Princess of Brazil Princess of Orléans-Braganza Princess of Ligne (b. 1953)  | Seven more Princes of Orléans-Braganza who renounced their dynastic rights | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prince Rafael Antônio Prince of Grão-Pará Prince of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1986)  | Princess Maria Gabriela Princess of Brazil Princess of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1989) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Petrópolis line:The descendants of Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará
| Princess Isabel Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prince Pedro de Alcântara Prince of Grão-Pará Prince of Orléans-Braganza (1875–1940)  | Prince Luís Prince Imperial of Brazil Prince of Orléans-Braganza (1878–1920) .svg) | Prince Antônio Gastão Prince of Brazil Prince of Orléans-Braganza (1881–1918) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Princess Isabelle Princess of Orléans-Braganza Countess of Paris (1911–2003)   | Prince Pedro Gastão Prince of Orléans-Braganza (1913–2007) | Princess Maria Francisca Princess of Orléans-Braganza Duchess of Braganza (1914–1968) | Prince João Maria Prince of Orléans-Braganza (1916–2005) | Princess Teresa Teodora Princess of Orléans-Braganza (1919–2011) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prince Pedro Carlos Prince of Orléans-Braganza (b. 1945) | Princess Maria da Glória Princess of Orléans-Braganza former Crown Princess of Yugoslavia (b. 1946)  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
House of Braganza Cadet branch of theHouse of Aviz | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Ruling House of the Kingdom of Portugaland the Algarves 1640–1910 | Monarchy Abolished SeeFirst Portuguese Republic |
| New title | Ruling House of the Kingdom of Brazil 1815–1822 | Independence of Brazil SeeEmpire of Brazil |
| New title | Ruling House of the Empire of Brazil 1822–1889 | Monarchy Abolished SeeFirst Brazilian Republic |
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by Itself as the reigning house | — TITULAR — Claimant House of the Portuguese monarchy 1910–present Reason for succession failure: Portuguese monarchy abolished | Incumbent |
| Preceded by Itself as the reigning house | — TITULAR — Claimant House of the Brazilian monarchy 1889–1921 Reason for succession failure: Brazilian monarchy abolished | Succeeded by |
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| House of Burgundy (1139–1383) | _-_Lesser.png) | |
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| House of Aviz (1385–1580) | ||
| House of Habsburg (1581–1640) | ||
| House of Braganza (1640–1910) | ||
Debatable or disputed rulers are initalics. | ||
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