The Brazilian Monarchy
Dedicated to the Promotion, Study and
Restoration of the Brazilian Glorious Monarchy
The Brazilian
Monarchy
Dedicated
to the Promotion, Study and
Restoration
of the Brazilian Glorious Monarchy
His Serene Imperial & Royal Highness
Prince Dom Luiz of Orleans e Bragança
Head of the Brazilian Imperial Family
The Prince of Brazil
Picture from the Site of the Imperial Family
Grand Master of the Imperial Order of
the Southern Cross (Cruzeiro do Sul)
Grand Master of the Imperial Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Nosso Senhor
Jesus Cristo)
Grand Master of the Imperial Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz (São Bento de
Aviz)
Grand Master of the Imperial Order of Saint James of the Sword (São Thiago
da Espada)
Grand Master of the Imperial Order of Dom Pedro I
Grand Master of the Imperial Order of the Rose
Dom Luiz
Gastão Maria José Pio (Miguel Gabriel Raphael Gonzaga) de
Orleans e Bragança e Wittelsbach, Prince of Brazil, Prince of
Orleans and Braganza, was born on June 6, 1938, in Mandelieu, France,
and was immediately registered at the Brazilian Consulate. When he was born, he
was titled Prince Imperial of Brazil, i.e., the Heir to the
Brazilian Throne, according to the Imperial Constitution of 1824.
He is the eldest of the twelve children of H.I.R.H. Prince Lord D. Pedro
Henrique (*1909 †1981), Head of the Imperial House of Brazil and of H.R.H.
Princess Maria of Bavaria (*1914).
He was baptized at the Chapel of Mas-Saint-Louis, country house of his
grandmother, Princess Lady D. Maria Pia (*1878 †1973), née
Princess of Bourbon of the Two Siciles, who was also his godmother; his
godfather is his mother's brother, Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (*1913).
With
the death of his Father, on July 5, 1981, he became the Head of the Brazilian
Imperial House. He is by right (de jure) the Emperor of Brazil! The
monarchists see him as His Imperial Majesty Lord Dom Luiz the First, by
the Grace of God and the Unanimous Acclamation of the People, Constitutional
Emperor and Perpetual Defender of Brazil.
By his paternal family, The Prince descends directly from the Emperors of
Brazil, from whom he is the present dynastic successor, from the Kings of
Portugal (House of Braganza) and from the Kings of France (Houses of
Orleans and Bourbon) - all of these Dynasties belong to an only Royal Race, the
Capet Lineage.
His Father, Prince Lord D. Pedro Henrique, was a great man of XXth
Century Brazil. With simplicity, he represented so much the Brazilian Imperial
tradition during those long years; he was prepared, since his birth, to be the
Emperor. With his extreme religious devotion, he bequeathed to his Children the
highest Catholic Faith. He was a model of paterfamilias to all the Brazilians
who have maintained their loyalty to the Imperial House, after its deposition on
November 15, 1889. Furthermore, D. Pedro Henrique was a famous artist too.
By his maternal family, The Prince is a descendant from the Kings of Bavaria
(House of Wittelsbach), whose Dynasty is one of the oldest and most
brilliants of Germany, and from the other German Royal Houses.
His mother, Princess Maria - after her marriage, H.I.R.H. Princess Lady D.
Maria, Princess (or Empress) Consort of Brazil - is a great lady. She is
presently The Princess Mother of Brazil; here, she is known as "Dona
Maria da Baviera". Like her late husband, Dona Maria is also a painter, however
she is specialist in porcelain painting, a traditional art of her homeland.
Lord Dom Luiz visited his fatherland for the first time in 1945, after the end
of the Second World War, when the Imperial Family finally returned to Brazil.
They lived firstly in Rio de Janeiro and after that they went to Paraná State,
in the South Region. He was educated in the best Brazilian schools and later he
went to Paris, where he studied Languages - His Highness speaks fluently
Portuguese, French and German, but he understands Spanish, Italian and English.
From 1962 to 1967, he studied Chemistry at the University of Munich.
Photo: Fernando Montero (1992)
- Col. PRÓ-MONARQUIA
Dom Luiz e Dona Maria of Bavaria and
Brazil
Since the
accession of him as Head of the Imperial House, he has devoted his time to the
Restoration of the true historical heritages of Brazil, like the Monarchy, the
Religion, etc. He has visited the Brazilian cities with his two brothers, Prince
Imperial D. Bertrand and Prince D. Antonio, in order to really know the people
and their problems. The Cities always receive them with profound admiration and
the mayors have given many regional decorations to Dom Luiz, such titles as
Honorary Citizen, Honorary Member of the Historic Institutions, etc. In
addition, he is Bailiff Grand Cross of the Constantine Order of Saint George,
belonging to the Royal House of the Two Siciles.
His hobbies are reading and the appreciation of the good classical music. His
preferred sports are hunting - when he was young, he conquered many trophies in
this sport - and equestrianism.
Photo: Fernado Montero (1998)
- Col. Otto de Sá Pereira
Dom Luiz
and Dona Christine
The Head of the Imperial House is single; thus, the next in the Line of
Succession to the Throne is his brother, H.I.R.H. Prince Imperial D. Bertrand
(*1941).
D. Bertrand is
also unmarried and his brother, H.I.R.H. Prince D. Antonio João (*1950),
is the 3rd in the Line; he is married, since 1981, to H.H. Princess Christine
of Ligne (*1955), from a Belgian Princely Family. Prince D. Antonio João´s
children are the next in Line: H.I.R.H. Prince D. Pedro Luiz (*1983),
H.I.R.H. Prince D. Rafael Antonio (*1986), H.I.R.H. Princess D. Amélia
(*1984) and H.I.R.H. Princess D. Maria Gabriela Fernanda (*1989).
After them, the
next Dynasts are THE PRINCE OF BRAZIL's sisters: H.I.R.H. Princess D. Isabel
(*1944), H.I.R.H. Princess D. Eleonora (*1952), Hereditary Princess
of Ligne by her marriage and, finally, H.I.R.H. Princess D. Maria Gabriela
(*1959). The two children of D. Eleonora, TT.HH. Prince Henri Antoine of
Ligne (*1989) and Princess Alix Marie of Ligne (*1984) are in the
Order of Succession, because they have the Brazilian nationality, as well as the
Belgian.
The other brothers of THE PRINCE OF BRAZIL, Princes D. Eudes (*1939),
D. Pedro de Alcantara (*1945), D. Fernando Diniz (*1948), D.
Francisco (*1955) and D. Alberto (*1957), renounced to their rights
and titles of THE PRINCE OF BRAZIL, for themselves and their eventual
descendants, because of their marriages with young ladies who were not members
of the Royalty. However, they did not lose their Princely status. They are
Princes of Orleans and Braganza (Royal Highnesses), like their consorts and male
descendants. The youngest sister of D. Luiz, Princess D. Maria Thereza
(*1959), now Mrs Johannes Hessel de Jong, also renounced to her Brazilian
rights.
Photo: Fernando Montero (1992)
- Col. PRÓ-MONARQUIA
Dom Luiz and The Imperial Family 1991
Directory
Projecto Pró-Monarquia do Barão de
Fulwood e Dirleton