Correio Imperial Brasileiro - Projeto Pró-Monarquia do Baronato de Fulwood e Dirleton

The Brazilian Monarchy
Dedicated to the Promotion, Study and
Restoration of the Brazilian Glorious Monarchy

Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil
"A Redentora"
de jure Empress of Brazil

Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil "A Redentora" (de jure Empress of Brazil) (July 29, 1846-November 14, 1921), nicknamed the Redeemeress, was heir to the throne of Brazil (with the title of Princess Imperial) during the last decades of the reign of her father Pedro II of Brazil, and sometime Regent. After the end of the monarchy, she became Head of the Brazilian Imperial House and, according to legitimist claims, de jure Empress of Brazil.

She was born as the eldest surviving child of Emperor Dom Pedro II and Teresa of the Two Sicilies, herself the youngest daughter of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies, in the Paço de São Cristóvão, Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro, on July 29, 1846. Her elder brother had died as infant before Isabella's birth, and a younger brother also died as infant. As the imperial couple had only daughters living, Dom Pedro designated Isabella, the heir presumptive as the official heiress (although she was not heir apparent in the strictest sense of that concept) whereby she received the titularies Princess Imperial and Princess of Brazil.

Isabel married on October 15, 1864, Prince Gastão d' Orléans, Count of Eu (1842-1922) - Louis Philippe Marie Ferdinand Gaston, Prince d'Orleans, Count d'Eu, son of Louis Charles Philippe Raphael, duc de Nemours, a cadet prince of the house of Orleans.

Her only surviving sibling, her younger sister Princess Leopoldina of Brasil married Prince August of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (originally, the two princes were imported to Brazil in order of August to marry Isabel and Gaston Leopoldina, but the girls decided otherwise and the Emperor, having himself experienced unhappiness of an arranged dynastic marriage, agreed to their wishes).

She was all her life been styled as Princess and as Her Imperial and Royal Highness.

Children of Louis Philippe Marie Ferdinand Gaston d'Orléans, Comte d'Eu and Isabella de Bragança, Infanta de Brasil:

Stillborn daughter de Orléans e Bragança b. 28 Jul 1874, d. 28 Jul 1874

Pedro de Alcántara d'Orléans e Bragança, Principe de Grão Pará + b. 15 Oct 1875, d. 29 Jan 1940

Dom Luíz de Orléans e Bragança + b. 26 Jan 1878, d. 26 Mar 1920

Dom António Gastão de Orléans e Bragança b. 9 Aug 1881, d. 29 Nov 1918

Isabel was Regent of the empire three times while her father, Emperor Dom Pedro II (1825-1891), traveled abroad. During the last regency, using her prerogatives as the Imperial Princess Regent, she signed on May 13, 1888 the "Lei Áurea", Golden Law, effectively banning slavery and with a pen stroke free over 4 million slaves, to this day 13 de Maio is a major Brazilian holiday were the citizens sing their praise to "Princesa Isabel, A Redentora ("Princess Isabel The Redeemer"). For the act of signing the Golden Law, she was awarded the "Rose of Gold" medal by Pope Leon XIII and the sobriquet "Isabel The Redeemer". ". After almost 116 year since the betrayal that remove our Imperial Family, they are still "festejados e louvados" more then any Brazilian institution, family and/or political personality.

In his reign, Pedro II who was regarded as liberal, took steps to industrialize Brazil and to end the inhumane slavery. This progressive stance, however, brought him into conflict with the more conservative elements of Brazilian society. At the same time, the liberal elements, which he encouraged, eventually decided that Pedro was not willing to make reforms fast enough, so they also rejected his rule. Although Pedro was very popular among the people, an able and honest ruler, he was deposed on November 15, 1889 by a pseudo and shameful military coup whose leader-apparent was not even aware of his actions , and the imperial family was subject an undignified exile in 1889, Isabel accompanied the other members of the imperial family into exile in France.

When the Emperor Pedro II died on December 5, 1891 in Paris, France, his daughter Isabella ascended as the Titular and d jure Empress of Brazil.

In 1908 her eldest son Dom Pedro, Prince Imperial, Prince of Grã Pará, wanted to marry a noblewoman whom Isabella regarded as not royal, as result, the son renounced his succession rights in order to marry, a benchmark of obedience and respect demonstrated by the Heirs of the Brazil Imperial Family . From that onwards, her heir was her second son Dom Luiz, who however died just before her. She died in 1921 in France.

As part of the commemoration of the first centennial of the country's independence in 1922, the Brazilian government rescinded the exile law imposed by the new Republican government in 1889 and allowed the imperial family to return. Isabella was dead, and he husband Gaston, having embarked on a ship to Brazil, died onboard. Her father's and her mother's remains were brought to Brazil in 1922, and were reburied in Petrópolis, their former summer residence, in 1939.

Her family is named as the House of Orleans-Braganza. They are royal princes of deposed monarchies of France and Portugal, in addition to Empire of Brazil.

Her successor was her grandson Dom Pedro Henrique, the son of her late second son Dom Luiz.

Her body was taken to Brazil aboard the Barroso in 1953 and she was buried in the Petrópolis cathedral.

Unlike many other royal and imperial family the Brazilian Imperial family has always conducted themselves with dignity, honour and unconditional love for Brazil and its people.

The Tradition is today still valid for the head of the Imperial family Dom Luiz.

Empress de Jure Dona Isabel of Brazil