Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza
Encyclopedia
Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza (born Pedro de Alcântara Gastão João Maria Filipe Lourenço Humberto Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança) (19 February 1913 27 December 2007) was one of two claimants to the Brazilian throne and head of the Petrópolis
branch of the Brazilian Imperial House.
and Countess Elisabeth Dobržensky de Dobrženicz
. He was born in Eu
, France
. He spent his youth in Europe and at his family's Paris
ian home in the Boulogne sur Seine suburb
: "I have very good memories of my grandparents...In exile in France I was always brought up thinking of Brazil not France or Portugal."
A few years before his death Pedro Gastão’s father Prince Pedro de Alcântara told a Brazilian newspaper:
Following the death of his father supported by Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria
and Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona he declared himself head of the Imperial Family of Brazil. His position was supported by Francisco Morato the professor of the faculty of Law at the University of São Paulo
who concluded the resignation of Pedro Gastão’s father was not a valid legal or monarchical act. Professor Paulo Napoleão Nogueira da Silva in the 1990s published a report saying that the resignation of his father was invalid under all possible aspects of Brazilian Law.
He represented a rival claim to that of his cousin's son, Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza
, to be the heir of the deposed Emperor Pedro II of Brazil
, despite the renunciation signed by his father in 1908 when he married, without dynastic
approval, a Bohemia
n noblewoman.
In 1945 Pedro relinquished to his sister Princess Maria Francisca of Orléans-Braganza
and her heirs his claim to the title Duke of Braganza
. The title had been created in 1816 in favor of his great-great-grandfather Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. It had, in fact, been claimed and used in exile as a title of pretence by the Miguelist pretenders to the Portuguese
throne since 1834. It is currently borne by the eldest son of Francisca by her late husband, Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza
.
Pedro Gastão died aged 94 on 27 December 2007.
(1914–2005), a daughter of Prince Carlos of the Two Sicilies
and Princess Louise of Orléans
, on 18 December 1944 in Seville
, Spain
, and had six children:
Petrópolis
Petrópolis , also known as The Imperial City of Brazil, is a town in the state of Rio de Janeiro, about 65 km from the city of Rio de Janeiro....
branch of the Brazilian Imperial House.
Biography
Prince Pedro Gastão was the son of Prince Pedro de Alcântara of Orléans-BraganzaPrince Pedro de Alcantara of Orléans-Braganza
Pedro de Alcântara of Orléans and Braganza, Prince of Grão Para was the first born son of Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil and her husband Gaston, comte d'Eu and, as such, the heir after her, to the throne of his grandfather, Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, until the empire's abolition...
and Countess Elisabeth Dobržensky de Dobrženicz
Countess Elisabeth Dobržensky de Dobrženicz
Countess Elisabeth Maria Dobržensky de Dobrženicz was the daughter of Johann Wenzel Count Dobrzensky of Dobrzenicz and his wife, Elisabeth Countess Kottulinsky, Baroness of Kottulin and Krzižkowitz ....
. He was born in Eu
Eu, Seine-Maritime
Eu is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.Eu is located near the coast in the eastern part of the department, near the border with Picardie.Its inhabitants are known as the Eudois.-Geography:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He spent his youth in Europe and at his family's Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian home in the Boulogne sur Seine suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
: "I have very good memories of my grandparents...In exile in France I was always brought up thinking of Brazil not France or Portugal."
A few years before his death Pedro Gastão’s father Prince Pedro de Alcântara told a Brazilian newspaper:
- “My resignation was not valid for many reasons: besides, it was not a hereditary resignation.”
Following the death of his father supported by Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria
Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria
Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria was one of two claimants to the title of the head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies from 1960 until his death in 1964...
and Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona he declared himself head of the Imperial Family of Brazil. His position was supported by Francisco Morato the professor of the faculty of Law at the University of São Paulo
University of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
who concluded the resignation of Pedro Gastão’s father was not a valid legal or monarchical act. Professor Paulo Napoleão Nogueira da Silva in the 1990s published a report saying that the resignation of his father was invalid under all possible aspects of Brazilian Law.
He represented a rival claim to that of his cousin's son, Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza
Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza
Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza is one of the two claimants to the defunct Brazilian throne, and head of the Vassouras branch of the Brazilian Imperial House...
, to be the heir of the deposed Emperor Pedro II of Brazil
Pedro II of Brazil
Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
, despite the renunciation signed by his father in 1908 when he married, without dynastic
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
approval, a Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n noblewoman.
In 1945 Pedro relinquished to his sister Princess Maria Francisca of Orléans-Braganza
Princess Francisca of Orléans-Braganza
Dona Maria Francisca, Princess of Orléans-Braganza, Duchess of Braganza , was a great-granddaughter of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil through his daughter Isabel, Princess Imperial and titular Empress....
and her heirs his claim to the title Duke of Braganza
Duke of Braganza
The title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
. The title had been created in 1816 in favor of his great-great-grandfather Emperor Pedro I of Brazil. It had, in fact, been claimed and used in exile as a title of pretence by the Miguelist pretenders to the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
throne since 1834. It is currently borne by the eldest son of Francisca by her late husband, Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza
Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza
Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza was a claimant to the throne of Portugal from 1920 until his death.-Birth:...
.
Pedro Gastão died aged 94 on 27 December 2007.
Marriage and children
He married Princess Maria de la Esperanza of Bourbon-Two SiciliesPrincess Maria de la Esperanza of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
Princess Maria de la Esperanza Amalia Raniera Maria Rosario Luisa Gonzaga of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was the youngest daughter of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and his wife Princess Louise of Orléans...
(1914–2005), a daughter of Prince Carlos of the Two Sicilies
Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
Don Carlos, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain was the son of Prince Alfonso of the Two...
and Princess Louise of Orléans
Princess Louise of Orléans
Louise d'Orléans was a Princess of the Two-Sicilies and maternal grandmother of King Juan Carlos I of Spain....
, on 18 December 1944 in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and had six children:
- Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-BraganzaPrince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-BraganzaPrince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza is one of two claimants to the defunct Brazilian throne, and head of the Petrópolis branch of the Brazilian Imperial House.-Life:...
(born 31 October 1945), succeeded to his father's claim as Emperor on 26 December 2007. - Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans-Braganza (born 13 December 1946), former Crown Princess of Yugoslavia.
- Prince Alfonso Duarte of Orléans-Braganza (born 25 April 1948)
- Prince Manuel Álvaro of Orléans-Braganza (born 17 June 1949)
- Princess Cristina Maria of Orléans-Braganza (born 16 October 1950)
- Prince Francisco Humberto of Orléans-Braganza (born 9 December 1956)