Prince Pedro Luís of Orléans-Braganza

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Prince Pedro Luís
Prince Pedro Luís of Orléans-Braganza
Full name
Portuguese: Pedro Luís Maria José Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança e Ligne
House House of Orléans-Braganza
Father Prince Antônio of Orléans-Braganza
Mother Princess Christine de Ligne
Born 12 January 1983(1983-01-12)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Died 1 June 2009(2009-06-01) (aged 26)
Atlantic Ocean

Prince Pedro Luís of Orléans-Braganza (12 January 1983 – 1 June 2009) was the son of Prince Antônio of Orléans-Braganza, and was expected, on the deaths of his father and childless uncles, to eventually become a pretender to the former imperial crown of Brazil.

For some monarchists, Prince Pedro Luís was third in the line of succession to the former Brazilian throne, abolished in 1889. A current pretender and one of two claimants to be head of the former dynasty is his childless uncle, Prince Luís. Prince Luís's heir is another childless uncle, Prince Bertrand, and his own father, Prince Antônio, is second in line. Pedro Luís's younger brother, Prince Rafael, took his place in the line of succession upon legal declaration of his death, which occurred on Air France Flight 447.

Contents

[edit] Family

Prince Pedro Luís was born on 12 January 1983[1] in Rio de Janeiro, the elder of the two sons of Prince Antônio of Orléans-Braganza and his Belgian wife, Princess Christine of Ligne.[2]

His name in full was Pedro Luís Maria José Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança e Ligne. His paternal grandparents were Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, one of two claimants to be head of the Brazilian Imperial House, and Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria. His maternal grandparents were Antoine, 13th Prince of Ligne, and Princess Alix of Luxembourg.[3] His mother's family, the House of Ligne is one of the oldest and most prominent Wallonian noble families still extant in Belgium. Christine is a niece of Grand Duke Jean, who reigned in Luxembourg until his abdication in 2000.[3]

His father's two elder brothers, Luís—one of two current claimants to be head of Brazil's imperial family—and Bertrand—the next in line—are unmarried and have no offspring. His father Antônio is therefore heir to the claim after his older siblings, and Pedro would, in due course, have been a claimant to the traditional headship of the Imperial House of Brazil, and the nominal Brazilian crown. As with most republics, Brazilian constitutional provisions do not allow for the institution of a Royal House.[4]

Pedro descended from all monarchs of the Kingdom of Portugal, including John VI (Dom João VI) of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, and the later monarchs of independent Brazil, emperors Peter I and Peter II (Dom Pedro I and Dom Pedro II). He was also a descendant of Louis Philippe I d'Orléans, King of the French in the male line, and a distant nephew, by descent, of John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen, the 17th-century Dutch prince who was governor of Dutch Brazil in the 1600s.[5]

[edit] Career

Pedro Luís held dual Brazilian-Belgian citizenship[6] and was fluent in Portuguese, English and French.[3] The prince moved in infancy with his family to Petrópolis and was enrolled in the Insituto Social São José (Saint Joseph Social Institute), in which education was directed by nuns, and took secondary studies at the Colégio Ipiranga (Ipiranga School).[3] He graduated in Business Administration in 2005 from IBMEC in Rio de Janeiro after matriculation in 2001, and undertook postgraduate education in economics at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas.[2][5] After that he worked at the Mariani Bank in Rio de Janeiro until the end of 2007[3] when he moved to Luxembourg, where he was hired by BNP Paribas (a leading European bank) and did management consulting for several companies.[7]

As a member of the "Vassouras branch" of the Brazilian imperial family, he did not share in the income which still flows from all land transactions in Petrópolis under the nineteenth century emphyteutic lease (in contrast to the rival "Petrópolis branch") and was thus able to live comfortably, but "without great luxury".[8] He had no car. He traveled around Rio de Janeiro on foot or by bus. With regard to his lifestyle, he once stated in an interview: "We lead a normal life; we are citizens like everyone else and work to live".[2]

[edit] Dynastic role

In 1993 Brazilians voted on whether to restore the monarchy in a referendum, Luís and Bertrand, known for their political beliefs, were repudiated not only by some monarchists,[5] but also by four of their own younger brothers, who tried unsuccessfully to convince them to renounce their traditional claims to the throne in favor of their brother Antônio, and the young Pedro Luís.[9] Then only ten years old, Pedro Luís was seen beside his father during the monarchist restoration campaign.[2] Luís and Bertrand recognized that Pedro Luís would be a better choice if the monarchy were to be reinstated by the Brazilian people.[2] but that option was not successful with 6,840,551 Brazilians, 13% of the total tally, voted in favor of parliamentary monarchy.[5]

Concerning his status as a prince of a deposed dynasty and of the responsibilities inherent in that position, he affirmed: "We carry this burden and must set an example".[10] He was in search of a suitable fiancée of royal blood, considered an obligation for the future head of the Imperial House of Brazil.[2] In 1999 he became honorary president of Brazil's Monarchist Youth, and also held the Grand Crosses of the Order of Pedro I and of the Order of the Rose.[2]

Pedro Luís had expressed some opinions about Brazilian politics aside from the monarchy. Regarding the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva he stated, "I am very pleased with the economic performance of Brazil, all derived from the policy of Lula da Silva. I am a supporter of the political choices of the Brazilian government which, in my opinion, is diminishing the [economic] gap among Brazilians".[2]

Pedro Luís was considered by many Brazilian monarchists as the prince that gathered "all the hopes and aspirations [of restoration]" due to the "vigor of youth and the seriousness of his character".[5] Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza and heir of the abolished Portuguese crown, affirmed: "[Pedro Luís] is a very intelligent person. I have the best reports of him."[11]

[edit] Death

On 31 May 2009 the prince boarded Air France Flight 447, planning to return to Luxembourg from Rio de Janeiro after visiting his family. The prince, along with 227 other passengers, died when the aircraft crashed on 1 June 2009.[12] His double-cousin Princess Alix of Ligne had planned to travel with him, but took an earlier flight instead.[13] Pedro Luís's body was among those retrieved from the ocean and was buried in Vassouras in the family's mausoleum on 5 July.[14][15]

[edit] Genealogy

[edit] Ancestry

[edit] Patrilineal descent

Styles of
Prince Pedro Luís of Orléans-Braganza
COA Dinasty Orleães-Bragança.svg
Reference style His Royal Highness[16][17]
Spoken style Your Royal Highness
Alternative style Sir

Pedro Luís was a member of the House of Orléans-Braganza, a sub-branch of the House of Bourbon, itself a branch of the House of Capet and of the Robertians.

Pedro Luís's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. It follows the Kings of France and Dukes of Bourbon. The line can be traced back more than 1,200 years and is one of the oldest in Europe.

  1. Robert I of Worms and Rheingau, d. 764
  2. Thuringbert of Worms and Rheingau
  3. Robert II of Worms and Rheingau, 770 - 807
  4. Robert III of Worms and Rheingau, 808 - 834
  5. Robert IV the Strong, 820 - 866
  6. Robert I of France, 866 - 923
  7. Hugh the Great, 895 - 956
  8. Hugh Capet, 941 - 996
  9. Robert II of France, 972 - 1031
  10. Henry I of France, 1008–1060
  11. Philip I of France, 1053–1108
  12. Louis VI of France, 1081–1137
  13. Louis VII of France, 1120–1180
  14. Philip II of France, 1165–1223
  15. Louis VIII of France, 1187–1226
  16. Louis IX of France, 1214–1270
  17. Robert, Count of Clermont, 1256–1317
  18. Louis I, Duke of Bourbon, c. 1280 - 1342
  19. James I, Count of La Marche, 1315–1362
  20. John I, Count of La Marche, 1344–1393
  21. Louis, Count of Vendôme, c. 1376 - 1446
  22. Jean VIII, Count of Vendôme, 1428–1478
  23. François, Count of Vendôme, 1470–1495
  24. Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, 1489–1537
  25. Antoine of Navarre, 1518–1562
  26. Henry IV of France, 1553–1610
  27. Louis XIII of France, 1601–1643
  28. Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, 1640–1701
  29. Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, 1674–1723
  30. Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, 1703–1752
  31. Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, 1725–1785
  32. Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, 1747–1793
  33. Louis Philippe I, King of the French, 1773–1850
  34. Louis, Duke of Nemours, 1814–1896
  35. Gaston, comte d'Eu, 1842–1922
  36. Prince Luís of Orléans-Braganza, 1878–1920
  37. Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, 1909–1981
  38. Prince Antônio of Orléans-Braganza, 1950-
  39. Prince Pedro Luís of Orléans-Braganza, 1983–2009

[edit] See also

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Dos Santos, Alexandre Armando. A Legitimidade Monárquica no Brasil. São Paulo: Artpress, 1988, Anex V (in Portuguese)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Eduardo, Nunomura (1 June 2009). "Perfil do príncipe Pedro de Orleans, passageiro do voo 447" (in Potuguese). O Estado de S. Paulo. http://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/cidades,perfil-do-principe-pedro-de-orleans-passageiro-do-voo-447,380458,0.htm. Retrieved 18 November 2011. "Um dos descendentes da família imperial brasileira e considerado por ela como o quarto na hipotética linha sucessória de um trono no Brasil, Pedro Luíz estava à procura de uma princesa." 
  3. ^ a b c d e http://www.causaimperial.org.br/noticias/194.html
  4. ^ Dos Santos, Alexandre Armando, p. 55
  5. ^ a b c d e BrHistória, edition 4, Year 1, Duetto, p. 59 (2007)
  6. ^ "De Standaard Online -'Belgisch-Braziliaanse prins onder de slachtoffers' (in Dutch)". Standaard.be. http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF20090602_002. Retrieved 2009-06-02. [dead link]
  7. ^ Famososeglamour.com website
  8. ^ Veja report on Prince Luís
  9. ^ Veja (magazine), edition 1.273, Year 26, 3 February 1993, page 25.
  10. ^ http://veja.abril.com.br/160501/p_086.html
  11. ^ Duke of Bragança comments on Pedro Luís (in Portuguese)
  12. ^ Família Orleans e Bragança confirma que príncipe brasileiro estava no voo AF 447 (in Portuguese)
  13. ^ "O Globo" report on air crash (in Portuguese)
  14. ^ http://noticias.terra.com.br/brasil/vooaf447/interna/0,,OI3861299-EI13960,00-Corpo+de+principe+que+estava+no+voo+e+enterrado+no+Rio.html
  15. ^ http://www.sidneyrezende.com/noticia/45847+corpo+de+principe+brasileiro+que+estava+no+voo+447+e+enterrado+no+rio
  16. ^ ’’Almanach de Gotha'’’ (Gotha: Justus Perthes, 1942), page 34
  17. ^ ’’Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser Band XIV’’ (Limburg an der Lahn: C. A. Starke, 1984), page 25

[edit] External links

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