Amélie of Orleans

Amélie (Marie Louise Hélène) of Orleans (28 September, 1865, York House, Twickenham, London - 25 October, 1951, Château de Bellevue, Versailles) was the eldest daughter of Philippe, comte de Paris and his wife and cousin Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans.

Family

Her paternal grandparents were Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans and Duchess Helena Luisa Elizabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Her maternal grandparents were Antoine, Duke of Montpensier and Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier.

The Dukes of Orléans and Montpensier were siblings, both sons of Louis-Philippe of France and Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies.

Marriage

On 22 May, 1886, Amélie married Prince Carlos of Portugal. He was the eldest son of Luís I of Portugal and Maria Pia of Italy. He was at the time the Heir apparent to the throne. The bride was almost twenty-one years old and the groom about twenty-three.

They had three children:

• Luís Filipe, Duke of Braganza (21 March, 1887 - 1 February, 1908).
• Infanta Maria Anna of Portugal (born and deceased on 14 December, 1887).
• Manuel II of Portugal (19 March, 1889 - 2 July, 1932).

Queen consort

On 19 October, 1889, her father-in-law died and Carlos succeeded him on the throne. Amélie became the new Queen consort of Portugal. However her husband became known for his extramarital affairs while the popularity of the Portoguese monarchy started to wane in the face of a bankrupt economy, industrial disturbances, socialist and republican antagonism and press criticism.

In 1907, Carlos forced the Parliament of Portugal to dissolve and authorised João Franco, already Prime Minister of Portugal since 1906, to establish an authoritarian government. This dis little to help the image of the Royal Family.

On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by coach to Almada and from then took a boat to cross the Tagus River and disembarked in Cais do Sodré in downtown Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the carriage with Carlos I and his family passed through Terreiro do Paço. While crossing the square, shots were fired from the crowd by at least two men: Alfredo Costa and Manuel Buiça. The king died immediately, his heir Luís Filipe was mortally wounded, Prince Manuel hit in the arm and Amélie surprisingly unharmed.

The assassins were shot at the spot by members of the bodyguard and later recognized as members of the Portuguese Republican Party. About twenty minutes later, Prince Luis Filipe died and days later, Manuel was acclaimed king of Portugal, the last one of the Braganza dynasty. Amélie became Queen Dowager.

Manuel II of Portugal was eventually deposed by the 5 October 1910 revolution, resulting in the establishment of the Portuguese First Republic. Amélie left Portugal with the rest of the royal family to exile. She was the last Queen consort of Portugal as the monarchy was never restored.