100th Anniversary of the Birth of Prince Dom Pedro Henrique

Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of the birth of HIH Prince Dom Pedro Henrique d’Orleans-Bragança, the late Head of the Brazilian Imperial Family and titular Emperor of Brazil between 1921 and 1981.

An Holy Mass in memoriam will be celebrated in the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo da antiga Sé (the Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro) at 11. The Holy Mass is part of the “XX Encontro Monárquico” (XX Monarchic Meeting), that takes place in the Hotel Novo Mundo in Rio this weekend (12 and 13 September). The meeting is organized by the “Pró Monarquia” (For Monarchy) and the “Associaçóñ dos Amigos da Famí­lia Imperial” (Association of the Friends of the Imperial Family).

The Prince was born on 13 September 1909 in Boulogne-sur-Seine, near Paris, France, where his family was living in exile; he was the eldest son of Prince Dom Luis d’Orleans-Bragança, Prince Imperial of Brazil (1878-1920) and his wife Dona Maria Pia, born Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1878-1973). His paternal grandparents were Prince Gaston d’Orleans, Count of Eu and Prince Imperial Consort of Brazil and Princess Dona Isabel de Bragança, Princess Imperial of Brazil, daughter and heir of the last Brazilian Emperor Pedro II; his maternal grandparents were Prince Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Count of Caserta and Claimant to the Two Sicilian Throne, and his wife and first cousin Princess Maria Antonietta.

Dom Pedro Henrique grew up in France; he was given the title of Prince of Grão-Pará (the title reserved to the heir of the Prince Imperial) at the birth, and he became Prince Imperial in 1920, when his father Dom Luis died; the following year his grandmother Dona Isabel died, and Pedro Henrique became the Head of the Imperial Family, and de jure Emperor of Brazil (Pedro III).

He married in 1937 HRH Princess Maria of Bavaria, daughter of Prince Franz and his wife Princess Isabella, née Princess of Croy, in the chapel of Nymphenburg Castle, near Munich, Bavaria; together they had 12 children, eight sons and four daughters, among whom are Prince Dom Luis, the present Head of the Family, Prince Antonio, married to Princess Christina of Ligne, and Princess Leonor, married to Michel, Prince de Ligne. Five of their sons and two daughters have renounced to their rights to the Throne in order to marry commoners.

Dom Pedro Henrique and Dona Maria lived in France waiting to move in Brazil; they moved in 1945, at the end of World War II. There they lived firstly in the Palace of Grão-Pará in Petropolis, then in another house in Petropolis; in 1951 the Prince bought the Fazenda Santa Maria near Jacarezinho, where he lived as a land-owner, and finally he moved in Vassouras, in the Sitio Santa Maria, where he died on 5 July 1981.

More informations about Prince Dom Pedro Henrique and the celebrations for the anniversary can be found in this thread and in the official website of the Brazilian Imperial Family.

Filed under Brazil, Historical Royals
Tagged Anniversary, Biography, Birthday, Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza.

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