Royal Family of Portugal 2: March 2006-December 2007

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Well, any chance that he is even opening a debate? About the monarchy or even about keeping the national identity? Or are his remarks generally not taken too seriously?

He's generally not taken too seriously...
I think he himself recognizes it... last October 5th (when we commemorated the Implantation of the Republic), he was interviewed by the Public TV and he summoned what the Portuguese people think about the Monarchy: not as an actual alternative for the Present, but merely as a memory from the Past; we associate the word "king" to a 18th century crowned man, wearing wigs and golden costumes.
There's no way he may ever become King... but he can certainly contribute for the national debate about the European Treatise and the national identity.

YouTube - entrevista a SAR D. Duarte Pio

[Regina]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

Expresso: D. Duarte preocupado com ataques do Governo à Igreja

During the annual "Jantar dos Conjurados" (which commemorates the 1640 Restoration of Independence), the head of the Royal House expressed his concern for what he calls the "preoccupying attacks" to the Church and the need to assure that the Country maintains the "truly independent sovereignty of all the economic, regional and politics powers".

About the signature of the European Treatise, D. Duarte stressed that a national debate is necessary and that the return of a king is needed: "By signing the Treatise, we say that we want to belong to Europe. Having a King would mean saying that Portugal continues belonging to the Portuguese people".

I know Dom Duarte does his best but his speeches are always so "bla bla bla" imo. He always says the same things. It's a pity to say this but I find their (Dom Duarte and Dona Isabel) interviews a bit silly sometimes. Like when they asked to Dona Isabel, some years ago, if she thought she would become a queen one day. Her answer was "The real queen of Portugal is Our Lady. I would be only Her representant"... I am a Catholic and I agree with the first part of her sentence but the rest seems so arrogant and even tacky from her.

Originally Posted by Marengo

Well, any chance that he is even opening a debate? About the monarchy or even about keeping the national identity? Or are his remarks generally not taken too seriously? Mind you, judging from the clip you showed above (Duarte at a militairy school) it seems people are treating him with reverence, especially considering that he was interviewed by a commercial channel, not by a state one.

I don't know anyone who takes him seriously. They exist, of course, but I don't know anyone around me who admires him. His remarks are quite funny and he doesn't seem very intelligent most of the times. Once, a reporter asked him if his sons were beloved by the People. And his answer was "Oh yes. When people talk about them, they say 'our little children'. In fact, the Portuguese like them like if they were their own sons.".... It is quite funny because I have never met any portuguese parent who thinks like this!

Dom Duarte has a good heart, I believe he is a genuine person, but these qualities are not enough to become a king. He needs to have notion of real life... he seems to live in lala-Land. Years ago, when Timor East won the independence from Indonesia, and Nova Gente magazine asked him is he was happy. He said he was very happy, etc, and then he told that one night, a tribal leader from Timor called him and said, on the phone, something like "We want to talk with the king of Portugal, we need him!".... I am not saying he tells fake stories but it is hard to believe that a tribal timorese chief had called him in the middle of the night, by phone, to say such thing...

[Marengo]

Funny you are saying that Regina, when my Portuguese friends are talking about Dom Duarte (usually when I introduce the subject) they quickly are ´doing´ his voice and talk about Timor, Timor and....Timor.

What I heard from my friends is simular btw, that he isn´t taken too seriously and that he isn´t that bright either. They do agree that Dona Isabel seems to be an intelligent woman. And still....when Dom Duarte married the entire Portuguese government was present, the television was dedicated to the wedding/dynasty for an entire week and the wedding was broadcasted live. And it seems that the wedding festivities were more impressive than in Belgium for example. Another thing is that in portugal people are relatively ´class-consious´ so in that aspect a monarchy would suit perfectly.

= Will ask my friends to translate that youtubeclip Elsa, thanks for posting it. Funny that Dom Duarte gives these mixed signals, being realistic about his chances on the one hand but getting over excited another time.

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by Marengo

And still....when Dom Duarte married the entire Portuguese government was present, the television was dedicated to the wedding/dynasty for an entire week and the wedding was broadcasted live. [...]
Will ask my friends to translate that youtubeclip Elsa, thanks for posting it. Funny that Dom Duarte gives these mixed signals, being realistic about his chances on the one hand but getting over excited another time.

Basically, he recognized in this interview that the people were so affectionate on his wedding, not because they politically or ideologically support the Monarchy, but because they identify his family with our History... so it was a tribute to our Past, more than anything.

Originally Posted by Marengo

Funny you are saying that Regina, when my Portuguese friends are talking about Dom Duarte (usually when I introduce the subject) they quickly are ´doing´ his voice and talk about Timor, Timor and....Timor.

Haha! Well... that is a constant thing, really. Herman José (who is/was Portugal's greatest comediant) once did a hilarious sketch about D. Duarte's daily routine It's SO funny... it's a pity you can't understand what he says, but I guess you will get the part when he's singing for Timor in the bath

YouTube - Herman José - Um dia na vida de D. Duarte Pio (Herman 98)

[Regina]

Bravo, Elsa!!!! It's sooo funny indeed. I don't think Dom Duarte gets angry with this kind of jokes, because they are really funny an no offensive at all.
Yes, Timor is indeed his favorite subject.

Some years ago, Dom Duarte went to a supermarket and saw some products made-in-Indonesia (Timor's invasor, hehe!). He was very angry when he saw these products and they throwed the products away from the shelves. When some newspaper asked him if he tought that was a right thing to do, he said yes, because Jesus did the same with the moneychangers in the Temple...

I am not against when Royals mention God in their interviews. As a devout Christian I like when they do, but the way this couple talk about religion is a bit out of the context most of the times.

[Marengo]

Well, I will have a look at it with one of the Portuguese friends, they will be able to translate it.

I agree regina, the comments of Jesus in the temple and of Dona Isabel about Mary seem a bit too much for me too. About the supermarket-story: did Dom Duarte throw these products away or did the store manager do it after Dom Duarte commented about it?

[Regina]

Originally Posted by Marengo

What I heard from my friends is simular btw, that he isn´t taken too seriously and that he isn´t that bright either. They do agree that Dona Isabel seems to be an intelligent woman. And still....when Dom Duarte married the entire Portuguese government was present, the television was dedicated to the wedding/dynasty for an entire week and the wedding was broadcasted live. And it seems that the wedding festivities were more impressive than in Belgium for example. Another thing is that in portugal people are relatively ´class-consious´ so in that aspect a monarchy would suit perfectly.

Their wedding was beautiful! Everything so well organized, the Church decoration was so elegant and even socialists and communists politicians attended the wedding...
I think the couple was very in love and their age difference didn't matter at all for them. I remember that Dom Duarte, after the religious ceremony when they were greeting the people, tried to kiss her (on the lips) and she always turned her face to other side She is a very shy lady. But she also has a very good quality (imo): strenght of character. She's a warrior.

She and Dom Duarte's assessors had strong confrontations a few months after the wedding. To the newspaper Expresso she explained this situation saying "they thought I was a little girl who would arrive here and say yes to everything. But I want to have a word about my husband's agenda".

She already had this steady character when she was studding in Brazil. In the magazine "Máxima" some months before the wedding she talked about her childhood and youth. In Brazil she studied in a Jesuit private school. And some kids (and even priests!) used to bully her a bit telling jokes about Portugal and the Portuguese. One day she told to one of the Priest: "hey, I am a Portuguese and you are making fun of me, and I don't like it!" They stopped to bully her.

Although Dona Isabel loves her parents she confronted her father several times when she was younger.. Every time her father slapped her on the face, she used to tell him "beat on someone of your height, Sir"

Dona Isabel and Dom Duarte are very different when they are dealing with the press. Dom Duarte is always kind and humorous, while her wife can be a bit harsh sometimes. When they announce her first pregnancy, a reporter asked her "are you fatter?" (stupid question). And she replied "you shouldn't ask that to a lady. That's a question for my sister". Her sister, Teresa, is a famous nutritionist.

[Regina]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Well, I will have a look at it with one of the Portuguese friends, they will be able to translate it.

Yes, Marengo! Your friends will enjoy it for sure!

I agree regina, the comments of Jesus in the temple and of Dona Isabel about Mary seem a bit too much for me too. About the supermarket-story: did Dom Duarte throw these products away or did the store manager do it after Dom Duarte commented about it?

No, Dom Duarte (and other few persons with him) threw the products away.

[Elsa M.]

Changing topic... here's a crazy story that is doing the headlines...

Portal do Tribuna da Madeira
Madeira: "principe" da Pontinha diz que foi contactado pelo Estado brasileiro e associações monárquicas europeias - Lusa - SAPO Notícias
DN Online: Carta a Cavaco sobre "ilhéu da Pontinha"


Renato Barros (a businessman from Madeira) bought, in 2000, the Forte de São José: a small islander (actually, it's a rock ) in Pontinha, Madeira.

Initially, the aim was creating a restaurant on the rocks... but now this man wants more; he wants to create the Principality of the Ilhéu da Pontinha!

It seems this crazy idea has some credit among the European international laws and he was already contacted by several monarchic organizations, all across Europe. It's crazy, but fact is that, in 1903, this islander was sold by the State (in order to raise money for the works in the Port of Funchal), so legally the Portuguese State does not own this small islander (King D. Carlos signed then a letter, selling all the rights and privileges over it) and now this Renato Barros bought the rock and wants to be the King of the smallest country in the world!!

The self-proclaimed Prince do Molhe da Pontinha delivered yesterday a letter to the Representative of the Portuguese President in the Archipelago of Madeira, where he proclaims the independence of his territory and forwarded a copy of the letter to the UN Secretary and to Presidents of the European Comission and of the European Parliament.

Thus, from December 31st onward, the terrestrial, maritime and aerial borders of this islander will be closed!...

[Regina]

I heard this news too. It seems crazy... but I wonder if all this is really legal. Because if it is... then we'll start 2008 with a big problem! I wonder what Alberto João Jardim, the President of Madeira, says about this... I guess he won't like it. And when Alberto João doesn't like a thing... my friends, the best thing you can do is run away from him because he gets really, really Mad!

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by Regina

I wonder what Alberto João Jardim, the President of Madeira, says about this... I guess he won't like it. And when Alberto João doesn't like a thing... my friends, the best thing you can do is run away from him because he gets really, really Mad!

Haha!
We Have Kaos In The Garden!

[maidmarion]

Originally Posted by Regina

I am not against when Royals mention God in their interviews. As a devout Christian I like when they do, but the way this couple talk about religion is a bit out of the context most of the times.

Good to see that one is using his free will to speak of a higher grace one know as "God" in Dom Duarte's eyes. After all it is ones perogative.

MM

[Regina]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

Expresso: D. Duarte preocupado com ataques do Governo à Igreja

During the annual "Jantar dos Conjurados" (which commemorates the 1640 Restoration of Independence), the head of the Royal House expressed his concern for what he calls the "preoccupying attacks" to the Church and the need to assure that the Country maintains the "truly independent sovereignty of all the economic, regional and politics powers".



Being this meeting a commemorative dinner of the December 1st 1640, D. Duarte also evoked the Restoration of Independence, but made clear that today the National Independence could be weakened in many ways. This way, D. Duarte introduced in his speech the Lisbon Treaty, which will be signed in the Monastery of the Jerónimos, next December 13th. After indirectly praising the Government, for the diplomatic achievements, D. Duarte expressed his concerns about the institutional reform of the European Union, overly because of the introduction of a European President, who D. Duarte wishes shall not mine the diversity of the nations.

Pictures of the Dinner

(scanned by me from Caras)

Dukes of Braganza with their children, Afonso and Francisca, and their cousins João and Joana (they are the children of Dona Isabel's sister, teresa Herédia)

Dona Isabel and Francisca kissing each other

The children having some fun before the dinner

[Regina]

First Communion of Dom Diniz. It happened in Igreja da Encarnação, Lisbon, in a very discreet ceremony.

Apparently, Franscisca is wearing the same dress she wore the night before, on the "Jantar dos Conjurados"

1

2

3


Does anyone knows if something happened to Dona Isabel's father, Jorge de Herédia? I ask this because I don't see him present on the religious ceremony, and also because Isabel's mother is wearing black. Isabel is also wearing a grey and black outfit. Black or grey are not colors you choose for a First Communion (unless someone of your family died recently)

[maidmarion]

Thanks for posting these two stories Regina. I really love reading stories and seeing photos on this lovely family. Two fabulous posts indeed!

MM