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Prince of Brazil (Portuguese: Principe do Brasil) was a title used in kingdom of Portugal, normally conferred on the heir of the royal house.

The title was created by King John IV of Portugal 27 October 1645 in favor of his eldest son and heir, soon after Portugal had gotten rid of its Spanish rulers. During 1645-1822, the Prince of Brazil always belonged to the heir apparent of the throne, who also received the Duke of Braganza. Also, in 1750 when the hitherto Prince of Brazil ascended as Joseph I, he granted the title Princess of Brazil (but not the duchy of Braganza) to his eldest daughter, the future Maria I of Portugal, as the king believed to remain without sons (and, truly, his wife and he produced no further issue after 1746, as we know with hindsight). When Maria in 1760 married infante dom Pedro, he also became styled Prince of Brazil as her consort.

The fashion how the title was held, is quite identical with that of Duchy of Cornwall and of Rothesay in the UK. The male heir apparent received it when the relevant parent ascended the throne, or if the title was vacant, at birth. The heir of the Prince of Brazil was styled Prince of Beira.

When Brazil proclaimed its independence in 1822, the title was taken by the royal (= imperial) house of Brazil, and later was conferred to sons of Emperor Pedro II. Portugal's heir apparent was left with the Duke of Braganza.

Princes of Brazil

Portuguese period

  1. Teodósio, hereditary prince of Portugal (1634-1653), prince of Brazil 1645-53
  2. the future King Afonso VI of Portugal (1643-1683) was Prince of Brazil from 1656
  3. João de Bragança (1688) was created Prince of Brazil - died within a year
  4. the future king John V of Portugal (1689-1750) was prince of Brazil from 1697, and then ascended the throne in 1706
  5. infanta Maria Madalena Barbara (1711-58) was titled Princess of Brazil 1711-12. She later married the Prince of Asturiasand became Spanish queen
  6. Pedro de Bragança (1712-1714) was created Prince of Brazil and died 2 years old
  7. the future King José I of Portugal (1714-1777) was prince of Brazil from 1714 and then ascended the throne in 1750
  8. the future queen Maria I was created Princess of Brazil in 1750 and then she ascended the throne in 1777
    1. her husband infante dom Pedro (1717-1786) was as consort, titled Prince of Brazil 1760-77
  9. infante dom José (1761-1788) was created Prince of Brazil in 1777, but predeceased his mother - his widow, infanta dona Maria Francisca Benedita (1746-1829) was Dowager Princess of Brazil for the rest of her considerably long life
  10. the future King John VI of Portugal (1767-1826) was created Prince of Brazil in 1788, and then ascended the throne in 1816
  11. the future Emperor and King Pedro I of Brazil (1798-1834) was created (the 8th) Prince of Brazil 1816, and was proclaimed Emperor of Brazil in 1822

Independent Brazilian Empire

  • the future Maria II of Portugal (1819-53) was heiress presumptive 1822-25, and she was in 1822 created Princess of Brazil and Princess of Grao Para. She ascended the Portuguese throne in 1826, and was no longer regarded as direct heiress to Brazil

  • (1) the future Pedro II was imperial heir from 1825 until his accession in 1831 and in 1825 was created Prince of Brazil and Prince of Grao Para

  • (2) Januaria of Braganza (1822-1901), Princess Imperial 1831-45 and held the substantive title Princess of Brazil, married in 1844 Louis de Bourbon (of Bourbon-Sicily branch), count of Aquila - theoretically, Louis held the consort title to Brazil in 1844-45

  • (3) Alfonso of Braganza, Prince Imperial of Brazil (1845-47), Prince of Grao Para, eldest son of Emperor Pedro II

  • (4) Pedro of Braganza, Prince Imperial of Brazil (1848-50), Prince of Grao Para, the other, and then only surviving, son of Pedro II

Apparently the title has belonged to the heir of the deposed imperial dynasty of Brazil since 1888.

Pedro II's both (shortlived) sons received also the title Prince of Grao Para, as had Maria da Gloria and Pedro II himself. However, when Pedro's heiress presumptive, and proclaimed official heiress, princess Isabella gave birth to her firstborn son in 1875, that boy was created Prince Pedro of Brazil, Prince of Grao Para. The intention of the imperial grandfather was that henceforward, Grao Para will be the title of the heir apparent of the crown prince/crown princess.

Claimants

Isabella never ascended the throne, because it was overthrown by revolution. She accordingly held the Prince of Brazil until her death in 1921. Would she be deemed to have ascended (the monarchist view), her heir-apparent would have held the Prince of Brazil from 1891 onwards

  • 1921-81 Peter Henry (1909-81), grandson
  • 1981-present Louis Gaston (born 1938), son
    • heir: Bertram (Bertrand, born 1941), next unrenounced brother

rival line, morganatic, Isabella's eldest, but renounced and non-dynastically married son, and his descent:

  • 1921-40 Peter (1875-1940), Prince of Grao Para (his renunciation in 1908 presumably included this title deposed too)
  • 1940-present Peter Gaston (born 1913) - no records to show whether he uses or not the Grao Para title
    • heir: Peter Charles (born 1945)

Grao Para: were the Grao Para title to pass as intended by Pedro II, the legitimate line heirs-apparent were, from the date of the elder Pedro's morganatic marriage in 1908:

  • 1908-20 Louis (1878-1920), Isabella's second son
  • 1920-21 Peter Henry, son
  • 1921-31 heir presumptive: Louis Gaston the elder (1911-31), brother
  • 1931-38 heiress presumptive: infanta Pia Maria (born 1913), sister
  • 1938-81 Louis Gaston the younger (born 1938), nephew
  • 1981-present heir presumptive: Bertram (born 1941), brother

Had they been on the throne all this time, the third in line was:

  • 1891-1908 Louis (1878-1920)
  • 1908-09 Antonio (1881-1918), brother
  • 1909-20 Peter Henry, nephew - he would have held Grao Para, since he was heir-apparent of the heir
  • 1920-21 Louis Gaston the elder, brother
  • 1921-31 Pia Maria, sister
  • 1931-34 Peter of Coburg-Kohary (1866-1934), father's cousin
  • 1934-38 Rainer of Coburg-Kohary (1900-c 1945), nephew
  • 1938-39 Pia Maria, again
  • 1939-66 Eudes (born 1939), nephew, renounced
  • 1966-81 Bertram, brother
  • 1981-present Anthony (born 1950), brother

Thus, Grao Para would have been left quite much unused, as there has not existed a jackpot of three heirs-apparent simultaneously except in 1909-20

Brazilian monarchs | History of Brazil | Government of Brazil | History of Portugal | Princes

Príncep del Brasil | Príncipe do Brasil

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Prince of Brazil".

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