Princes of Brazil

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the Brazilian title, see Prince Imperial of Brazil

Personal banner of the Princes of Brazil.

Prince of Brazil (Portuguese: Príncipe do Brasil) was a title used in the Kingdom of Portugal, for the heir of the royal House of Braganza.

The title was created by King John IV of Portugal on 27 October 1645 in favor of his eldest son and heir Infante Teodósio, soon after Portugal had got rid of its Spanish rulers. During the 1645–1822, "Prince of Brazil" was always conferred on the heir apparent of the throne, who also received the title of 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 Dukedom of Braganza) to his eldest daughter, the future Maria I of Portugal, as the king believed he would remain without sons (his wife and he produced no further issue after 1746). In 1760, when Maria married her uncle, Infante Pedro, he also took the style Prince of Brazil as her consort, until she became queen regnant and he became known as King Pedro III. The eldest son and heir of the Prince of Brazil was styled Prince of Beira and Duke of Barcelos.

When Brazil was elevated to the status of a kingdom within the Portuguese empire, the title was changed to Prince Royal of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. When Brazil proclaimed its independence in 1822, the title was reused by the Imperial House of Brazil as a dynastic style for all of Emperor Pedro I's children.

Brazil's independence prompted Portugal to change the heir apparent's title once again, this time to Prince Royal of Portugal.

[edit] Princes of Brazil: Portuguese heirs apparent

Note: Lighter shade of blue means that the person was not titled Prince of Brazil, being only the first in the line of succession.

Name	Started	Ended	Alternative names		Observations
Teodósio	1645	1653	Theodosius (English)	Braganza	John IV's first son. We was from 1640 to 1645 the Prince of Portugal, before the title changed to Prince of Brazil.
Afonso	1653	1656	Alphonzo (English), Alphonse (English), or Affonso (Old Portuguese)	Braganza	John IV's third son. Future Afonso VI. He was the heir to the throne since 1653, but was only titled Prince of Brazil since his last year as heir (1656).
Pedro	1656	1683	Peter (English)	Braganza	Afonso VI's younger brother. Future Peter II.
Isabel Luísa	1683	1688	Elizabeth Louise (English) or Isabella Louise (English alternative)	Braganza	Peter II's first daughter. Also known as Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira.
João	1688	1688	John (English)	Braganza	Peter II's first son.
Isabel Luísa	1688	1689	Elizabeth Louise (English) or Isabella Louise (English alternative)	Braganza	Peter II's first daughter. Also known as Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira.
João	1689	1706	John (English)	Braganza	Peter II's second son. Future John V. He was the heir to the throne since 1689, but was only titled Prince of Brazil since 1697.
Francisco	1706	1711	Francis (English)	Braganza	John V's younger brother. Also known as Infante Francsico, Duke of Beja.
Bárbara	1711	1712	Barbara (English)	Braganza	John V's first daughter.
Pedro	1712	1714	Peter (English)	Braganza	John V's first son.
José	1714	1750	Joseph (English)	Braganza	John V's second son. Future Joseph I.
Maria Francisca	1750	1777	Mary Frances (English alternative)	Braganza	Joseph I's first daughter. Since 1760, her consort, Pedro, was also styled Prince of Brazil.
José	1777	1788	Joseph (English alternative)	Braganza	Maria I's first son. His widow, Infanta Maria Francisca Benedita (1746-1829) was Dowager Princess of Brazil for the rest of her considerably long life.
João	1788	1815	John (English alternative)	Braganza	Maria I's second son. Future John VI of Portugal. From 1815 the title was changed to Prince Royal due to the ascencion of Brazil to the status of kingdom inside the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves. John was heir to the throne until 1816.