Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal

Maria Ana of Portugal
Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Tenure 17 November 1905 – 25 February 1912
Spouse William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Issue
Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Princess Hilda Sophie Marie
Antoinette, Crown Princess of Bavaria
Elisabeth, Princess Ludwig Philipp of Thurn and Taxis
Sophie, Princess Ernst Heinrich of Saxony
House House of Braganza
Father Miguel I of Portugal
Mother Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
Born 13 July 1861(1861-07-13)
Schloss Bronnbach
Died 31 July 1942(1942-07-31) (aged 81)
New York City, New York
Religion Roman Catholicism

Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal (or of Beja or Braganza), Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, (French: Marie Anne; English: Maria Anna) (Schloss Bronnbach 13 July 1861 – New York City, New York, 31 July 1942) was a Portuguese infanta and Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg and its Regent. She was a House of Braganza member.

Contents

Family

Born at Schloss Bronnbach in Bronnbach, Wertheim am Main, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany, Infanta Marie Anne (or Maria Ana) was the fifth child and second-youngest daughter of deposed king Miguel I of Portugal and his consort Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. As such, she was titled and styled from birth as an Infanta of Portugal. At the time of her birth, her father had been exiled, and the family lived as guests in the Austrian-Hungarian empire.

In spite of their straitened circumstances, the daughters of Miguel I made good marriages, some to reigning monarchs and deposed heads of Roman Catholic European dynasties.

Marriage and children

Infanta Maria Ana was married on 21 June 1893 at Schloss Fischhorn, Zell am See, to the Protestant Guillaume IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1852–1912), Hereditary Prince of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the eldest child and heir of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, head of the House of Nassau. It was agreed that the children would be raised in their mother's Catholic faith, because that was the religion of the overwhelming majority of Luxembourg's population.

The couple had six daughters and no sons.

Guillaume became the reigning Grand Duke on the death of his father on 17 November 1905, and Maria Ana became the Grand Duchess, under the French version of her name, Marie Anne.

Because Guillaume IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg was the last agnate of the House of Nassau, he declared his daughters as his successors, and Marie-Adelaide was confirmed and proclaimed Heir Apparent on 10 July 1907. Upon her father's death, she became the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. Following her abdication on 14 January 1919, her sister, the second daughter, Charlotte of Luxembourg, succeeded her on the throne.

Grand Duchess Marie Anne was Regent for her husband during his terminal illness from 19 November 1908 to 15 February 1912, and then Regent for her daughter, Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde, during her minority from 25 February 1912 to 18 June 1912.

Dowager Grand Duchess Marie Anne died in exile in New York on 31 July 1942, the family having fled Germany because of World War II.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

Ancestry

References

  1. ^ http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff/gotha/schwarzenberg.html Princely House of Schwarzenberg
  2. ^ http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff/gotha/thurn.html Princely House of Thurn and Taxis
  3. ^ http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff/gotha/saxony.html Royal House of Saxony

External links

Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal
Cadet branch of the House of Aviz
Born: 13 July 1861 Died: 31 July 1942
Luxembourgish royalty
Preceded by
Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau		 Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg
1905–1912		 Vacant
Title next held by
Felix of Bourbon-Parma