| Prince Pedro de Alcântara | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Grão-Pará | |
| Spouse | Countess Elisabeth Dobržensky de Dobrženicz |
| Issue | |
| Princess Isabelle, Countess of Paris Prince Pedro Gastão Princess Maria Francisca, Duchess of Braganza Prince João Maria Princess Teresa |
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| Full name | |
| Pedro de Alcântara Luís Filipe Maria Gastão Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga | |
| House | House of Orléans-Braganza |
| Father | Gaston, comte d'Eu |
| Mother | Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil |
| Born | 15 October 1875 Petrópolis |
| Died | 29 January 1940 (aged 64) Petrópolis |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Dom Pedro de Alcântara of Orléans and Braganza, Prince of Grão Para (15 October 1875 – 29 January 1940) was the first born son of Dona Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil and her husband Gaston of Orléans, count d'Eu and, as such, the heir after her, to the throne of his grandfather, Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil, until the empire's abolition. He went into exile to Europe with his mother when his grandfather was deposed in 1889, and grew up largely in France, at a family apartment in Boulogne-sur-Seine, and at his father's castle, the château d'Eu in Normandie.[1]
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In 1908 Dom Pedro wanted to marry Countess Elisabeth Dobržensky de Dobrženicz (1875–1951) who, although a noblewoman of the kingdom of Bohemia, did not belong to a royal or reigning dynasty. Although the constitution of the Brazilian Empire did not require a dynast to marry equally,[2] his mother ruled that the marriage would not be valid dynastically for the Brazilian succession,[2] and as a result he renounced his rights to the throne of Brazil on 30 October 1908:[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] To solemnize this, Dom Pedro, aged thirty-three, signed the document translated here:
| “ | I Prince Pedro de Alcântara Luís Filipe Maria Gastão Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga of Orléans and Braganza, having maturely reflected, have resolved to renounce the right that, by the Constitution of the Empire of Brazil, promulgated on 25 March 1824, accords to me the Crown of that nation. I declare, therefore, that by my free and spontaneous will I hereby renounce, in my own name, as well as for any and all of my descendants, to all and any rights that the aforesaid Constitution confers upon us to the Brazilian Crown and Throne, which shall pass to the lines which follow mine, conforming to the order of succession as established by article 117. Before God I promise, for myself and my descendants, to hold to the present declaration.
Cannes 30 October 1908 signed: Pedro de Alcântara of Orléans-Braganza[10] |
” |
This renunciation was followed by a letter from Isabel to royalists in Brazil:
| “ |
9 November 1908, [Castle of] Eu Most Excellent Gentlemen Members of the Monarchist Directory, With all my heart I thank you for the congratulations upon the marriages of my dear children Pedro and Luís. Luis´s took place in Cannes on the 4th with the brilliance that is desired for so solemn an act in the life of my successor to the Throne of Brazil. I was very pleased. Pedro´s shall take place next on the 14th. Before the marriage of Luis he signed his resignation to the crown of Brazil, and here I send it to you, while keeping here an identical copy. I believe that this news must be published as soon as possible (you gentlemen shall do it in the way that you judge to be most satisfactory) in order to prevent the formation of parties that would be a great evil for our country. Pedro will continue to love his homeland, and will give all possible support to his brother. Thank God they are very united. Luis will engage actively in everything with respect to the monarchy and any good for our land. However, without giving up my rights I want that he be up to date on everything so that he may prepare himself for the position which with all my heart I desire that one day he will hold. You may write to him as many times as you may want to so that he shall be informed of everything. My strength is not the same as it once was, but my heart is still the same to love my homeland and all those who are so dedicated to us. I give you all my friendship and confidence, a) Isabel, comtesse d'Eu |
” |
Nonetheless, a few years before his death Prince Pedro de Alcântara told a Brazilian newspaper:
After the death of the Princess Imperial in 1921, the deceased Dom Luiz's son, Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, assumed the position of claimant to the Brazilian throne and was recognized as such by many of Europe's dynasties.[11] After Dom Pedro de Alcântara's death in 1940 his eldest son, Prince Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza, asserted a counter-claim as the proper successor (garnering the support of his brothers-in-law, the pretenders to the thrones of Orléanist France and Miguelist Portugal), and some Brazilian legal scholars subsequently argued that his father's renunciation would, indeed, have been constitutionally invalid under the monarchy.[11] Although Pedro de Alcântara's daughter, Princess Isabel, is said to have referred to Dom Pedro Gastão as "My brother, the Brazilian Emperor",[11] she acknowledged in her memoirs that their father nonetheless regarded his renunciation as binding, and treated it as effective.[12]
Pedro and Elisabeth married on 14 November 1908 in Versailles, France, and had 5 children:
After his death his son Prince Pedro Gastão assumed the headship of the Petrópolis branch of the Imperial House of Brazil.
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Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará
Cadet branch of the House of Orléans
Born: 15 October 1875 Died: 29 January 1940 |
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| Brazilian royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant
Title last held by
Princess Maria |
Prince of Grão-Pará 15 October 1875 – November 15, 1889 |
Monarchy abolished |
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Republic declared | Prince of Grão-Pará November 15, 1889 – 5 December 1891 |
Vacant
Title next held by
Prince Pedro Henrique |
| Preceded by Princess Isabel |
Prince Imperial of Brazil 5 December 1891 – 9 November 1908 |
Succeeded by Prince Luís |
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