Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza

Princess Isabelle
Countess of Paris
Spouse Henri, Count of Paris
Issue
Prince Isabelle
Prince Henri, Count of Paris
Princess Hélène
Prince François
Anne, Duchess of Calabria
Diane, Duchess of Württemberg
Prince Michel, Count of Évreux
Prince Jacques, Duke of Orléans
Princess Claude, Duchess of Aosta
Princess Chantal
Prince Thibaut, Count of La Marche
House House of Orléans-Braganza
Father Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão Para
Mother Countess Elisabeth Dobržensky de Dobrženicz
Born 13 August 1911
Eu, Seine-Maritime, France
Died 5 July 2003(2003-07-05) (aged 91)
Paris, France

Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza (Eu, Seine-Maritime, France, 13 August 1911 – Paris, France, 5 July 2003), became by marriage duchess of Orléans, of Valois, of Chartres, of Guise, of Enghien, of Vendôme, of Penthièvre, of Aumale, of Nemours and of Montpensier, dauphine of Auvergne, princess of Joinville, princess of Condé, etc., titular Countess of Paris.

Contents

Biography

She was the eldest daughter of Prince Pedro de Alcantara of Orléans-Braganza, Prince of Grão Pará, heir of the Empire of Brazil (1875–1940) and of his wife (in contravention to House Laws of the Brazilian Imperial Family) the Countess Elisabeth Dobržensky de Dobrženicz (1875–1951). Therefore she was the aunt of the present head of the non-dynastic Petrópolis Branch of the imperial family of Brazil. She was christened as namesake of her grandmother, the then Titular Empress. Her father had become in 1891 Prince Imperial of Brazil to the royalists, as his grandfather Pedro II died and his mother, the Princess Imperial of Brazil, became the pretender. However, in 1908 prince Pedro wanted to marry a noblewoman whom his mother did not approve as sufficiently royal to become a member of the imperial dynasty. Therefore, dom Pedro renounced his rights to succession and to his title Prince Imperial of Brazil. He and his issue continued to use the family titulary Prince/ss of Orléans-Braganza. At the death of the deposed Manuel II of Portugal in 1932, her father became a possible heir to the defunct kingdom of Portugal, as he had not renounced such rights.

For those who deny the validity of the renunciation of Isabelle's father from his rights to Imperial Brazil in 1908, she was a Princess of Brazil with the title of Imperial and Royal Highness.

Her paternal grandparents were Louis Philippe Marie Ferdinand Gaston, comte d'Eu (1842–1922) and Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil. Gaston was the eldest son of Louis Charles Philippe Raphael, duc de Nemours and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony. Isabella was the eldest daughter of Pedro II of Brazil and Teresa of the Two Sicilies.

Marriage and issue

In 8 April 1931, the Cathedral of Palermo, Sicily, Isabelle married her first cousin Henri, comte de Paris (1908–1999).[1][2][3] Isabelle was 19, while Henri was 21.[1] The wedding was held in Sicily, since Henri was banned from entering French soil, as some in France feared a royal restoration.[2] The two families selected Palermo because Isabelle's family possessed a magnificent palace there (that had been the location of three earlier royal weddings).[2]

The wedding gave rise to many monarchial demonstrations, and the road leading to the cathedral was lined with hundreds of visitors from France who viewed Henri as the rightful heir to the French throne.[3] He was greeted with such cries as "Vive le roi, Vive le France" along with other monarchist cries and songs.[3] These supporters were joined by members of the bride and groom's families, along with representatives of other royal dynasties.[3]

He became pretender to the throne of France from 1940 onwards.

They had eleven children:

Name Birth Death Notes
Princess Isabelle Marie Laure Victoire 8 April 1932 married Friedrich Karl, Count of Schönborn-Buchheim; has issue.
Prince Henri Philippe Pierre Marie 14 June 1933 married Duchess Marie Thérèse of Württemberg; has issue.
Princess Hélène Astrid Léopoldine Marie[4] 17 September 1934[4] married Count Evrard de Limburg Stirum; has issue.
Prince François Gaston Michel Marie, Duc d'Orléans 15 August 1935 11 October 1960
Princess Anne Maruerite Brigitte Marie 4 December 1938[1] married Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria; has issue.
Princess Diane Françoise Marie 24 March 1940 married Carl, Duke of Württemberg.
Prince Michel Joseph Benoît Marie 25 June 1941 married Béatrice Pasquier de Franclieu; has issue.
Prince Jacques Jean Yaroslaw Marie, Duc d'Orléans 25 June 1941 married Gersende de Sabran-Pontevès; has issue.
Princess Claude Marie Agnès Catherine 11 December 1943 married Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta; has issue.
Princess Jeanne de Chantal Alice Clothilde Marie 9 January 1946 married Baron François Xavier de Sambucy de Sorgue; has issue.
Prince Thibaut Louis Denis Humbert 20 January 1948 23 March 1983 married Marion Gordon-Orr; has issue.

Princess Isabelle, called Madame, and her husband used the French Royal coat of arms. She survived her late husband by four years.

Ancestry

References

  1. ^ a b c "Countess Has Daughter", The New York Times (Brussels), 5 December 1938 
  2. ^ a b c Cortesi, Arnaldo (8 April 1931), "Royal Cousins Wed in Palermo Today", The New York Times (Rome) 
  3. ^ a b c d Cortesi, Arnaldo (9 April 1931), "Legitimists Cheer At Royal Wedding", The New York Times (Palermo) 
  4. ^ a b "Princess Is Christened", The New York Times (Brussels), 16 October 1934