The House of Braganza, officially the Most Serene House of Braganza , is an
important imperial, royal, and noble house of Portuguese origin, a branch of the
House of Aviz, and thus a descendant house of the Portuguese House of Burgundy.
The House evolved from being powerful dukes of Portuguese nobility, to ruling as
the monarchs of Portugal and the Algarves, from 1640 to 1910, and as monarchs of
Brazil, from 1815 to 1889.
The House of Braganza was founded in 1442, when Afonso, 8th Count of
Barcelos, illegitimate son of King João I of Portugal, of the House of Aviz, was
made Duke of Braganza, as Duke Afonso I of Braganza, by his nephew, King Afonso
V. The feudal Brigantine dukes quickly amassed a fortune in properties, titles,
and power and by the time of Duke Fernando II, the House was the most powerful
in all of Portugal and of the greatest houses of Iberia.
The House of Braganza became the reigning house of the Kingdom of Portugal
and the Algarves in 1640, when João II, Duke of Braganza, was acclaimed King
João IV by the Portuguese nobility and subsequently waged the Portuguese
Restoration War. The House of Braganza was only recognized as the legitimate
ruling house of Portugal by the House of Habsburg during the reign of King
Afonso VI, though effective and official control of the kingdom was seized and
established in the 1640s. The Braganzas were deposed from the Portuguese throne
in 1910, when the Portuguese Republic was proclaimed.
The House of Braganza became the reigning house of Brazil, first, when the
United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves was created in 1815. The
United Kingdom lasted until 1825, when the Brazilian Empire became independent
from Portugal. The new Brazilian nation was led by Prince Pedro of Braganza,
heir to the Portuguese throne, who ruled as Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, as well
as King Pedro IV of Portugal. Until 1835, the Portuguese Braganzas were still in
the line of succession to the Brazilian throne. The House was deposed from the
Brazilian throne, in 1889, when Brazil was proclaimed a republic.
In 1834, with the end of the Liberal Wars, won by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil
and Queen Maria II of Portugal against King Miguel I of Portugal, the House of
Braganza was split into three branches. The first branch was the Legitimist
House of Braganza, headed by Queen Maria II of Portugal, daughter of King Pedro
IV, and her descendants, who ruled the Kingdom of Portugal. The second branch
was the Brazilian House of Braganza, headed by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, and
his descendants, who ruled the Brazilian Empire. The third branch was the
Miguelist House of Braganza, headed by King Miguel I of Portugal, and his
descendants, who claimed the Portuguese throne after King Manuel II's death, in
1932.
In 1835, Queen Maria II of Portugal married Prince Ferdinand of
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, later King Fernando II of Portugal. Despite the tradition of
following the custom of patrilineal descent of royal houses, common throughout
Europe, the children of the marriage between Queen Maria II and King Fernando II
were members of the House of Braganza and ruled Portugal as Brigantine monarchs,
not as Saxe-Coburg-Gotha monarchs. Some foreign genealogists have classified the
descendants of Queen Maria II and Fernando II into a separate house, usually
named the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha however, the Portuguese
constitution of 1838 clearly states that "the Most Serene House of Braganza is
the reigning house of Portugal and continues through the Person of the Lady
Queen Maria II".
After the proclamation of the republic in Brazil, the House continued to be
the claimant house to the Brazilian throne until 1921, when Isabel, Princess
Imperial of Brazil, daughter of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, died and her claim
passed to her son, Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, and thus the House
of Orléans-Braganza became the claimant house to the former monarchy of Brazil.
The renunciation of dynastic rights, by Princess Isabel's eldest son, Pedro de
Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará, later led to a dispute between the members of
the Imperial House, and thus the leadership of the House of Orléans-Braganza is
disputed by two branches of the House: the Vassouras branch, headed by Prince
Luís Gastão of Orléans-Braganza, and the Petrópolis branch, headed by Prince
Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza.
important imperial, royal, and noble house of Portuguese origin, a branch of the
House of Aviz, and thus a descendant house of the Portuguese House of Burgundy.
The House evolved from being powerful dukes of Portuguese nobility, to ruling as
the monarchs of Portugal and the Algarves, from 1640 to 1910, and as monarchs of
Brazil, from 1815 to 1889.
The House of Braganza was founded in 1442, when Afonso, 8th Count of
Barcelos, illegitimate son of King João I of Portugal, of the House of Aviz, was
made Duke of Braganza, as Duke Afonso I of Braganza, by his nephew, King Afonso
V. The feudal Brigantine dukes quickly amassed a fortune in properties, titles,
and power and by the time of Duke Fernando II, the House was the most powerful
in all of Portugal and of the greatest houses of Iberia.
The House of Braganza became the reigning house of the Kingdom of Portugal
and the Algarves in 1640, when João II, Duke of Braganza, was acclaimed King
João IV by the Portuguese nobility and subsequently waged the Portuguese
Restoration War. The House of Braganza was only recognized as the legitimate
ruling house of Portugal by the House of Habsburg during the reign of King
Afonso VI, though effective and official control of the kingdom was seized and
established in the 1640s. The Braganzas were deposed from the Portuguese throne
in 1910, when the Portuguese Republic was proclaimed.
The House of Braganza became the reigning house of Brazil, first, when the
United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves was created in 1815. The
United Kingdom lasted until 1825, when the Brazilian Empire became independent
from Portugal. The new Brazilian nation was led by Prince Pedro of Braganza,
heir to the Portuguese throne, who ruled as Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, as well
as King Pedro IV of Portugal. Until 1835, the Portuguese Braganzas were still in
the line of succession to the Brazilian throne. The House was deposed from the
Brazilian throne, in 1889, when Brazil was proclaimed a republic.
In 1834, with the end of the Liberal Wars, won by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil
and Queen Maria II of Portugal against King Miguel I of Portugal, the House of
Braganza was split into three branches. The first branch was the Legitimist
House of Braganza, headed by Queen Maria II of Portugal, daughter of King Pedro
IV, and her descendants, who ruled the Kingdom of Portugal. The second branch
was the Brazilian House of Braganza, headed by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, and
his descendants, who ruled the Brazilian Empire. The third branch was the
Miguelist House of Braganza, headed by King Miguel I of Portugal, and his
descendants, who claimed the Portuguese throne after King Manuel II's death, in
1932.
In 1835, Queen Maria II of Portugal married Prince Ferdinand of
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, later King Fernando II of Portugal. Despite the tradition of
following the custom of patrilineal descent of royal houses, common throughout
Europe, the children of the marriage between Queen Maria II and King Fernando II
were members of the House of Braganza and ruled Portugal as Brigantine monarchs,
not as Saxe-Coburg-Gotha monarchs. Some foreign genealogists have classified the
descendants of Queen Maria II and Fernando II into a separate house, usually
named the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha however, the Portuguese
constitution of 1838 clearly states that "the Most Serene House of Braganza is
the reigning house of Portugal and continues through the Person of the Lady
Queen Maria II".
After the proclamation of the republic in Brazil, the House continued to be
the claimant house to the Brazilian throne until 1921, when Isabel, Princess
Imperial of Brazil, daughter of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, died and her claim
passed to her son, Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, and thus the House
of Orléans-Braganza became the claimant house to the former monarchy of Brazil.
The renunciation of dynastic rights, by Princess Isabel's eldest son, Pedro de
Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará, later led to a dispute between the members of
the Imperial House, and thus the leadership of the House of Orléans-Braganza is
disputed by two branches of the House: the Vassouras branch, headed by Prince
Luís Gastão of Orléans-Braganza, and the Petrópolis branch, headed by Prince
Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza.