Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza

Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza (Isabelle Marie Amélie Louise Victoire Thérèse Jeanne; 13 August 1911 – 5 July 2003) was princess of the House of Orléans-Braganza and, by marriage, the consort of the Orléanist claimant to the French throne, Henri, Count of Paris. She was the daughter of Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará, a pretender to the defunct throne of the Empire of Brazil, and thus a member of the former Brazilian imperial family. Through her marriage, she became a prominent figure linking the Brazilian and French royal houses and played a representative role within Orléanist circles in exile during the 20th century.

Early life

Born on 13 August 1911, Isabelle Marie Amélie Louise Victoire Thérèse Jeanne of Orléans-Braganza was the eldest daughter of Dom Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará, erstwhile heir to the throne of the Empire of Brazil, and his wife, Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky of Dobrzenicz. Her father was the eldest son of Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, the elder daughter and heiress of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, and Gaston, Count of Eu, grandson of King Louis Philippe I of France. Isabelle was born in a pavilion on the grounds of the Château d'Eu, her paternal grandfather's home in the town of Eu in the Seine-Maritime department of France in Normandy. She was named after her paternal grandmother, the Princess Imperial.

In 1891, Dom Pedro de Alcântara became Prince Imperial of Brazil to royalists when his mother became claimant to the throne upon the death of the emperor in exile. In 1908, he renounced his succession rights, and those of his descendants, to marry Bohemian noblewoman Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky of Dobrzenicz. Though his mother withheld dynastic consent, his parents attended his wedding. However, with the agreement of the Duke of Orléans, Head of the House of Orléans to which he belonged paternally, he and his descendants retained the right to use the title Prince/ss of Orléans-Braganza. The family travelled extensively and much of Isabelle's youth was spent visiting her maternal relatives at their large estate at Chotěboř, Czechoslovakia, Attersee, Austria, and Goluchow, Poland. With her father, Isabelle visited Naples, Constantinople, Rhodes, Smyrna, Lebanon, Syria, Cairo, Palestine and Jerusalem.

On 8 April 1931, Isabelle and Henri were married at Palermo Cathedral; she was 19, and he was 22. The wedding was held in Sicily, since the law of banishment against the heirs of France's former dynasties had not yet been abrogated. He was greeted with such cries as "Vive le roi, Vive la France" along with other monarchist cries and songs. In 1950, the law of banishment was repealed and the family moved to Paris. With five of their children they took part in the ship tour organized by King Paul of Greece and Queen Frederica in 1954, which became known as the "Cruise of the Kings" and was attended by over 100 royals from all over Europe.

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

Issue NameBirthDeathNotesPrincess Isabelle Marie Laure Victoire 8 April 1932 married Friedrich Karl, Count of Schönborn-Buchheim. Prince Henri Philippe Pierre Marie 14 June 1933 21 January 2019 married Duchess Marie Thérèse of Württemberg. Princess Hélène Astrid Léopoldine Marie 17 September 1934 married Count Evrard de Limburg-Stirum. Prince François Gaston Michel Marie, Duke of Orléans 15 August 1935 11 October 1960 Died fighting for France in Algeria. Princess Anne Marguerite Brigitte Marie 4 December 1938 married Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria. Princess Diane Françoise Maria da Gloria 24 March 1940 married Carl, Duke of Württemberg. Prince Michel Joseph Benoît Marie 25 June 1941 married Béatrice Pasquier de Franclieu. Michel and Béatrice are the parents of Charles-Philippe d'Orléans. Prince Jacques Jean Yaroslaw Marie, Duke of Orléans 25 June 1941 married Gersende de Sabran-Pontevès.Princess Claude Marie Agnès Catherine 11 December 1943 married Prince Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of Aosta. Princess Jeanne de Chantal Alice Clothilde Marie 9 January 1946 married (Baron) François Xavier de Sambucy de Sorgue. Prince Thibaut Louis Denis Humbert 20 January 1948 23 March 1983 married Marion Mercedes Gordon-Orr.

Selected publications