Miguelist

Last updated
A period cartoon, showing the conflict between the Two Brothers, as children, supported and instigated, respectively, by the French King Louis Philippe I, representing the liberal side, and Czar Nicholas I of Russia, representing the anti-liberalist Holy Alliance Liberal Wars.jpg
A period cartoon, showing the conflict between the Two Brothers, as children, supported and instigated, respectively, by the French King Louis Philippe I, representing the liberal side, and Czar Nicholas I of Russia, representing the anti-liberalist Holy Alliance

In the history of Portugal, a Miguelist (Portuguese : Miguelista) was a supporter of the legitimacy of the king Miguel I of Portugal. The name is also given to those who supported absolutism as form of government, in opposition to the liberals who intended the establishment of a constitutional regime in Portugal.

Contents

Miguel was regent for his niece Queen Maria II of Portugal, and potential royal consort. However, he claimed the Portuguese throne in his own right on the grounds that the "Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom" deprived his elder brother Pedro IV of his right to reign (and of any right of Pedro's daughter to inherit the kingdom from her father) when Pedro became sovereign of the former Portuguese colony of Brazil and launched war on Portugal to oust Miguel as a usurper.

This overall led to a political crisis, during which many people were killed, imprisoned, persecuted or sent into exile, culminating in the Portuguese Liberal Wars between authoritarian Absolutists (led by Miguel) and progressive Constitutionalists (led by Pedro).

In the end, Miguel was forced from the throne and lived the last 32 years of his life in exile.

Miguelism is based not only on the premise that Miguel and his line have legitimate right to the Portuguese throne, but also on defense of the traditional principles of a conservative monarchy based in Catholic values and in the absolute power of the king, in contrast to the Enlightenment values.

Miguelist Braganzas

King Miguel I was exiled following the Convention of Evora-Monte (1834), which put an end to the Liberal Wars. The throne was retaken by his niece, Queen Maria II, and a liberal regime was installed.

In exile, the former king married a wealthy Bavarian princess, Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. This marriage was the origin of the new Miguelist branch of the Braganzas and their descendants include not only the current claimant to the Portuguese crown, as well as the monarchs of Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and other claimants to former European monarchies (Habsburg, Habsburg-Este, Savoy, Wittelsbach, Bourbon-Parma, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Karađorđević).

Finally, this Miguelist branch became the sole Braganza representative when King Manuel II of Portugal (the last male Braganza from the senior liberal branch) died without issue, leaving his Miguelist cousin Duarte Nuno as his closest legitimate Portuguese relative. Also Maria Pia of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Braganza, who claimed to be the illegitimate daughter of King Carlos I of Portugal, claimed the right to the titles of Duchess of Braganza and to be the rightful Queen of Portugal. [2]

Miguelist claimants to the throne

ClaimantPortraitBirthMarriagesDeath
Miguel I
1834–1866
Miguel of Portugal.jpg 26 October 1802, Lisbon
son of João VI
and Carlota Joaquina of Spain
Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
24 September 1851
7 children
14 November 1866
Esselbach
aged 64
Miguel, Duke of Braganza
1866–1920
Miguel, Duke of Braganza.jpg 19 September 1853, Kleinheubach
son of Miguel I
and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
Elisabeth of Thurn and Taxis
17 October 1877
3 children
Maria Theresa of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
8 November 1893
8 children
11 October 1927
Seebenstein
aged 74
Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza
1920–1932
(Miguelist claimant)
1932–1976
(Royalist claimant)
Duarte, Duque de Braganza 1907-1976.jpg 23 September 1907, Seebenstein
son of Miguel, Duke of Braganza
and Maria Theresa of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
Maria Francisca of Orléans-Braganza
15 October 1942
3 children
23 December 1976
Lagoa
aged 69
Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
1976–present
Jantar dos Conjurados.2008 029 (crop).jpg 15 May 1945
Bern
son of Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza
and Maria Francisca of Orléans-Braganza
Isabel, Duchess of Braganza
13 May 1995
3 children

Genealogical chart

On the family tree below, the Miguelist branch is clearly identified on the right-hand side while the Liberal Branch from Maria II is on the left with the Brazilian Imperial branch descending from her brother Pedro II in the middle. In 1942 the Miguelist pretender Duarte Nuno of Braganza married Maria Francisca de Orléans e Bragança, a great-granddaughter of Pedro II of Brazil. The current pretender Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, is therefore descended from both of the feuding brothers Pedro IV of Portugal and Miguel I of Portugal.

John VI
[1767–1826]
King of the United Kingdom of
Portugal, Brazil & the Algarves
1816–22
King of Portugal & the Algarves 1822–26
Titular Emperor of Brazil 1825–26
Pedro I of Brazil
and IV of Portugal

[1798–1834]
Emp. of Brazil 1822–31
King of Portugal 1826
Miguel I
[1802–1866]
Regent (to his niece) 1828
King of Portugal 1828–34
Maria II
[1819–1853]
Queen of Portugal
1826–28, 1834–53
Fernando II
[1816–1885]
Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Prince Consort 1836–37
King Consort 1837–53
Pedro II
[1825–1891]
Emp. of Brazil 1831–89
Imperial claimant 1889-91
deposed (1889)
Pedro V
[1837–1861]
King of Portugal 1853–61
Luis I
[1838–1889]
King of Portugal 1861–89
Isabel, Princess Imperial
[1846-1921]
Imperial claimant 1891-1921
Miguel (II)
[1853–1927]
Carlos I
[1863–1908]
King of Portugal 1889–1908
Luís, Prince Imperial
[1878-1920]
Pedro de Alcântara
[1875-1940]
Petrópolis claimant 1921-40
(post mortem only)
Manuel II
[1889–1932]
last King of Portugal 1908–10
deposed (1910), without issue
Pedro Henrique
[1909–1981]
Vassouras claimant 1921-81
Pedro Gastão
[1913–2007]
Petrópolis claimant 1940-2007
Maria Francisca,
Duchess of Braganza

[1914-1968]
Duarte Nuno
[1907–1976]
Brazilian
Imperial
family
(Vassouras)
Brazilian
Imperial
family
(Petrópolis)
Duarte Pio
[born 1945]
Duke of Braganza

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza</span> Pretender to the throne of Portugal

Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza is the current Duke of Braganza, claimant to the title of King of Portugal of the dormant Portuguese throne, as the head of the House of Braganza. The Miguelist Braganzas, to whom Duarte Pio belongs as great-grandson of King Miguel I, is a cadet branch of the House of Braganza. With the extinction of male-line dynasts descended from Queen Maria II in 1932, King Miguel's descendants became the only male-line Braganzas remaining and the closest male-line heirs to the defunct Portuguese throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria II of Portugal</span> Queen of Portugal from 1826 to 1828 and again from 1834 to 1853

Dona Maria II "the Educator" or "the Good Mother", was Queen of Portugal from 1826 to 1828, and again from 1834 to 1853.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miguel I of Portugal</span> King of Portugal from 1828 to 1834

DomMiguel I, nicknamed "the Absolutist", "the Traditionalist" and "the Usurper", was the King of Portugal between 1828 and 1834. He was the seventh child and third son of King John VI and Queen Carlota Joaquina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Braganza</span> Hereditary title in the Peerage of Portugal

The title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Starting in 1640, when the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown were known as Duke of Braganza, along with their style Prince of Beira or Prince of Brazil. The tradition of the heir to the throne being titled Duke of Braganza was revived by various pretenders after the establishment of the Portuguese Republic on 5 October 1910 to signify their claims to the throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Miguel, Duke of Braganza</span> Claimant to the throne of Portugal

Prince Miguel Januário of Braganza was the Miguelist claimant to the throne of Portugal from 1866 to 1920. He used the title Duke of Braganza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Braganza</span> Portuguese dynasty

The Most Serene House of Braganza, also known as the Brigantine dynasty, is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Pia de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança</span> Bastard daughter of King Carlos I of Portugal

Maria Pia de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança, also known by her literary pseudonym Hilda de Toledano, was a Portuguese writer and journalist who claimed to be the illegitimate daughter of King Carlos I of Portugal. From 1932 she also claimed the right to the title of Duchess of Braganza and to be the rightful heiress to the throne of Portugal.

A dynastic order, monarchical order, or house order is an order under royal patronage. Such an order is bestowed by, as a legitimate fons honorum, a sovereign or the head of a once-sovereign ruling family. These are often considered part of the cultural patrimony of the ruling family. Dynastic orders were often founded or maintained to reward service to a monarch or their subsequent dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza</span> Duke of Braganza

DomDuarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza was the claimant to the defunct Portuguese throne, as both the Miguelist successor of his father, Miguel Januário, Duke of Braganza, and later as the head of the only Brigantine house, after the death of the last ruling Braganza, King Manuel II of Portugal. In 1952, when the Portuguese Laws of Banishment were repealed, the Duke moved his family to Portugal, thus returning the Miguelist Braganzas to their homeland and becoming the first of the former Portuguese royal dynasty to live in Portugal since the abolition of the monarchy in 1910.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afonso, Duke of Porto</span> Duke of Porto

Infante Dom Afonso of Braganza, Duke of Porto was a Portuguese Infante of the House of Braganza, the son of King Luis I of Portugal and his wife, Maria Pia of Savoy. From 1908 to the abolition of the Portuguese monarchy in 1910 he was the Prince Royal of Portugal as heir presumptive to his nephew, King Manuel II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Loulé</span> Portuguese Title of Nobility

Duke of Loulé is a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree of King Luis I of Portugal, dated from October 3, 1862, to his grand-uncle Nuno José Severo de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, 2nd Marquis of Loulé and 9th Count of Vale de Reis. The new duke descended from earlier Portuguese monarchs and belonged to the highest nobility. After the fall of the monarchy in 1910 and the death of King Manuel II, the Duke of Loulé was acclaimed by his supporters as head of the Portuguese Royal house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg</span> Duchess of Braganza

Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg was the wife of Miguel de Portugal, the former occupant of the Portuguese throne but only following his deposition. As a widow, she secured advantageous marriages for their six daughters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Miguel, Duke of Viseu</span> Duke of Viseu

Prince Miguel of Braganza, Duke of Viseu was a member of the exiled branch of the House of Braganza. The eldest son of the Miguelist pretender to the throne of Portugal he married an American heiress in 1909 and in 1920 renounced his rights to the throne. His full given names were Miguel Maria Sebastião Maximiliano Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis e de Paula Eustáquio Carlos Afonso José Henrique Alberto Clemente Inácio Martinho António Gerardo Jorge Emerico Maurício.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha</span> Former Royal House of Portugal

The House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a term used to categorize the last four rulers of the Kingdom of Portugal, and their families, from 1853 until the declaration of the republic in 1910. Its name derives from the four kings descended in a patrilineal line from King Ferdinand II of Portugal and in a matrilineal line from Queen Maria II of Portugal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Maria Theresa of Braganza</span> Princess Karl Ludwig of Thurn and Taxis

Princess Maria Theresa of Braganza was a member of the House of Braganza. Through her marriage to Prince Karl Ludwig of Thurn and Taxis, Maria Theresa was also a member of the House of Thurn and Taxis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infanta Adelgundes, Duchess of Guimarães</span> Countess of Bardi

Infanta Adelgundes, Duchess of Guimarães was the fifth child and fourth daughter of Miguel of Portugal and his wife Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. A member of the House of Braganza by birth, Adelgundes became a member of the House of Bourbon-Parma through her marriage to Prince Henry of Bourbon-Parma, Count of Bardi. She was also the Regent of the Monarchic Representation of Portugal and for that reason assumed the title of Duchess of Guimarães, usually reserved for the Head of the House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Descendants of Miguel I of Portugal</span> Descendants of the Portuguese monarch

The descendants of Miguel I of Portugal, of the House of Braganza, were numerous and left a lasting mark on European royalty. Miguel married Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein and the strategic marriages for all of their children into various European royalties would earn Miguel the nickname of Grandfather of Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedro José Folque de Mendoça</span> Pretender to the Portuguese throne

DomPedro José, Duke of Loulé is a claimant to the defunct Portuguese throne, as the head of the House of Braganza and Duke of Loulé.

References

  1. "Civil war - With fire and Sword". Portuguese Court of Audits . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  2. Jean Pailler; Maria Pia of Braganza: The Pretender. New York: ProjectedLetters, 2006.