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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.
His descendants can be found in both reigning and non-reigning royal families all over Europe.
This article deals with the children of Miguel I and in turn their senior heirs.
Background on Miguel I
Miguel, born on 26 October 1802 at Queluz Royal Palace, was the second son of King João VI and Carlota Joaquina of Spain.
Throne of Portugal
See also: MiguelismIn 1823, Miguel led a coup in an attempt to place himself on the throne and restore the absolutist regime to Portugal. The coup, known as the Vilafrancada, took place on May 27, 1823, in Vila Franca de Xira.
The coup was unsuccessful and Miguel was forgiven and made chief of the army. This would not play out well, as Miguel would use his forces in the April Revolt. Following the eventual demise of the April Revolt, Miguel was exiled from Portugal.
Miguel returned to Portugal, as regent to his niece Queen Maria II of Portugal and also a potential royal consort. While regent, he seized the Portuguese throne in accordance with the so-called Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom and reigned for six years. His older brother Pedro IV of Portugal, Maria II's father, lost his, and therefore her, rights from the moment that Pedro had made war on Portugal and become the sovereign of a foreign state (the Brazilian Empire). This led to a difficult political situation which culminated in the Portuguese Liberal Wars between the absolutist Miguelists and constitutionalist liberals.
Pedro, Duke of Braganza (former Pedro IV of Portugal and I of Brazil) launched a campaign from the Azores which would eventually topple Miguel. The Miguelite War, one of the many names given to the civil war, would last throughout the six-year duration of Miguel's reign and would end with the Concession of Evoramonte, when Miguel renounced his claims to the throne, recognized Maria II as queen, and was exiled from Portugal.
Miguel would spend his exiled years in the Grand Duchy of Baden, where he would have seven children, with his wife Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein. He and his wife would spend a great deal of their resources seeking to establish their family, through advantageous marriages of their children. Their descendants include the reigning sovereigns of Belgium, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg.
Descendants
On 24 September 1851, Miguel I married Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein. The couple had 7 children:
Maria das Neves of Braganza
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maria das Neves of Braganza 1852–1941 |
 |
5 August 1852 Kleinheubach daughter of Miguel I and Adelaide of Löwenstein |
Alfonso Carlos I of Spain (carlist) April 26, 1871 no children |
14 February 1941 Vienna aged 88 |
Miguel Januário of Braganza
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Maria Teresa of Braganza
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Maria José of Braganza
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Adelgundes de Jesus of Braganza
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelgundes de Jesus of Braganza 1858–1946 |
 |
10 November 1858 Wertheim am Main daughter of Miguel I and Adelaide of Löwenstein |
Prince Henry, Count of Bardi 15 October 1876 no children |
15 April 1946 Bern aged 87 |
Maria Ana of Braganza
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Maria Antónia of Braganza
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maria Antónia of Braganza 1862–1959 |
 |
28 November 1862 Wertheim am Main daughter of Miguel I and Adelaide of Löwenstein |
Robert I, Duke of Parma 15 October 1884 12 children |
14 May 1959 Berg Castle aged 96 |
| Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma 1886–1934 |
 |
1 August 1886 Canton of St. Gallen son of Maria Antónia of Braganza and Robert I, Duke of Parma |
Princess Hedwig de la Rochefoucauld 14 March 1919 1 child |
14 March 1934 Paris aged 47 (pre-succession death) |
| Xavier, Duke of Parma 1889–1977 |
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25 May 1889 Camaiore son of Maria Antónia of Braganza and Robert I, Duke of Parma |
Madeleine de Bourbon 12 November 1927 6 children |
7 May 1977 Zizers aged 87 |
| Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma 1930–2010 |
 |
8 April 1930 Paris son of Xavier, Duke of Parma and Madeleine de Bourbon |
Princess Irene of the Netherlands 29 April 1964 4 children |
18 August 2010 Barcelona aged 80 |
| Carlos, Duke of Parma 1970–present |
|
27 January 1970 Nijmegen son of Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma and Princess Irene of the Netherlands |
Annemarie Gualthérie van Weezel 28 August 2010 3 children |
See also
- Descendants of Christian IX of Denmark – Describes progeny of another European king whose descendants married into multiple royal families
- Descendants of John VI of Portugal
- Descendants of Manuel I of Portugal
References
Notes
- "Miguel Biography". Archived from the original on 2010-10-13. Retrieved 2012-09-07.
- Paulo Jorge Fernandes et al. (2003), p.13
- Neill Macaulay (1986), p.117
Sources
- Fernandes, Paulo Jorge; Menses, Filipe Ribeiro de; Baioâ, Manuel (Summer 2003). "The Political History of Nineteenth Century Portugal" (PDF). e-Journal of Portuguese History (E-JPH). 1 (1). Providence, Rhode Island: Brown University.
- Macaulay, Neill (1986). Dom Pedro: The Struggle for Liberty in Brazil and Portugal, 1798–1834. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press. ISBN 0-8223-0681-6.
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| * also an infante of Castile and León, Aragon, Sicily and Naples, § also an infante of Spain and an archduke of Austria, # also an infante of Spain, ‡ also an imperial prince of Brazil, ¶ also a prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke in Saxony, ◙ also a prince of Braganza, ¤ title removed in 1920 as their parents' marriage was deemed undynastic, ƒ claimant infante | |
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| The generations indicate descent form Afonso I, and continues through the House of Aviz, the House of Habsburg through Infanta Isabel, Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Spain, and the House of Braganza through Infanta Catarina, Duchess of Braganza. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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