Name Prince of | ||
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Born June 24, 1950 (age 73)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ( 1950-06-24 ) Spouse Princess Christine of Ligne Issue Prince Pedro Luiz
Princess Amelia
Prince Rafael
Princess Maria House House of Orleans-Braganza Father Prince Pedro Henrique of Orleans-Braganza Mother Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria | ||
Prince Antônio of Orléans-Braganza (born June 24, 1950), whose baptismal name is Antônio João Maria José Jorge Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança e Wittelsbach, is a member of the Imperial House of Brazil. He is second in line of succession to the former Brazilian throne, according to the disputed claims of the Vassouras branch of the family. In Brazil he is commonly addressed using the prefix Dom.
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Parents and early life
Antônio was born in Rio de Janeiro, the sixth son of Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza and of his wife, Princess Maria of Bavaria.
In 1976, Antônio earned a bachelor's degree in Engineering (with a specialization in Major Structural Projects) from the University of Barra do Piraí.
Dynastic claims
Dom Antônio's eldest brother is Prince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza, the current Head of the Brazilian Imperial Family and, from a monarchist perspective, de jure Emperor Luiz I of Brazil. After Dom Luiz in the succession order comes the next brother, Prince Bertrand, born 1941, who, as heir presumptive to the throne would be the Prince Imperial if his eldest brother were actually reigning, and who is often accorded that style in royalist circles. Although he is the sixth brother, Antônio follows Bertrand in the succession order because three older brothers renounced their claims to the throne in order to marry commoners. Some Brazilian royalists consider the marriage of Prince Antônio with Princess Christine de Ligne as a mésalliance or morganatic, since the Princes de Ligne were never a sovereign family, nor a mediatised family.
Painting
Antônio is an artist, usually painting water color landscapes depicting buildings, ranches, and farms typical of colonial Brazil. In May 1999 he held an exhibition, "A Herança Portuguesa no Brasil Colonial" (The Portuguese Heritage in Colonial Brazil) at Ipanema Park in Portugal. In 2001 he held exhibitions at Curitiba and at Joinville. His work has also been displayed in the Crystal Palace in Petropolis, the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes in Rio de Janeiro, and the Galeria Quadrante and the Museu da Casa Brasileira in São Paulo.
Marriage and family
In 1981, he married Princess Christine de Ligne, daughter of Antoine, 13th Prince de Ligne (head of one of Belgium's foremost noble families) and his wife, Princess Alix of Luxembourg. The civil ceremony took place on September 25 and the religious ceremony on September 26, both at Belœil.
The couple have four children:
Antônio lives with his family in Petrópolis.
Titles and styles
He has been styled as Prince and as His Royal Highness throughout his life. In Brazil, where the honorific "Dom" has disappeared from everyday use, he is regularly called "Dom Antônio".
Honors
He was a recipient of the following foreign honors: