Rafael of Orléans-Braganza

Rafael de Orleans e Bragança
Born (1986-04-26) 26 April 1986
Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Names
Rafael Antonio Maria José Francisco Miguel Gabriel Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança e Ligne[1]
HouseOrléans-Braganza
FatherAntônio de Orleans e Bragança
MotherPrincess Christine of Ligne

Rafael of Orléans-Braganza (Portuguese: Rafael de Orléans e Bragança; born 24 April 1986) is a member of the Imperial House of Brazil. He is the heir presumptive to his childless uncle, Prince Bertrand, the current head of the Vassouras branch of the House of Orléans-Braganza and one of the claimants to the defunct Brazilian Throne. Rafael became heir presumptive following the death of his father, Prince Antônio, in November 2024.[2][3] He is a three-times-great-grandson of Brazil’s last emperor, Dom Pedro II. As second in line to the extinct Imperial Throne, he is the current holder of the title of Prince Imperial of Brazil.[4]

Family

Born in Petrópolis, Brazil on 26 April 1986, he is the third child and second son of Prince Antônio de Orleans e Bragança and Princess Christine of Ligne. He has an older brother and sister, Prince Pedro Luiz and Princess Amélia and a younger sister, Princess Maria Gabriela. His name in full is Rafael Antonio Maria José Francisco Miguel Gabriel Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança e Ligne.[1]

His paternal grandparents were Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Bragança, one of two claimants to be head of the Brazilian Imperial House, and Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria. His maternal grandparents were Antoine, 13th Prince of Ligne, and Princess Alix of Luxembourg. His mother's family, the House of Ligne, is one of the oldest and most prominent Wallonian noble families still extant in Belgium. Christine is a niece of Grand Duke Jean, who reigned in Luxembourg until his abdication in 2000.

Personal life

Rafael has a degree in manufacturing engineering from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro,[5] working at the InBev subsidiary in London.[6][7] He is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese,[8] and also has a predilection for football, being an avowed supporter of Fluminense FC.[9][10]

Rafael also has a partnership and a tourism enterprise with headquarters in New York, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.[11]

Rafael had previously expressed in statements his desire to marry a princess who is part of "Catholic royalty or high nobility".[12] In May 2026 he announced that he was engaged to Margherita delle Piane, a descendent of an Italian noble family, with their wedding scheduled for November 2026 in Florence.[13] However, Rafael's uncle subsequently refused to give his assent to a marriage to delle Piane, meaning that any such marriage would require Rafael to renounce his dynastic rights, which would automatically pass to his sister Dona Maria Gabriela.[14]

Appointments

In February 2022, after the floods that devastated the city of Petrópolis, Rafael came to the aid of the victims, bringing them essential goods that the imperial house received from monarchist supporters.[15]

In November 2022, on the occasion of the World Cup, Prince Raphael was invited to attend the game by the embassy of the state of Qatar in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, where the prince currently resides and works. The prince is the guest of honor at the opening game of the Brazilian National Team against the Serbian National Football Team, at the Lusail Stadium, in Qatar.

Honors

As member of the House of Orléans-Braganza, Prince Rafael hold the following positions:

He received the following foreign honors:

Genealogy

Ancestry

Patrilineal descent

Rafael is a member of the House of Orléans-Braganza, a sub-branch of the House of Bourbon, itself a branch of the House of Capet and of the Robertians.

Rafael's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. It follows the Dukes of Orléans, the Kings of France, the Dukes and Counts of Vendôme, the Counts of La Marche, the first Duke of Bourbon, a Count of Clermont, and before them, again the Kings of France. The line can be traced back more than 1,200 years and is one of the oldest in Europe.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Saldanha, Rafael (8 November 2024). "Morre Dom Antônio de Orleans e Bragança, da família real brasileira, aos 74 anos". CNN Brasil. Archived from the original on 9 November 2024.
  2. ↑ "Antônio de Orleans e Bragança (1950–2024) – Bisneto de Princesa Isabel, Antônio de Orleans e Bragança morre aos 74". Folha de S.Paulo. 8 November 2024. Archived from the original on 28 January 2025.
  3. ↑ "Morre Dom Antônio de Orléans e Bragança, herdeiro da família imperial brasileira". Noticias R7. 8 November 2024. Archived from the original on 9 November 2024.
  4. ↑ "Família Imperial Brasileira: Conheça os Orléans e Bragança que ainda estão vivos". NSC Total (in Portuguese). 8 November 2024. Archived from the original on 24 February 2025. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  5. ↑ Cesar do Nascimento, Caio (4 January 2026). "Herdeiro de Dom Pedro II tem apenas 36 anos e virou sócio de empresa internacional". Diário de Pernambuco (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 12 January 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "Herdeiro de d. Pedro II, d. Rafael busca princesa para manter a dinastia" [Heir of d. Pedro II, d. Rafael seeks princess to maintain the dynasty]. O Tempo (in Portuguese). 14 November 2019. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  7. ↑ "'Príncipe' será o próximo na linha de sucessão da família imperial brasileira; saiba quem é" ['Prince' will be next in line to succeed the Brazilian imperial family; know who you are]. Terra (in Portuguese). 10 November 2024. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  8. ↑ "Poliglota com 10 nomes: quem é o próximo na sucessão da família imperial" [Polyglot with 10 names: who is next in succession to the imperial family]. UOL (in Portuguese). 10 November 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  9. ↑ "Dom Rafael". Pró Monarquia (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 25 January 2025. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "Rafael Orleans-Braganza: el príncipe heredero de Brasil busca una cenicienta de sangre azul" [Rafael Orleans-Braganza: the crown prince of Brazil is looking for a blue-blooded Cinderella]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 23 November 2024. Archived from the original on 17 April 2025.
  11. ↑ "Novo 'príncipe' brasileiro já foi guia de turismo antes de se tornar empresário" [New Brazilian 'prince' was a tour guide before becoming a businessman]. Revista Oeste (in Portuguese). 11 November 2024. Archived from the original on 26 February 2025.
  12. ↑ Parcero, Jorge C. (2024-11-29). "La estrategia del primo brasileño de Felipe VI para seguir siendo príncipe". Mujerhoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  13. ↑ https://www.pointdevue.fr/royal/couronnes-du-monde/dom-rafael-dorleans-bragance-je-suis-amoureux-de-margherita
  14. ↑ https://g1.globo.com/rj/rio-de-janeiro/noticia/2026/07/14/casamento-principe-dom-rafael-de-orlenas-e-braganca.ghtml
  15. ↑ Lima, Bruna (2022-02-18). "Os Orleans e Bragança e a tragédia em Petrópolis, que os sustenta". www.metropoles.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  16. ↑ Anuário da Casa Imperial do Brasil, 2026.
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