Descendants of John VI of Portugal
The Descendants of John VI of Portugal, of the House of Braganza, would play a role in Portuguese imperial affairs, global royalty, and major historical events of their time. John's marriage to Carlota Joaquina of Spain, which was not a content one, produced many children which would be key players in the world at their time
His descendents can be found in both reigning and non-reigning royal families of Europe and Brazil; in fact, mainly through his second son, Miguel, nicknamed Grandfather of Europe, his descendants nowadays rule in Belgium, Luxemburg, Liechtenstein, and were claimants to the thrones of Portugal, Austria, and the former Duchy of Parma.
This article deals with the children of John VI and in turn their senior heirs.
Background on John VI
John, born on 13 May 1767 in Lisbon, was the second son of King Maria I and Pedro III.
Throne of Portugal
When John was born, his brother, José, Prince of Brazil, was the heir to their mother, Maria I of Portugal. It was only after José's death by smallpox, in 1788, that John became the heir to the Portuguese throne. By this time, John was already 21 years old and he had not been groomed to become monarch, as his brother was so famously, and rigorously, done. He was said to have been uncultured, stupid, and ill-mannered, which worried the kingdom.
In 1799, John became Prince regent for his mother, who had been declared unable to reign, owing to her mental illness. At the same time, Napoleon Bonaparte had taken control of France through his coup-d'etat, the 18 Brumaire. Spain and France would soon sign a treaty and declare war and attempt to invade Portugal, starting the War of the Oranges. While peace was eventually attained, Portugal and its empire suffered territorial losses.
Portugal was the last country on the continent to not have joined the Continental System, John having tried to push his answer as long as he could. In 1807, France grew restless and finally sent troops on their way to Portugal, to force submission. To safeguard the House of Braganza and its rule over the Portuguese Empire, John moved the Portuguese court and capital to a safer location in the empire, Colonial Brazil. To satisfy the ettiquete required by European society, John raised Brazil to a kingdom, forming the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves.
In Rio de Janeiro, John established his court. In 1816, Maria I died and John was acclaimed King John VI of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. By this time, Napoleon had been defeated and European courts demanded the return of the Portuguese court to Europe, which John eventually did, but leaving Pedro, Prince Royal as regent of Brazil. Refusing to return to Europe, Pedro declared Brazilian Independence.
When John died, a crisis of succession would occur over the Portuguese throne, a crisis fueled by John's children. It is John's eldest sons and granddaughter that would split the House of Braganza into three branches, the original House of Braganza, the Brazilian House of Braganza, and the Miguelist House of Braganza.
Descendants
On 8 May 1785, John married Carlota Joaquina of Spain. The couple had 9 children.
Maria Teresa, Princess of Beira
| Descendent | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maria Teresa, Princess of Beira 1793–1874 |  | 29 April 1793 Palace of Ajuda daughter of John VI and Carlota Joaquina of Spain | Infante Pedro Carlos of Spain and Portugal 13 May 1810 1 child Carlos V of Spain (carlist) June 1838 no children | 17 January 1874 Trieste aged 80 |
| Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain 1811–1875 |  | 4 November 1811 Rio de Janeiro son of Maria Teresa, Princess of Beira and Infante Pedro Carlos of Spain and Portugal | Maria Amalia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies 25 May 1832 no children Maria Cristina of Spain 19 November 1860 5 children | 13 January 1875 Pau aged 63 |
| Francisco María, Duke of Marchena 1861–1923 |  | 20 August 1861 Madrid son of Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain and Maria Cristina of Spain | María del Pilar of Muguiro and Beruete 7 January 1886 3 children | 17 November 1923 Neuilly-sur-Seine aged 62 |
| María Cristina, Duchess of Marchena 1889–1981 | | 27 July 1889 Paris daughter of Francisco María, Duke of Marchena and María del Pilar of Muguiro and Beruete | Leopold Walford November 11, 1911 2 children | 3 October 1981 London aged 92 |
| Juan Jorge, Duke of Ansola and Marchena 1912–1999 | | 20 August 1912 Paris son of María Cristina, Duchess of Marchena and Leopold Walford | Emanuela Hawkins 1935 7 children | 22 February 1999 London aged 87 |
| Juan Jacobo, Duke of Marchena 1941–present | | 27 July 1941 London son of Juan Jorge, Duke of Ansola and Marchena and Emanuela Hawkins | not married | |
Francisco António, Prince of Beira
| Descendent | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francisco António, Prince of Beira 1795–1801 |  | 21 March 1795 Queluz Palace son of John VI and Carlota Joaquina of Spain | never married | 11 June 1801 Queluz Palace aged 6 |
Maria Isabel of Portugal
| Descendent | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maria Isabel of Portugal 1797–1818 |  | 19 May 1797 Queluz Palace daughter of John VI and Carlota Joaquina of Spain | Ferdinand VII of Spain 29 September 1816 no children | 26 December 1818 Royal Palace of Madrid aged 21 |
Pedro I and IV of Brazil and Portugal
As Pedro IV of Portugal (senior branch)
As Pedro I of Brazil (junior branch)
| Descendent | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedro I of Brazil 1821–1831 |  | 12 October 1798 Queluz, Sintra son of John VI of Portugal and Charlotte of Spain | Maria Leopoldina of Austria 1817 7 children Amélie of Leuchtenberg 1829 1 child | 24 September 1834 Queluz, Sintra aged 35 |
| Pedro II of Brazil 1831–1891 |  | 2 December 1825 Rio de Janeiro son of Pedro I of Brazil and Maria Leopoldina of Austria | Teresa of the Two Sicilies 17 September 1842 4 children | 5 December 1891 Paris aged 66 |
| Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil 1891–1921 |  | 29 July 1846 Rio de Janeiro daughter of Pedro II of Brazil and Teresa of the Two Sicilies | Gaston, Count of Eu 15 October 1864 3 children | 14 November 1921 Eu, Seine-Maritime aged 75 |
| Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará 1921–1940 |  | 15 October 1875 Petrópolis son of Gaston, Count of Eu and Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil | Elisabeth Dobrzensky 14 November 1908 5 children | 29 January 1940 Petrópolis aged 64 |
| Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza 1940–2007 |  | 19 February 1913 Eu, Seine-Maritime son of Pedro de Alcantara of Orléans-Braganza and Elisabeth Dobrzensky | Maria de la Esperanza of the Two Sicilies 18 December 1944 Seville 6 children | 27 December 2007 Villamanrique de la Condesa aged 94 |
| Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza 2007–present |  | 31 October 1945 Rio de Janeiro son of Pedro Gastão of Orléans-Braganza and Maria de la Esperanza of the Two Sicilies | Rony Kuhn de Souza 2 September 1975 1 child Patricia Alexandra Brascomb 16 July 1981 1 child | |
Maria Francisca of Portugal
| Descendent | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maria Francisca of Portugal 1800–1834 |  | 22 April 1800 Queluz Palace daughter of John VI and Carlota Joaquina of Spain | Infante Carlos, Count of Molina 22 September 1816 3 children | 4 September 1834 Alverstoke aged 34 |
| Infante Carlos, Count of Montemolin 1818–1861 |  | 31 January 1818 Madrid son of Maria Francisca of Portugal and Infante Carlos, Count of Molina | Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies 10 July 1850 no children | 13 January 1861 Trieste aged 43 |
| Juan, Count of Montizón 1822–1887 |  | 15 May 1822 Royal Palace of Aranjuez son of Maria Francisca of Portugal and Infante Carlos, Count of Molina | Maria Beatrix of Austria-Este 6 February 1847 2 children | 18 November 1887 Hove aged 65 |
| Carlos, Duke of Madrid 1848–1909 |  | 30 March 1848 Ljubljana son of Juan, Count of Montizón and Maria Beatrix of Austria-Este | Margherita of Bourbon-Parma 4 February 1867 5 children Berthe de Rohan 28 April 1894 no children | 18 July 1909 Varese aged 61 |
| Jaime, Duke of Madrid 1870–1931 |  | 27 June 1870 Vevey son of Carlos, Duke of Madrid and Margherita of Bourbon-Parma | never married | 2 October 1931 Paris aged 61 |
| Infanta Blanca of Spain 1868–1949 |  | 7 September 1868 Graz daughter of Carlos, Duke of Madrid and Margherita of Bourbon-Parma | Leopold Salvator, Prince of Tuscany 24 October 1889 10 children | 25 October 1949 Viareggio aged 81 |
| Anton, Prince of Tuscany 1901–1987 |  | 20 March 1901 Vienna son of Blanca of Spain and Leopold Salvator, Prince of Tuscany | Ileana of Romania 26 July 1931 6 children | 22 October 1987 Salzburg aged 86 |
| Archduke Stefan of Austria 1932–1998 |  | 15 August 1932 Mödling son of Anton, Prince of Tuscany and Ileana of Romania | Mary Jerrine Soper 26 August 1954 5 children | 12 November 1998 Brighton aged 66 |
| Christopher Habsburg-Lothringen 1957–present | | 26 January 1957 Boston son of Archduke Stefan of Austria and Mary Jerrine Soper | Elizabeth Ann Blanchette 2 May 1987 2 children | |
| Saygan Genevieve Habsburg-Lothringen 1987–present | | 31 October 1987 Mill Valley son of Christopher Habsburg-Lothringen and Elizabeth Ann Blanchette | not married | |
Isabel Maria of Portugal
| Descendent | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isabel Maria of Portugal 1801–1876 |  | 4 July 1801 Queluz Palace daughter of John VI and Carlota Joaquina of Spain | never married | 22 April 1876 Belém aged 74 |
Miguel I of Portugal
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Maria da Assunção of Portugal
| Descendent | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maria da Assunção of Portugal 1805–1834 |  | 25 June 1805 Queluz Palace daughter of John VI and Carlota Joaquina of Spain | never married | 7 January 1834 Santarém aged 29 |
Ana de Jesus Maria of Portugal
| Descendent | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ana de Jesus Maria of Portugal 1806–1834 |  | 23 October 1806 Mafra Palace daughter of John VI and Carlota Joaquina of Spain | Nuno de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duke of Loulé 5 December 1827 5 children | 22 June 1857 Rome aged 28 |
| Pedro de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duke of Loulé 1830–1909 |  | 7 October 1830 Paris son of Ana de Jesus Maria of Portugal and Nuno de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duke of Loulé | Constança Maria de Figueiredo Cabral da Camara 19 April 1852 2 children | 2 March 1909 Belém aged 79 |
| Maria de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duchess of Loulé 1853–1928 |  | 3 March 1853 Belém daughter of Pedro de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duke of Loulé and Constança Maria de Figueiredo Cabral da Camara | João Maria dos Enfermos da Camara Berquó 18 June 1887 1 child | 12 September 1928 Belém aged 75 |
| Constança de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duchess of Loulé 1889–1967 |  | 18 August 1889 Belém daughter of Maria de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duchess of Loulé and João Maria dos Enfermos da Camara Berquó | José Pedro de Basto Feio Folque 22 May 1921 5 children | 14 December 1967 Belém aged 79 |
| Alberto de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duke of Loulé 1923–2003 |  | 10 July 1923 Belém son of Constança de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duchess of Loulé and José Pedro de Basto Feio Folque | Maria Augusta Amélia de Morais Cardoso de Menezes 8 July 1953 8 children | 24 September 2003 Cascais aged 80 |
| Pedro de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duke of Loulé 1958–present | | 9 March 1958 Lisbon son of Alberto de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duke of Loulé and Maria Augusta Amélia de Morais Cardoso de Menezes | Margarida Corrêa de Barros Vaz Pinto 1997 2 children | |
| D. Henrique Nuno de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto 1997–present | | 21 August 1997 Lisbon son of Pedro de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duke of Loulé and Margarida Corrêa de Barros Vaz Pinto | not married | |
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