Isabelle of Brazil

The imperial princess Isabelle Christine Léopoldine Augusta Michelle Gabrielle Raphaëlle Gonzague of Bragance was born with Rio de Janeiro, with the Brésil, on July 29th, 1846 and died with the castle of Have, in France, on November 14th, 1921.

Princess heiress, three times regent of Brazil (in 1871-1872, in 1876-1877 then in 1887-1889), the princess is also, of swears and for the Brazilian monarchists only, the empress “Isabelle Ière”. Let us add that after having abolished slavery in 1888, the imperial princess receives the nickname of “Isabelle Rédemptrice”.

Family

The princess is elder surviving children of the emperor Pierre II of Brazil (1825 - 1891) and of his wife Marie-Therese of Bourbon-Siciles (1822 - 1889), itself girl of the king François Ier of Deux-Siciles (1777 - 1830). October 15th, 1864, the imperial princess marries, with Rio de Janeiro, the French prince Gaston of Orleans (1842-1922), Count of Have. This last is the oldest son of Louis of Orleans (1814-1896), French prince and duke of Nemours, and his wife the princess Victoire of Saxony-Cobourg-Kohary (1822-1857). He is also the grandson of the king of the French Louis-Philippe Ier (1773 - 1850) and of his wife Marie-Amélie de Bourbon (1782-1866), princess of Deux-Siciles.

From this union are born four children:

Louise of Orleans-Bragance (1874-1874).

Pierre d' Alcântara of Orleans-Bragance (1875 - 1940), prince of the Grão-Para (1891-1908) then prince of Orleans-Bragance, which morganatiquement marries in 1908 the Czech countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky de Dobrzenicz (1875 - 1961). They are the grandparents of current claiming the orleanist to the throne of France, Henri of Orleans (1933), Count de Paris. In Brazil, Pierre d' Alcantara is also the ancestor of the Branche of Petropolis of the imperial family.

Louis of Orleans-Bragance (1878 - 1920), prince of Brazil then prince of the Grão-Para, which is linked with Maria-Pia of Bourbon-Siciles (1878 - 1973), princess of Deux-Siciles. In Brazil, they are the ancestors of the Branche of Vassouras of the imperial family.

Antoine of Orleans-Bragance (1881-1918), prince of Brazil, without alliance.

Biography

First years

Second child of the emperor Pierre II, the Isabelle princess is born in 1846 with the Palate from São-Cristóvão. November 15th, 1846, she is baptized in the Imperial Vault by the bishop-count de Iraja and its name is given to him in the honor of his/her maternal grandmother, Marie-Isabelle of Spain (1789 - 1848), queen of Deux-Siciles.

Little time after, the brother of the princess, dom Alphonse (1845 - 1847), dies and Isabelle becomes imperial princess and heiress of Brazil. The same year is born the princess Léopoldine de Bragance (1847 - 1871) who will be the friend and the playmate of her sister. In 1848, Isabelle loses her statute of heiress with the birth of its second brother, dom Pierre-Alphonse (1848 - 1850), but it finds it quickly since the child dies at the two years age.

In order to prepare the Isabelle princess with his role of heiress of the throne, Pierre II makes him give a neat education. On the councils of its sister, the Princess of Joinville, the emperor names thus, in 1855, the countess of Barral, marries of noble French, like préceptrice of his daughters.

Like asks him the Brazilian constitution, the Isabelle princess lends oath, the day of its 14 years, “to maintain the Catholic religion apostolic Roman, to observe the political constitution of the Brazilian nation and to obey the laws and the emperor”.

In the years which follow, the main concern of the emperor and his family consists in finding husbands honourable for the princesses Isabelle and Léopoldine. With the assistance of the Princess of Joinville, Pierre II finally chooses like sons-in-law the princes Gaston of Orleans (1842-1922) and Auguste of Saxony-Cobourg-Kohary (1845-1907), both grandchildren of the king of the French Louis-Philippe Ier and nephews of his sister. Two young people arrive together at Brazil in 1864: Gaston, to marry Léopoldine and Auguste, to link themselves in Isabelle. However, the two princesses take freedom to choose each one their husband and Isabelle links herself thus with the count of Have! Two young people thus will generate a new dynasty: the Orleans-Bragance.

Shortly after their marriage, Isabelle and Gaston leave out of honeymoon in Petropolis then they gain Europe so that Isabelle is introduced to her father-in-law, the Duc of Nemours.

Once returned Brazil, Gaston asks for the emperor the permission of engage in the war which Brazil against its neighbor delivers then, Paraguay. The prince then receives from the sovereign the statute of Marshal of the Army. Then, in the final stage of the conflict, the count of Have assumes the command of the Brazilian troops, which is source of concerns for the Isabelle princess but especially of opposition in certain Brazilian circles insofar as prince Gaston always does not make very wise military decisions.

Once finished the war, Isabelle and Gaston carry out a new voyage in Europe to return visit to the Léopoldine princess, then sick. But this one dies of typhus on February 7th, 1871 and the couple returns to Brazil. The same year, dom Pierre II goes to his turn to Europe and Isabelle must assume regency at the 24 years age. It is during this period that is signed the “Loi of the free Belly”, which gives freedom to the children of slaves born after 1871.

But, at that time, it is less the statute of the slaves than the absence of heir in the imperial family which worries Isabelle and her husband. should indeed be awaited 1874 so that the princess falls pregnant but the child of which she is confined is in any event still-born child. It is finally on October 15th, 1875, after 11 years of marriage, which is born the heir so much awaited to the Isabelle princess, Pierre d' Alcantara of Orleans-Bragance, titrated prince of Grão-Para. Two other boys will follow…

Political posture

Liberal, the Isabelle princess firmly supports the partisans of the abolition of slavery and thus supports the combat of many politicking young people and artists. However, at the time, most of the abolitionists are related to the republican movement. In addition, with her personal cassette, the imperial princess supports the craft industry of the former slaves and also supports the Quilombo of Leblon, which cultivates the white camellias, symbols of the abolitionism.

June 30th, 1887, the Isabelle princess assumes for the third time of her life regency and very quickly decides to finish some with the slave mode. However, its will of abolition raises a strong opposition on behalf of the land great landowners (the “ fazendeiros ”) and the relations of the princess with her preserving ministerial cabinet (and in particular the minister Cotegipe) tighten themselves. The princess benefits finally from an urban riot to return her ministers and to name a new cabinet having at her head her adviser, João Alfredo: the road towards freedom is consequently ensured for the blacks of the Empire.

May 13rd, 1888 the last votes concerning the abolition of slavery take place. Certain of his victory, the regent gains Petropolis to sign the “Gold Law there” ( Lei Aurea ) which puts an end to slavery in Brazil. The princess uses a pen then plucks of gold especially made for the occasion (and which is still preserved today).

September 28th, 1888, to reward it for this action, the pope Leon XIII sends to the princess the Rose of gold but, in Brazil, everyone is not also satisfied with abolition. The baron of Cotegipe is not mistaken there besides when he declares with the princess: “Your Highness released a race, but it lost the throne”.

Republic and exile

A little less than one year after abolition, Brazilian monarchy collapses. Inspired by the radicals positivists and supported by the fazendeiros , the soldiers deposit the cabinet of the Viscount of Ouro Preto and install a republican dictatorship in the country. The morning of November 17th, 1889, the Isabelle princess and her family are thus constrained to secretly leave Brazil. But, before leaving and to answer the prophecy of Cotegipe, the princess declares: “if I had had thousand thrones, I would have given thousand thrones to release the slaves of Brazil” (“ Mil tronos have tivess, millet tronos have daria para libertar bone escravos C Brasil ”). The Republic is proclaimed as of the following day.

December 5th, 1891, the emperor Pierre II dies in Paris and his/her daughter becomes, of swears and for the Brazilian monarchists, the empress “Isabelle Ière”. In spite of the pain of the exile, claiming it a quiet life with her husband, his children and its grandchildren carries out, in the family castle of Have, in Normandy. It makes its house then an abstract embassy of Brazil and receives Brazilian passage there.

Touched by the death of two of her children and by the disease, the princess spends the last years of her life with important difficulties of locomotion. She however has the joy of learning, in 1920, abrogation by the president Epitacio Pessoa of the Loi of exile concerning her family. She dies without to have been able to re-examine Brazil but is nevertheless buried there since its remainders are led to the Imperial Mausoleum of the cathedral of Pétropolis on July 6th, 1953.

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