Antonio, Prince Imperial of Brazil

Dom Antonio, Prince Imperial of Brazil, (born 24 June 1950, in Rio de Janeiro) is a member of the Imperial House of Brazil and the Prince Imperial of Brazil according to the disputed claims of the Imperial Family's Vassouras branch, being the first in the line of succession to the Brazilian throne heir to his elder brother Bertrand, Prince of Brazil. He is also a retired engineer and painter. Active in promoting the cause of the restoration of the monarchy in Brazil, Prince Antonio represents the Imperial Family in most of the events that take place in Rio de Janeiro, where he lives, having occasionally also represented it in Europe and traveled the country as part of royalist campaigns. Less outspoken than his older brothers on political and controversial issues, Prince Antonio is often seen as a less conservation alternative in whom some royalists place their trust.

Biography-Parents and Early Life

Antonio was born in Rio de Janeiro, the sixth son of Crown Prince Pedro Henrique of Brazil and of his wife, Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria. He spent his childhood in a comfortable estate in the town of Jacarezinho, Parana, and then his family moved to a palace the city of Vassouras, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

In 1976, Antonio earned a bachelor's degree in Engineering (with a specialization in Major Structural Projects) from the University of Barra do Pirai.

Painting

Antonio is an artist, usually painting water color landscapes depicting buildings, ranchers, and farmers typical of colonial Brazil. In May 1999 he held an exhibition, "A Heranca 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 National Museum of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro, and the Galeria Quadrante and the Museu da Casa Brasileira in Sao Paulo.

Marriage and Family

In 1981, he married Princess Christine of Ligne, daughter of Antoine, 13th Prince of 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 Beloeil.

The couple have four children:

-Prince Pedro Luiz (12 January 1983, Rio de Janeiro-1 June 2009) he was a passenger on the Air France Flight 447, which crashed into the ocean while traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

-Princess Amelia (born15 March 1984 Brussels). On 16 August 2014, she married James Spearman, who is from Scotland and is descended from the Spearman Baronets. Amelia and her husband James Spearman have two sons, Alexander Joaquim Pedro (born 30 August 2016, Madrid) and Nicholas Rafael (born 20 February 2018, Madrid)

-Prince Rafael (born 24 April 1986, Petropolis)

-Prince Maria Gabriela (born June 8 1989 Rio de Janeiro)

Antonio lives with his family in Petropolis.

Dynastic Claims

Dom Antonio's older brother is Bertrand, Prince of Brazil, the current Head of the Brazilian Imperial Family and, from a monarchist perspective, Emperor Bertrand I of Brazil. Following the death of his eldest brother Luiz, Prince of Brazil, Prince Bertrand became Head of the Imperial House and Antonio, as heir presumptive to the throne, automatically succeeded as Prince Imperial if his older were actually reigning, and who is often accorded that style in royalist circles. Although he is the sixth brother, Antonio 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 Antonio with Princess Christine Ligne as a or morganatic, since the Princess Ligne were never a sovereign family, nor a mediatized family.

Titles and Honors

Titles and Styles

24 June 1950-9 July 2022: His Highness Prince Antonio of Brazil

15 July 2022-present: His Imperial Highness The Prince Imperial of Brazil

Honors

As a member of the House of Orleans-Braganza, he is recipient of the following orders:

-Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Pedro I

-Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of the Rose

He is a recipient of the following foreign orders:

-Castroan Royal Family of the Two Sicilies: Grand Cross of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George

House: Orleans-Braganza

(https://royalty.miraheze.com)