Descendants of Miguel I of Portugal
The Descendants of Miguel I of Portugal, of the House of Braganza, were numerous and left a lasting mark on European royalty. Miguel married Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg and the strategic marriages for all of their children into various European royalties would earn Miguel the nickname of Grandfather of Europe.
His descendants can be found in both reigning and non-reigning royal families all over Europe.
This article deals with the children of Miguel I and in turn their senior heirs.
Background on Miguel I
Miguel, born on 26 October 1802 at Queluz Royal Palace, was the second son of King João VI and Carlota Joaquina of Spain.Throne of Portugal
In 1823, Miguel led a coup in an attempt to place himself on the throne and restore the absolutist regime to Portugal. The coup, known as the Vilafrancada, took place on May 27, 1823 in Vila Franca de Xira.The coup was unsuccessful and Miguel was forgiven and made chief of the army. This would not play out well, as Miguel would use his forces in the April Revolt. Following the eventual demise of the April Revolt, Miguel was exiled from Portugal.
Miguel returned to Portugal, as regent to his niece Queen Maria II of Portugal and also a potential royal consort. While regent, he seized the Portuguese throne in accordance with the so-called Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom and reigned for six years. His older brother Pedro IV of Portugal, Maria II's father, lost his, and therefore her, rights from the moment that Pedro had made war on Portugal and become the sovereign of a foreign state. This led to a difficult political situation which culminated in the Portuguese Liberal Wars between the absolutist Miguelists and constituitionalist liberals.
Pedro, Duke of Braganza launched a campaign from the Azores which would eventually topple Miguel. The Miguelite War, one of the many names given to the civil war, would last throughout the six-year duration of Miguel's reign and would end with the Concession of Evoramonte, when Miguel renounced his claims to the throne, recognized Maria II as queen, and was exiled from Portugal.
Miguel would spend his exiled years in the Grand Duchy of Baden, where he would have seven children, with his wife Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. He and his wife would spend a great deal of their resources seeking to establish their family, through advantageous marriages of their children. Their descendants include the reigning sovereigns of Belgium, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg.
Descendants
On 24 September 1851, Miguel I married Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. The couple had 7 children:Maria das Neves of Braganza
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
| Maria das Neves of Braganza 1852-1941 | 5 August 1852 Kleinheubach daughter of Miguel I and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg | Alfonso Carlos I of Spain April 26, 1871 no children | 14 February 1941 Vienna aged 88 |
Miguel Januario of Braganza
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
| Miguel Januario of Braganza 1853-1927 | 19 September 1853 Kleinheubach son of Miguel I and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg | Elisabeth of Thurn and Taxis 17 October 1877 3 children Maria Theresa of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg 8 November 1893 8 children | 11 October 1927 Seebenstein aged 74 | |
| Miguel Maximiliano of Braganza 1878-1923 | 22 September 1878 Reichenau an der Rax son of Miguel Januario of Braganza and Elisabeth of Thurn and Taxis | Anita Stewart Morris 15 September 1909 3 children | 21 February 1923 New York City aged 44 | |
| Duarte Nuno of Braganza 1907-1976 | 23 September 1907 Seebenstein son of Miguel Januario of Braganza and Maria Theresa of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg | Francisca of Orléans-Braganza 15 October 1942 3 children | 24 December 1976 Seebenstein aged 69 | |
| Duarte Pio of Braganza 1945-present | 15 May 1945 Bern son of Duarte Nuno of Braganza and Francisca of Orléans-Braganza | Isabel Inês de Castro Curvelo de Herédia 13 May 1995 3 children | ||
| Afonso of Santa Maria of Braganza 1996-present | 25 March 1996 Lisbon son of Duarte Pio of Braganza and Isabel Inês de Castro Curvelo de Herédia | not married |
Maria Teresa of Braganza
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
| Maria Teresa of Braganza 1855-1944 | 24 August 1855 Kleinheubach daughter of Miguel I and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg | Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria 23 July 1873 2 children | 12 February 1944 Vienna aged 88 | |
| Archduchess Maria Annunciata of Austria 1876-1961 | 13 July 1876 Reichenau an der Rax daughter of Maria Teresa of Braganza and Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria | never married | 8 April 1961 Vienna aged 84 | |
| Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria 1878-1960 | 7 July 1878 Reichenau an der Rax daughter of Maria Teresa of Braganza and Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria | Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein 20 April 1903 8 children | 13 March 1960 Liechtenstein aged 81 | |
| Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein 1906-1989 | 16 August 1906 Styria son of Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria and Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein | Countess Georgina von Wilczek 7 March 1943 5 children | 13 November 1989 Grabs aged 81 | |
| Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein 1945-present | 14 February 1945 Zurich son of Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein and Countess Georgina von Wilczek | Countess Marie Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau 30 July 1967 4 children | ||
| Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein 1968-present | 11 June 1968 Zurich son of Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein and Countess Marie Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau | Princess Sophie, Duchess in Bavaria 3 July 1993 4 children | ||
| Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein 1995-present | 24 May 1995 London son of Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein and Princess Sophie, Duchess in Bavaria | not married |
Maria José of Braganza
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
| Maria José of Braganza 1857-1943 | 19 March 1857 Wertheim am Main daughter of Miguel I and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg | Karl Theodor, Duke in Bavaria 29 April 1874 5 children | 11 March 1943 Munich aged 85 | |
| Ludwig Wilhelm, Duke in Bavaria 1884-1968 | 17 January 1884 Schloss Tegernsee son of Maria José of Braganza and Karl Theodor, Duke in Bavaria | Eleonore Anna Lucie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg 19 March 1917 no children | 5 November 1968 Wildbad Kreuth aged 84 | |
| Elisabeth of Bavaria 1876-1965 | 25 July 1876 Possenhofen Castle daughter of Maria José of Braganza and Karl Theodor, Duke in Bavaria | Albert I of Belgium 2 October 1900 3 children | 23 November 1965 Brussels aged 89 | |
| Leopold III, King of the Belgians 1901-1983 | 3 November 1901 Brussels son of Elisabeth of Bavaria and Albert I of Belgium | Astrid of Sweden 4 November 1926 3 children Lilian Baels 11 September 1941 3 children | 25 September 1983 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert aged 81 | |
| Baudouin, King of the Belgians 1930-1993 | 7 September 1930 Laeken son of Leopold III of Belgium and Astrid of Sweden | Fabiola de Mora y Aragón 15 December 1960 no children | 31 July 1993 Villa Astrida, Motril aged 62 | |
| Albert II, King of the Belgians 1934-present | 6 June 1934 Laeken son of Leopold III of Belgium and Astrid of Sweden | Paola Ruffo di Calabria 2 July 1959 3 children | ||
| Philippe, King of the Belgians 1960-present | 15 April 1960 Laeken son of Albert II of Belgium and Paola Ruffo di Calabria | Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz 4 December 1999 4 children | ||
| Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant 2001-present | 25 October 2001 Anderlecht daughter of Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant and Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz | not married |
Aldegundes de Jesus of Braganza
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
| Aldegundes de Jesus of Braganza 1858-1946 | 10 November 1858 Wertheim am Main daughter of Miguel I and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg | Prince Henry, Count of Bardi 15 October 1876 no children | 15 April 1946 Bern aged 87 |
Maria Ana of Braganza
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
| Maria Ana of Braganza 1861-1942 | 13 July 1861 Wertheim am Main daughter of Miguel I and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg | William IV of Luxembourg 21 June 1893 6 children | 31 July 1942 New York City aged 81 | |
| Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg 1894-1924 | 14 June 1894 Berg Castle daughter of Maria Ana of Braganza and William IV of Luxembourg | never married | 24 January 1924 Schloss Hohenburg aged 29 | |
| Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg 1896-1985 | 23 January 1896 Berg Castle daughter of Maria Ana of Braganza and William IV of Luxembourg | Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma 6 November 1919 6 children | 9 July 1985 Schloss Fischbach aged 89 | |
| Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1921-2019 | 5 January 1921 Berg Castle son of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma | Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium 9 April 1953 5 children | 23 April 2019 Luxembourg City,Luxembourg aged 98 | |
| Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1955-present | 16 April 1955 Betzdorf Castle son of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium | Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla 7 November 1980 5 children | ||
| Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1981-present | 11 November 1981 Luxembourg son of Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla | Countess Stéphanie of Lannoy 20 October 2012 no children |
Maria Antónia of Braganza
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
| Maria Antónia of Braganza 1862-1959 | 28 November 1862 Wertheim am Main daughter of Miguel I and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg | Robert I, Duke of Parma 15 October 1884 12 children | 14 May 1959 Berg Castle aged 96 | |
| Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma 1886-1934 | 1 August 1886 Canton of St. Gallen son of Maria Antónia of Braganza and Robert I, Duke of Parma | Princess Hedwig de la Rochefoucauld 14 March 1919 1 child | 14 March 1934 Paris aged 47 | |
| Xavier, Duke of Parma 1889-1977 | 25 May 1889 Camaiore son of Maria Antónia of Braganza and Robert I, Duke of Parma | Madeleine de Bourbon 12 November 1927 6 children | 7 May 1977 Zizers aged 87 | |
| Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma 1930-2010 | 8 April 1930 Paris son of Xavier, Duke of Parma and Madeleine de Bourbon | Princess Irene of the Netherlands 29 April 1964 4 children | 18 August 2010 Barcelona aged 80 | |
| Carlos, Duke of Parma 1970-present | 27 January 1970 Nijmegen son of Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma and Princess Irene of the Netherlands | Annemarie Gualthérie van Weezel 28 August 2010 3 children | ||
| Princess Luisa Irene of Parma 2012-present | 9 May 2012 The Hague daughter of Carlos, Duke of Parma and Annemarie Gualthérie van Weezel | not married |