Princess Januária of Brazil


Princess Januária of Brazil was a Brazilian princess and Portuguese infanta. She was the second daughter of Pedro I of Brazil and IV of Portugal and his first wife, Archduchess Maria Leopoldina of Austria.

Early life

Januária was born at the Imperial Palace of São Cristóvão in Rio de Janeiro as an Infanta of Portugal during the reign of her grandfather John VI of Portugal. She was the second surviving daughter of Pedro, the Prince Royal of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves and Leopoldina, Archduchess of Austria after the birth of her older sister, Queen Maria II of Portugal, in 1819.
Princess Januária grew up alongside her siblings Emperor Pedro II, Princess Paula and Princess Francisca. Her name was chosen by his father as a way of honoring the province of Rio de Janeiro. Januária, was born only one month after the death of her brother João Carlos, Prince of Beira. She lost her mother at the age of four and saw her father leave for Kingdom of Portugal with his stepmother and his older sister at nine to fought the Liberal Wars. She grew up under extremely strict education.
In 1833, Princess Paula Mariana died before she was 10 years old. Princess Januaria, through a letter, reported the event to her father:
Beloved, Daddy. Despite our constant supplications to heaven, our dear sister Paula Mariana left. We found no consolation. Our beloved sister is no longer with us. In addition, little Pedro became seriously ill. We came to think that he had caught the same fever as Paula Mariana, but thank heavens he has improved and is already sitting in his study room. To express our gratitude, we, sister Chica and I, your daughter Januária, will not eat sugar until Pedro's birthday, December 2. Dear Dad, we are desperate and in great dismay. You miss us a lot and we also miss our sister Maria da Glória and all those who are with you in Lisbon. With the promise of always being obedient and loving children, Januaria, Francisca and Pedro.

Heiress

From 1835 until 1845, she held the title Princess Imperial of Brazil, as the heir presumptive of her brother Emperor Pedro II. When her sister Maria was excluded from the Brazilian line of succession by law no. 91 of 30 October 1835, Januária became heir presumptive to the throne of the Empire of Brazil. Her younger brother Pedro II was then a minor, and consideration was given to declaring her regent, though this never materialized.
On August 4, 1836, Januária entered the hall of the palace of the Senate, wearing a rich gold dress on which was distinguished the insignia of the Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of the Southern Cross and, In the presence of the deputies, with his hand on the missal, solemnly declared in a moving voice:
I swear to keep the Catholic, Apostolic, Roman religion; Observe the Political Constitution of the Brazilian Nation and be obedient to the laws and the Emperor.
In this way, she became the Princess Imperial of Brazil until the birth of Prince Afonso, son of Pedro II.

Marriage

As only a Brazilian member of the Imperial House could inherit the throne, it became critically important for marriages to be arranged for Januária Maria, Pedro II, and their sister Francisca.
Spouses for both Januária and Pedro II were found in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Her marriage to Prince Louis of the Two Sicilies, Count of Aquila was celebrated on 28 April 1844 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her husband was a son of Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his second wife, Maria Isabella of Spain. Friction developed between the Count of Aquila and the Emperor, and Januária Maria and Aquila were eventually permitted to leave Brazil in October 1844. In 1845, Januária Maria's position as heir presumptive, and the restrictions it entailed, was lost with the birth of Pedro II's first child, Afonso, Prince Imperial of Brazil.
At the time of their marriage, according to article 2, it was guaranteed that even with the birth of the children of Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil the couple would enjoy the honor of being treated by His Imperial Highness.
Art. II. As soon as the marriage takes place, His Royal Highness Prince Luiz Carlos Maria, Count of Aquila, husband of Her Imperial Highness the Princess Imperial of Brazil D. Januária Maria, will be considered Prince of the House and the Imperial Family of Brazil, And shall enjoy all the rights and prerogatives that the Constitution of the Empire competes with such Princes. He will take the title of Imperial Prince, who now belongs to his future Augusta Wife; When, however, His Majesty the Emperor has descendants, the two august spouses will take the title of Prince and Princess of Brazil, preserving with all the treatment of Imperial Highness.

Issue

Januária and Louis had six children:
She died in Nice in 1901 being the last daughter of Emperor Pedro I and Empress Leopoldina to die. The city of Januária in Minas Gerais was named in her honor.

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