10 Interesting Facts about Brazil’s Most Important Princess

When we think of the stories of princesses, it is normal that we readily associate them with fairy tales. But in real life, the role a princess plays is very different from the fictional preconceived one. Among decisions to be taken and positions to be exercised prematurely, the first Princess of Brazil played not only a fundamental role, but also a modifier in the country’s history.

With that in mind, the awesome.club summarized some surprising facts, which you were probably not told at school, about this historical figure, who is also one of the most important women in Brazilian history.

Born in Rio de Janeiro on July 29, 1846, Princess Isabel was the second daughter of Emperor Dom Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies, the couple’s first girl. Her full name was Isabel Cristina Leopoldina Augusta Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga from Bourbon-Two Sicilies and Bragança.

With the death of her brother D. Afonso Pedro, who died at the age of 2, Princess Isabel became the heir presumptive (a title conceived when there is no other preferable heir) to the Brazilian throne at 11 months of age. Later, she is removed from the succession by D. Pedro Afonso, her other brother. However, he also died in infancy. In this way, the title returned to the Princess.

At the age of 25, Princess Isabel was a senator by right of dynasty during the Imperial period. She held the position as heir to the throne and was therefore elected the first senator of Brazil. In addition, she was also the first woman to assume a Head of State on the American continent.

The marriage, arranged by her father, took place at the age of 18 with the French nobleman Louis Philippe Marie Ferdinand Gaston, the Count d’Eu. The detail is that after meeting Princess Isabel and her sister Leopoldina in person, the Count described them as “ugly”, however, Isabel was “less ugly”.

In her own words, the Imperial Princess said she had “to feel a tender love” for the count. The couple became engaged on September 18, 1864.

Although she wanted to have children for the first few years after the wedding, Princess Isabel did not become pregnant until a few years later. In her first pregnancy, the child was born without any sign of life, in a delivery that lasted about 50 hours; in the second, she went through another difficult and painful pregnancy.

After these weaknesses, her faith gave her solace, but the Princess was still afraid of her third pregnancy, which, in the end, was successful. Eventually, the couple had four children.

The Princess was regent of Brazil on 3 occasions, all mediated by her father’s absence. And it was in the third year that she signed the Lei Áurea, which would abolish slavery in Brazil, which is why she became popularly known in the 19th century as “The Redeemer”.

Although Princess Isabel has historically been hailed as “The Redeemer” for having freed slaves, this attribution has been freely and openly questioned by historians. On the one hand, it is known that several fronts were decisive for the signing of the Lei Áurea, such as the quilombos; the convinced abolitionists and the letters of manumission, who fought an arduous process of struggle throughout the 1880s.

On the other hand, it is also recognized that the Princess was responsible for signing the document that abolished slavery, to the detriment of the acts of the father, who would hardly have signed it, as it is likely that it would conflict with the commitments he had with the elite. economy of the time, which in turn sustained him in power.

Furthermore, the divergences of historians point to the alien position in which the Princess remained during most of the 1880s, showing herself to be subject to abolition only when it was inevitable. While other accounts point out that she housed slaves in her own home, as well as being an abolitionist, even though the slaves’ liberation was not the result of her benevolence.

On May 13, 1888, an open-air mass was celebrated in Rio de Janeiro in honor of the abolition of slavery, where the photograph in evidence was recorded, 4 days after the signing of the Lei Áurea.

Machado de Assis (Indicated in the photo above) is notoriously close to the Princess. However, there is disagreement among historians as to the authenticity of the image, because at the time it was common to artificially “put heads” in photographs.

On the other hand, it is known that the author was there, and that he wrote at least two chronicles about the mass exposing the usual Machadian satire. Anyway, the presence of the realist and Princess Isabel, both historical figures, in the same context, is interesting to say the least.

As a result of the lack of support for the Monarchy in Brazil, the Republic was proclaimed on November 15, 1889, exiling the Imperial family from the country.

At the age of 75, Princess Isabel died on November 14, 1921, in France, and was buried there. She died where she lived most of the years of her exile, on the outskirts of Paris, in the castle d’Eu. She would have ruled for 30 years, had the monarchy not fallen.

The Princess’ “body” was transferred to Brazil in 1971 for her final rest. Today, she is buried in the Cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara, in the city of Petrópolis, in Rio de Janeiro, together with her husband, the Count d’Eu, D. Pedro II and Teresa Cristina de Bourbon-Duas Sicilias, their country.

Little is said in detail about the life of this figure, who raises numerous curiosities when we propose to understand historical issues, in addition to what is presented to us during our school period.

And you, do you remember anything new besides the topics we mentioned? Do you know any other curiosity about her and want to share it with us? Write here in the comments!