Pedro Afonso Brazilian

Birth

Pedro Afonso was born at 08:00 in the morning of July 19, 1848 in the Imperial Palace of San Cristovan - the residence of his parents, the Emperor of Brazil, Pedro II , and Teresa Cristina of Bourbon-Sicilian ^[2] . His father belonged to the Brazilian branch of the Portuguese royal house of Bragança , who ruled Portugal for many centuries ^[3] . His grandfather and grandmother from his father's side were the Emperor of Brazil Pedro I , and his first wife, Maria Leopoldina of Austria , from her mother's side, Francis I , king of both Sicilies, and Maria Isabella of Spain ^[4] .

After the birth of his son, Emperor Pedro II received official congratulations at a reception arranged on the same day ^[5] . The news of the birth of the prince quickly spread among the Brazilian people, causing an unprecedented joy. In honor of the birth of the prince, artillery volleys were given. On the city streets for several days after his birth, people did not disperse, all the streets were brightly lit, and various ceremonial events were constantly held at the royal court ^[6] . The birth of the heir was greeted with great joy in the imperial house, since Pedro II wanted to transfer the throne through the male line, although women were allowed in the line of inheritance ^[7] . The poet Manuel de Araujo Porto Alegre called the birth of the heir "triumph" in the imperial house, which will ensure the continuation of the dynasty ^[8] .

The baptism of Prince Pedro Afonso took place on October 4, 1848. A private ceremony was held in the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Carmel in Rio de Janeiro ^[9] . The godparents were the cousin of the newborn, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria , and Dowager Empress Amelia Leuchtenberg , second wife of Pedro I. Both of them were not present at the ceremony and were represented by the Prime Minister and former Regent the court lady Marianne de Verne, Countess Belmont ^{[10] [2] [11]} . For the crowd gathered for the holiday, fireworks were organized and an open stage was organized, which was performed by more than a hundred musicians. According to the historian Hendrick Kraau, the royal christening once again emphasized that "the succession and future of the imperial family are provided by the prince and his two sisters" ^[9] . Pedro Afonso had an older brother who died before his birth. Therefore, remaining the only male child in the family, he became the first in the line of inheritance of the Brazilian throne, followed by his sisters, Isabella and Leopoldina. From birth, His Imperial Highness was called the Imperial Prince of Brazil ^[12] .

Death and Heritage

From 1847 to 1849, Pedro II and his family spent summer and winter time in the Petropolis , Rio de Janeiro area. The residence of the imperial family here was the , owned by the family for many years. The emperor’s relatives didn’t want to move to this palace, since, in their opinion, it “changed the established traditions and interests of the imperial house”, which liked to live in one place ^[13] . But, following the will of the emperor, the family returned to the palace in 1849 ^[13] . While there, Prince Pedro Afonso and his sister Isabella fell ill with a fever. Princess Isabella quickly recovered, the prince died of convulsions, at 4:20 in the morning of January 9, 1850 ^{[13] [2] [14]} . Contemporaries claimed that it could be encephalitis or congenital malformation , which led him to death ^[15] .

Pedro II wrote about the death of his second son: “The mortal blow I received. I would not have survived, but I still have a wife and two daughters ” ^[13] . The emperor told his relative, Consulate King of Portugal Ferdinand II: “By the time you receive this letter, you will already know that my family has suffered great sorrow ... God has sent us so many trials, and I hope for his mercy to console my sorrows " ^[16] . Three years ago, the emperor had already lost his first son, Prince Afonso. In his diaries, the emperor wrote that “he twice suffered suffering from death when he saw his dead boys” ^[17] . After the death of his son, the emperor canceled all scheduled meetings, and spent several days in solitude ^[18] .

The solemn funeral took place two days after the death ^[14] . The streets were crowded with people who sincerely regretted the loss of an heir ^[19] . In the capital there were many tourists who watched the funeral procession ^[20] . Pedro Afonso was buried in the monastery of St. Anthony in Rio de Janeiro ^{[2] [14]} . Honorio Ermeto Carneiro Leao , who later became the Marquis of Parana, wrote to the Brazilian ruling elite about the death of the prince: “My heavy duty is to inform you of the death of the imperial prince Pedro Afonso, who died on January 10 this year ... the second time we lose the heir to the throne ... It should serve as a consolation for us, confidence in the excellent health of the imperial couple, who are full of strength and life, to give us new male heirs to strengthen our state in such a hectic time ” ^[21] . Pedro II and Teresa Christina no longer had children. The reason for this is not known, although scientists write that the couple no longer had sexual intercourse ^[22] . The death of his second son literally devastated Pedra II, who never recovered from this. According to the historian Roderick Barman, he “was deeply shocked emotionally and intellectually” ^[16] .

In the eyes of the emperor, the death of the heir to the throne meant the sunset of the imperial house. His youngest son, according to the emperor, was the future for the dynasty. Despite the fact that in addition to his sons, he had two daughters, one of whom, Isabella, became the imperial princess and the heir to the throne, Pedro did not believe that a woman would be able to lead an empire in which the entire political elite are exclusively men ^[23] . He did absolutely nothing to prepare Isabella for her role as future empress, did not introduce her to politics, and did not introduce her to politicians. The absence of male heirs plunged the emperor into depression, he became careless about his role as head of state. In 1889, he was overthrown and spent the last two years in Paris, where he died ^[24] .

Prince Pedro Afonso was awarded the following Brazilian and Portuguese orders: ^[25] , Avis Order ^[25] , Order of Santiago ^[25] , Order of Pedro I ^[26] , Order of the Rose ^[26] .

• Pedro de Bragança, Infante de Brasil . - Profile on Thepeerage.com.