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- BIOGRAPHY
Dom Luiz de Orléans e Bragança e Wittelsbach, Prince of Brazil, Prince de Orléans e Bragança, was born on 6 June 1938 in Mandelieu, France. As heir to the Brazilian throne he received the title of Prince Imperial of Brazil. He was the eldest of the twelve children of H.I. and R.H. Prince Dom Pedro Henrique, from 1921 to 1981 head of the Imperial House of Brazil, and H.R.H. Princess Maria of Bavaria, granddaughter of Ludwig III, the last Bavarian king. Dom Luiz was baptised in the chapel of Mas Saint-Louis Mas, belonging to his grandmother, Princess Maria Pia, born a Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, who was also his godmother. His godfather was his maternal uncle, Prince Ludwig of Bavaria.
Through his paternal family, Dom Luiz descends from the House of Orléans, as well as from the emperors of Brazil, and with the heirs of the kings of Portugal (Casa de Bragança) and the kings of France (House of Orléans) he is descended from a single family, the House of Capet, defined as the oldest in the world apart from the legendary Geórgic dynasties, Japanese or Ethiopian lineages.
The maternal family of Dom Luiz is descended from the House of Wittelsbach, among the oldest and undoubtedly the most brilliant in Germany.
Dom Luiz saw his country the first time in 1945, after the end of World War II, when the imperial family established itself finally in Brazil, first in Rio de Janeiro and then in Paraná. He studied in the traditional colleges - among them the St.Ignatius College, of the Jesuit Fathers in Rio - and later left for Paris, where he perfected his learning of languages. He speaks fluently Portuguese, French and German and understands Spanish, Italian and English. Finally from 1962 to 1967 he studied chemistry at the University of Munich.
With the death of his father in 1981 he became the head of the Imperial House, which means that he is de jure the Emperor of Brazil. The monarchists call him His Imperial Majesty Dom Luiz I, by the Grace of God and the Unanimous Acclamation of the People, Constitutional Emperor and Perpetual Defender of Brazil.
However the prince is a member of TFP - Brazilian Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property - a conservative Catholic organization that advocates political idealogies of the extreme right. Many monarchist began to question the desirability of having him as de jure Emperor while belonging to this institution. It was suggested that Dom Luiz should give up his rights in favour if his brother Dom Antonio, the third in line of succession, as the second, Dom Bertrand is also active in the TFP. Dom Antonio opted not to take the post of heir-apparent from his older brother by such means.
Since becoming head of the Imperial House, Dom Luiz devotes all his time to Brazilian issues, but operates diswcreetly. His favourite activity is reading, historical and religious books, and he appreciates classical music. His favourite sport is hunting.
As a devout Catholic, he is doing effectively what he considers essential for the preservation of the true Faith. Being single, his immediate heirs are his brothers Bertrand, also unmarried, and Antonio who is married to Princess Christine de Ligne and has four children. The other brothers, Eudes, Pedro de Alcantara, Fernando Dinis, Francisco and Alberto, have lost their rights to the Brazilian throne through marriages outside royalty.
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