Prince Miguel of Braganza

Infobox Prince
name = Prince Miguel of Braganza


othertitles =Infante of Portugal, Duke of Viseu
full name =Miguel Maximiliano Sebastão Maria
spouse 1 =Anita Stewart
offspring =Nadejda, John, Miguel
royal house =Braganza
father =Miguel, Duke of Braganza
mother =Princess Elisabeth of Thurn und Taxis
date of birth = birth date|1878|9|22
place of birth = Reichenau an der Rax
date of death = death date and age|1923|2|21|1878|9|22
place of death = New York|

Prince Miguel of Braganza, Duke of Viseu (22 September 1878 - 21 February 1923) was an Infante of Portugal and member of the House of Braganza.

Early life

Miguel was born in Reichenau an der Rax, Austria-Hungary the eldest son and heir apparent of the Miguelist pretender to the Portuguese throne Miguel, Duke of Braganza and his first wife Princess Elisabeth of Thurn und Taxis. Prince Miguel's father was the head of the non reigning branch of the Portuguese Royal House that had been exiled from Portugal. The exile was the result of the Portuguese law of banishment of 1834 and the constitution of 1838 which was brought about because his grandfather Miguel of Portugal had in 1828 usurped the throne of Portugal from Queen Maria II. His grandfather reigned as king until 1834 when Maria II was restored.

Like his father Miguel pursed a career in the Army and served in a Saxon cavalry regiment. On 16 September 1900 Miguel was riding back into town in a Phaeton after having attended a dinner at a country house, when he caught his wheels in the carriage of Prince Albert of Saxony the son of Prince George, and nephew of the reigning king Albert. The collision was so great the Prince Albert's carriage overturned into a ditch, with Prince Albert dying a few hours after. Because it could not be determined whether it was a accident or intentional Miguel escaped a court martial but he was forced to give up his commission in the Army and leave the country. [cite news | author = A Veteran Diplomat | title = Where Americans Lose Caste | publisher = New York Times | page = SM2 | date = 1909-07-18 ]

Marriage and children

On 9 July 1909 Miguel's engagement to the American heiress, Anita Stewart (1886-1977) was announced in London. Anita Stewart was the daughter of William Rhinelander Stewart and Annie Armstrong. After her parents divorced in August 1906 her mother married the millionaire James Henry Smith. [cite news | title = Anita Stewart Will Wed Prince Miguel | publisher = New York Times | page = 1 | date = 1909-09-07 ]

Miguel and Anita Stewart were married at Tulloch Castle near Dingwall in Scotland on 15 September 1909. Shortly before the wedding Anita was created Princess of Braganza by the Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph. [cite news | title = Miss Stewart A Princess | publisher = New York Times | page = 1 | date = 1909-07-10 ] Upon his marriage Miguel was able to keep his place in the line of succession as morganatic marriages did not exist in Portuguese law. [cite news | title = Miss Stewart Weds; Holds To Her Faith | publisher = New York Times | page = 1 | date = 1909-09-16 ]

From their marriage Miguel and his wife had three children.cite book |last=Pike |first=Charlotte |title=Almanach de Gotha |edition=182nd |year=1998 |publisher=Almanach de Gotha |isbn=0953214206 |pages=186]

Later life

After his marriage Miguel was granted the title Duke of Viseu by his father, through the reigning Portuguese King Manuel II did not recognise this and claimed the title for himself.cite news | title = Braganza A Broker's Clerk | publisher = New York Times | page = 1 | date = 1911-01-17 ] Shortly after his marriage, Miguel faced legal action from a syndicate who had lent him money some years previous when he was in financial difficulties. After promising to pay the syndicate one-fifth of any dowry he received as a result of contracting a rich marriage he later tried to pay back only what he had originally borrowed. [cite news | title = Braganza Sued For Million | publisher = New York Times | page = 1 | date = 1909-12-07 ] Although he paid off the majority of his creditors after his wedding some were unhappy and seized his furniture and other items and took them to an Auction house. [cite news | title = Braganza's Effects Seized | publisher = New York Times | page = 1 | date = 1910-02-09 ]

In 1911-1912 Miguel took part in the monarchist uprisings in Portugal led by Henrique Mitchell de Paiva Couceiro, in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the First Portuguese Republic. [cite book |last=de Saisseval |first=Guy Coutant |title=Les Maisons Impériales et Royales d'Europe |year=1966 |publisher=Éditions du Palais-Royal |pages=427 ] He was also active in raising money to fund the uprisings. [cite news | title = Braganza Gets $10,000,000 | publisher = New York Times | page = 6 | date = 1911-11-14 ]

Miguel later found work in London where he was employed as a Broker's clerk for the city firm Basil Montgomery, Fitzgerald and co. After originally being forced to resign from the Army, he returned to serve in the German automobile corps during the First World War reaching the rank of Captain. [cite news | title = Prince Miguel Promoted | publisher = New York Times | page = 11 | date = 1917-05-20 ]

After the war on 21 July 1920 Miguel renounced for himself and his descendants, his rights of succession to the Portuguese throne. His father also renounced his rights ten days later which resulted in the Miguelist claim passing to his younger half brother Duarte Nuno.

Prince Miguel later moved to New York where he sold life insurance before dying of pneumonia following an influenza attack. [cite news | title = Royal Prince Sells Life Insurance Here | publisher = New York Times | page = 1 | date = 1923-01-03 ] [cite news | title = Prince Miguel Dies From Pneumonia | publisher = New York Times | page = 15 | date = 1923-02-22 ]

Ancestry

ahnentafel top|Ancestors of Prince Miguel of Braganza|width=100%ahnentafel-compact5
style=font-size: 90%; line-height: 110%;
border=1
boxstyle=padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0;
boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
1= Prince Miguel of Braganza
2= Miguel II, Duke of Braganza
3= Princess Elisabeth of Thurn und Taxis
4= Miguel of Portugal
5= Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
6= Maximilian Anton, Hereditary Prince of Thurn und Taxis
7= Duchess Helene in Bavaria
8= John VI of Portugal
9= Charlotte of Spain
10= Constantine, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
11= Princess Marie Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
12= Maximilian Karl, Prince of Thurn und Taxis
13= Baroness Wilhelmine of Dörnberg
14= Maximilian Joseph, Duke in Bavaria
15= Princess Ludovika of Bavaria
16= Peter III of Portugal
17= Maria I of Portugal
18= Charles IV of Spain
19= Maria Luisa of Parma
20= Charles, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
21= Countess Sophie Luise of Windisch-Grätz
22= Charles Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
23= Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth
24= Karl Alexander, Prince of Thurn und Taxis
25= Duchess Therese Mathilde of Mecklenburg(-Strelitz)
26= Baron Ernst of Dörnberg
27= Wilhelmine Henriette von Glauburg
28= Duke Pius August in Bavaria
29= Princess Amélie Louise of Arenberg
30= Maximilian I of Bavaria
31= Caroline of Badenahnentafel bottom

References

-
-