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Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Princess Esperanza weds



December 18, 1944


Princess Esperanza of Bourbon-Two Sicilies was married today in Seville to Dom Pedro de Alcantara of Orleans-Braganza, a scion of the former imperial house of Brazil.

The marriage took place at Seville's 13th century cathedral.   The New York Times reports that "royalty flowered again in the pomp and pageantry of Spanish tradition."

The couple's civil wedding took place yesterday.

Members of nearly all of Europe's royal houses attended or sent representatives to the wedding, which was officiated by Cardinal Segura, archbishop of Seville.


The bride was escorted by her father,  Infante Don Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and the bridegroom by his mother, Princess Elisabeth.

More than five thousands "guests and spectators" were in the cathedral and many more were crowded in the street to view the bride and groom.



Princess Maria de la Esperanza Amalia Rainiera Maria Rosario Luisa Gonzaga of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, was born at Madrid on June 14, 1914, the youngest daughter of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies, Infante of Spain, and Princess Louise of Orléans.    Her sister, Princess Maria de las Mercedes, is the wife of Infante Don Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona, the heir to the Spanish throne.

Although HRH Prince Pedro de Alcântara Gastão João Maria Filipe Lourenço Humberto Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orléans-Braganza was born at Eu in France on February 19, 1913, he is a member of the exiled Brazilian Imperial family.  He is the son of Dom Pedro de Alcantara of Orléans-Borbon and Bohemian noblewoman Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky of Dobrzenicz.   Dom Pedro renounced his rights to the defunct throne following his marriage to the Countess.

Two of Dom Pedro's sisters  Princesses Isabelle and Maria Francisca, have also married into former ruling families.  In 1931,  Princess Isabelle married Prince Henri of Orléans, Count of Paris, pretender to the French throne.   Two years, ago, Maria Francisca wed Dom Duarte-Nuno, Duke of Braganza, heir to the former Portuguese throne.

 The groom's paternal grandmother,  was Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil,  daughter of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil and Princess Teresa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. 

3 comments:

  1. No idea - the original article mentioned that the civil wedding took place the day before

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  2. I have checked the news in ABC (a royalist and conservative Spanish newspaper with a fantastic open archive).
    The civil wedding took place at the residence of the bride's parents and it was celebrated by the Brazilian consul.
    Just cut and paste.
    http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1944/12/19/021.html
    I also read in the news archive that the wedding was scheduled for November, but had to be cancelled to allow the groom's sisters to arrive in time from Brazil to Lisbon.

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