House of Orléans-Braganza House of Orléans-Braganza The House of Orléans-Braganza (Portuguese: "Casa de Orleães-Bragança" or "Orléans-Bragança") is an imperial and royal house, of French and Brazilian origin. It is a cadet branch of the House of Orléans, of France, and the House of Braganza, of Portugal and Brazil. The house was founded with the marriage between Isabel of Braganza, Princess Imperial of Brazil, and Prince Gaston of Orléans, Count of Eu. The house was never a reigning house, as Brazil's pure Braganza monarch, Pedro II, was deposed in 1889. The House's members are the current claimants to the Brazilian throne since 1921 as
House of Braganza of Marquis of Vila Viçosa and Count of Neiva. Fernando I's children, by his wife, Joana de Castro, Lady of Cadaval, continued to enlarge the influence of the House of Braganza. Of his nine children, all six who survived to adulthood established themselves either through positions or marriages, though the actions of King João II would seek to weaken their influence. Fernando I's first son and successor, Fernando II, was initially a bright and popular nobleman, but his conflict with King João II would see his and the House's downfall. His second son, João of Braganza, 1st Marquis of Montemor-o-Novo,