House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha be the illegitimate daughter of King Carlos I of Portugal and claimed the right to the titles of Duchess of Braganza and to be the rightful Queen of Portugal. Maria Pia claimed that King Carlos I legitimized her through a royal decree and placed her in the line of succession, however no proof was presented to demonstrate this and the King similarly did not have the personal authority to do so. Maria Pia's paternity was never proven and her claim not widely accepted. House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha The House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (also known as the House of
House of Orléans-Braganza to the marriage. Isabel and Leopoldina were not informed until Gaston and August were mid-Atlantic. Arriving in early September, Gaston described the princesses as "ugly", but thought Isabel less so than her sister. For her part, Isabel in her own words "began to feel a great and tender love" for Gaston.[65] The two couples: Gaston and Isabel; August and Leopoldina; were engaged on 18 September. On 15 October 1864 at Rio de Janeiro, Prince Gaston married Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil and heiress of the Empire. It was from that marriage the royal house of Orléans-Braganza was formed. The couple