House of Braganza and repudiated the liberal constitution granted by D. João VI, trying to establish an absolute monarchy. In 1828, Maria II was forced into exile by her uncle, the new King Miguel I. Her father D. Pedro IV of Portugal returned from Brazil, launched a successful military campaign, from the Azores, against Miguel I. He finally defeated and exiled Miguel I in 1834. Though exiled, Miguel would not give up his claim to the throne and would establish the Miguelist branch of the House of Braganza. The strategic marriages of his children to the various royal houses of Europe would earn
Prince Rafael of Orléans-Braganza Prince Rafael of Orléans-Braganza Prince Rafael of Orléans-Braganza ("Rafael Antonio Maria José Francisco Miguel Gabriel Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança e Ligne"; 26 April 1986) is a member of the former Imperial House of Brazil, which reigned as emperors until 1889. As the younger but only surviving son of Prince Antônio of Orléans-Braganza, he is expected to eventually take up the claim to Brazil's defunct throne. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Antônio lives in the Itaim Bibi neighborhood of São Paulo, Brazil. He graduated in Production Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. He speaks Portuguese,