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
Prince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza and participates in matters concerning Brazil's imperial past. Luiz Gastão Maria José Pio was born on 6 June 1938 in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, France, as the oldest son Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, the Vassouras great-grandson of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, and his wife, Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria, granddaughter of King Ludwig III of Bavaria. Through his father, he is a member of the Vassouras branch of the House of Orléans-Braganza, a cadet branch of the House of Braganza and the House of Orléans. Through both of his parents, Luiz is a cousin to many heads of royal families throughout