Eleonora, Princess of Ligne

Princess Eleanora (born Eleonora Maria Josefa Rosa Filipa Miguela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança e Wittelsbach on 20 May 1953) is a Princess of Brazil, Princess of Orléans-Braganza and Princess consort of Ligne in Belgium, as the wife of Michel, 14th Prince of Ligne, the Head of the House of Ligne since 2005.

Family and education
Princess Eleanora is a daughter of Pedro Henrique, Prince of Brazil and his wife Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria. Her father was the titular Emperor of Brazil, a claim now held by Eleanora's brother Luiz, Prince of Brazil. By her father she is a great-great-granddaughter of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil and descendant of many European royal houses. By her mother, she is great-granddaughter of King Ludwig III of Bavaria.

Eleanora was born on her father's estate in the town of Jacarezinho, in the state of Paraná. Hr family soon moved to a small palace in the city of Vassouras, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, closer to the former imperial capitl where she attended many traditional schools. Eleanora has a degree in history from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.

On the very same year she married Prince Michel of Ligne, her older brother Prince Antônio of Brazil was married to Princess Christine of Ligne, a sister of her husband.

Marriage
On 10 March 1981, Eleanora married Michel, Hereditary Prince of Ligne in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Michel is the eldest son of Antoine, 13th Prince of Ligne and Princess Alix Marie of Luxembourg (herself a daughter of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg).

They have two children:


 * Princess Alix Marie Isabelle Adelgonde Eléonore de Ligne (b. 3 July 1984), married on 18 June 2016 Count Guillaume Aymar Emmanuel de Dampierre (b. 4 May 1985). They have one daughter:
 * Countess Olympia de Dampierre (b. 21 December 2017).
 * Prince Henri Antoine Gabriël Wauthier Marie Lamoral of Ligne (b. 3 March 1989).

Succession
Michel succeeded as 14th Prince of Ligne on 21 August 2005, making Eleanora Princess of Ligne. The couple have an important social role in Belgium among charitable organizations, where they live with their children. For her marriage to someone in the same social level (non-morganatic marriage), a [[w:Prince|Prince, it was permmited to her to kept her Brazilian titles and pass to her children the Brazilian dynastyc rights, althought not the titles.

Titles and styles

 * 20 May 1953 – present: Her Royal Highness Princess Eleanora of Brazil
 * 3 March 1985 – 21 August 2005: Her Royal Highness The Hereditary Princess of Ligne
 * 21 August 2005 – present: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Ligne

Honors

 * flag Portugal (1830).svg Portuguese Royal Family: Dame of the Order of Saint Isabel.