Christine, Princess Imperial of Brazil

Dona Christine, Princess Imperial of Brazil (born 11 August 1955, Château de Belœil, Belgium) is a member of the Brazilian imperial family, she is married to Antônio, Prince Imperial of Brazil, heir of Bertrand, Prince of Brazil, current Head of the House of Orléans-Braganza. Christine was born a Belgian princess, daughter of Antoine, 13th Prince of Ligne and Princess Alix of Luxembourg, and therefore by birth a member of the House of Ligne. Christine accompanies Antônio on trips throughout Brazil, participating in Monarchic Encounters and related events. The couple also represents the imperial family in ceremonies in Brazil and abroad, especially important occasions for the elite of european royalty and high nobility, such as weddings and funerals.

Early life
Princess Christine was born at her family's castle in Belœil, Kingdom of Belgium. Her father was Antoine, 13th Prince de Ligne, Head of the Belgium's foremost noble family, being a mediatized princely house of the former Holy Roman Empire since 1803. Her mother is Princess Alix of Luxembourg, is sister of former Grand Duke Jean. Through her mother, Princess Christine is a descendant in the fifth generation of King John VI of Portugal and Brazil and is a great-grand niece of Brazil's first emperor, Pedro I of Brazil. She is the maternal granddaughter of Charlotte, Grand Duchess Regnant of Luxembourg and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. Her godparents were her paternal uncle Prince Baudouin of Ligne and her maternal aunt Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Hohenberg. Christine, like her children, is in the line of succession to the Luxembourgish throne.

Education
Christinea studied at the Internship of French Studies of the Dominican Nuns of Froyennes, in Tournai. She traveled frequently with his family to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, where she visited his grandmother, his uncles and cousins. In Munich, she learned to speak German, with the purpose of obtaining better results in the baccalauréat (a kind of vestibular of France). After the exams, Christine and her cousin, the Archduchess Maria Astrid of Austria, traveled to India, working together with the nuns of the Order of Santa Cruz for six months. Having exercised his nursing knowledge and provided social assistance to poor children, she went to Madrid, Spain, where she studied philosophy and Spanish for a year. In 1979, Christine studied at the Higher Institute of Interpretation and Translation of Brussels, working later in the European Common Market. She speaks fluent French, English, Portuguese and understands German and Spanish well.

Marriage and children
She married Prince Antônio of Brazil, son of Crown Prince Pedro Henrique of Brazil and Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria, on 25 September 1981 in Rio de Janeiro.

They had four children:
 * Prince Pedro Luiz Maria José Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga of Orléans-Braganza (12 January 1983 – 1 June 2009).
 * Princess Amélia Maria de Fátima Josefa Antônia Miguela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga of Orléans-Braganza (born 15 March 1984), married to Alexander James Spearman (b. 27 March 1984). They have two sons:
 * Alexander Joaquim Pedro Spearman (b. Madrid, 30 August 2016)
 * Nicholas Rafael William Spearman (b. Madrid, 20 February 2018)
 * Prince Rafael Antonio Maria José Francisco Miguel Gabriel Gonzaga of Orléans-Braganza (born 24 April 1986).
 * Princess Maria Gabriela Josefa Fernanda Iolanda Miguela Rafaela Gonzaga of Orléans-Bragança (born 8 June 1989).

The couple went to live in a house in the Imperial City of Petrópolis, from where they move to a luxurious apartment in the neighbourhood of Botafogo in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where they currently live.

Titles and styles

 * 1955 - 1981: Her Highness Princess Christine of Ligne
 * 1981 - 2019:Her Royal Highness Princess Christine of Brazil, Princess of Orleáns-Braganza, Princess of Ligne
 * 2019 - 2022: Her Imperial Highness and Royal Highness Princess Christine of Brazil, Princess of Orleáns-Braganza, Princess of Ligne
 * 2022 - present: Her Imperial Highness and Royal Highness The Princess Imperial of Brazil

In 2019 Luiz, Prince of Brazil, as fons honorum according to the Vassouras branch claim, granted her husband and her the styles of "Imperial and Royal Highness".

Dynastic honors

 * Flag of Portugal (1830).svg Portuguese Royal Family : Dame of the Order of Saint Isabel.
 * Flag of Empire of Brazil (1870-1889).svg Brazilian Imperial Family: Grand Cross of the Order of the Rose