Antônio, Prince Imperial of Brazil

Dom Antônio, Prince Imperial of Brazil (Antônio João Maria José Jorge Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga; born 24 June 1950) is the heir presumptive to the Brazilian throne, as brother of Bertrand, Prince of Brazil. He is the son of Pedro Henrique, Prince of Brazil and Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria.

Being the grandson of Luís, Prince Imperial of Brazil, great-grandson of Empress Isabel I of Brazil and great-great-grandson of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. Antônio is the current holder of the title Prince Imperial of Brazil according to the disputed claims of the Imperial Family's Vassouras branch, being the first in the line line of succession to the Brazilian throne as heir to his elder brother Bertrand, Prince of Brazil. He is also a retired engineer and painter. Active in promoting the cause of the restoration of the monarchy in Brazil, Prince Antônio represents the Imperial Family in most of the events that take place in Rio de Janeiro, where he lives, having occasionally also represented it in Europe and traveled the country as part of royalist campaigns. Less outspoken than his older brothers on political and controversial issues, Prince Antonio is often seen as a less conservative alternative in whom some royalists place their trust.

Antônio married on 26 September 1981, Princess Christine of Ligne, member of the House of Ligne. The wedding took place at the Church of Saint-Pierre in Beloeil, Belgium. In 1983, the couple's first child was born, Prince Pedro Luiz Maria José, who died in 2009, on Air France Flight 447 in the Atlantic Ocean. In 1984, the couple's second child was born, Princess Amélia Maria de Fatima Josefa, who renounced her place in the line of succession to the Brazilian throne, by marrying Alexandre James Spearman. In 1986, the couple's third and penultimate child was born, Prince Rafael Antonio Maria José, the current Prince of Grão-Pará. In 1989, Princess Maria Gabriela Josefa Fernanda Yolanda, the last child of the couple.

Birth and childhood
Antônio was born in Rio de Janeiro, the sixth son of Crown Prince Pedro Henrique of Brazil and of his wife, Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria. He spent his childhood in a confortable estate in the town of Jacarezinho, Paraná, and then his family moved to a palace the city of Vassouras, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

In 1976, Antônio earned a bachelor's degree in Engineering (with a specialization in Major Structural Projects) from the University of Barra do Piraí.

Painting
Antônio is an artist, usually painting water color landscapes depicting buildings, ranches, and farms typical of colonial Brazil. In May 1999 he held an exhibition, "A Herança Portuguesa no Brasil Colonial" (The Portuguese Heritage in Colonial Brazil) at Ipanema Park in Portugal. In 2001 he held exhibitions at Curitiba and at Joinville. His work has also been displayed in the Crystal Palace in Petropolis, the National Museum of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro, and the Galeria Quadrante and the Museu da Casa Brasileira in São Paulo.

Marriage and family
In 1981, he married Princess Christine of Ligne, daughter of Antoine, 13th Prince de Ligne (head of one of Belgium's foremost noble families) and his wife, Princess Alix of Luxembourg. The civil ceremony took place on September 25 and the religious ceremony on September 26, both at Belœil.

The couple have four children:
 * Prince Pedro Luiz (12 January 1983, Rio de Janeiro – 1st June 2009), he was a passenger on the Air France Flight 447, which crashed into the ocean while traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.
 * Princess Amélia (born 15 March 1984, Brussels). On 16 August 2014, she married James Spearman, who is from Scotland and is descended from the Spearman Baronets. Amélia and her husband James Spearman have two sons, Alexander Joaquim Pedro (born 30 August 2016, Madrid) and Nicholas Rafael (born 20 February 2018, Madrid)
 * Prince Rafael (born 24 April 1986, Petrópolis).
 * Princess Maria Gabriela (born June 8, 1989, Rio de Janeiro).

Antônio lives with his family in Petrópolis.

Dynastic claims
Dom Antônio's older brother is Bertrand, Prince of Brazil, the current Head of the Brazilian Imperial Family and, from a monarchist perspective, de jure Emperor Bertrand I of Brazil. Following the death of his eldest brother Luiz, Prince of Brazil, Prince Bertrand became Head of the Imperial House and Antônio, as heir presumptive to the throne, automatically succeeded as Prince Imperial if his older brother were actually reigning, and who is often accorded that style in royalist circles. Although he is the sixth brother, Antônio follows Bertrand in the succession order because three older brothers renounced their claims to the throne in order to marry commoners. Some Brazilian royalists consider the marriage of Prince Antônio with Princess Christine de Ligne as a mésalliance or morganatic, since the Princes de Ligne were never a sovereign family, nor a mediatised family.

Titles and styles

 * 24 June 1950 – 9 July 2022: His Highness Prince Antônio of Brazil
 * 15 July 2022 – present: His Imperial Highness The Prince Imperial of Brazil

Honors
As member of the House of Orléans-Braganza, he is recipient of the following orders:
 * Flag of Empire of Brazil (1870-1889).svg Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Pedro I
 * Flag of Empire of Brazil (1870-1889).svg Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of the Rose

He is a recipient of the following foreign orders:
 * Flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1816).svg Castroan Royal Family of the Two Sicilies: Grand Cross of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George