Pedro Thiago, Prince Imperial of Brazil

Dom Pedro Thiago Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga, Prince Imperial of Brazil (born 12 January 1979) is, after his father, the next most senior member of the House of Orléans-Braganza which has been the Imperial House of Brazil since 1921. He belongs to the so called Petrópolis branch of claimants and since 2022 he has pursed an active claim to the throne of Brazil.

Early life
He was born in Petrópolis, the son of Pedro Carlos, then Prince Imperial of Brazil, and his first wife Rony Kuhn de Souza who died two days after his birth. For the supporters of his grandfather Pedro Gastão's claim to the throne, as the eldest son of the Prince Imperial he was styled His Imperial Highness the Prince of Grão Pará from birth, before becoming Prince Imperial of Brazil upon the death of his grandfather in 2007.

On 26 May 1992, Pedro Thiago was kidnapped while on his way to school and held for a ransom reported at $5 million. He was freed on 2 June after police raided a house in a Rio de Janeiro suburb. In January 2002, he was indicted on charges relating to the theft and then sale of a set of porcelain dishes from the Palace of the Grão-Pará belonging to his aunt Princess Christina.

Education and career
Prince Pedro Thiago studied for a degree in Physical Education and has studied carpentry. He has carried out various jobs in the past, being qualified to pilot boats and racing cars and worked as a model. In 2001 he applied to join the police.

In 2004 he ended his architecture studies to move from Petrópolis to live in Jacarepaguá with his then girlfriend, businesswoman Patrícia Lima, and to become a professional cyclist in the downhill category of cycling in which he has been as high as 11th in the world rankings.

In 2020 Prince Pedro Thiago was the candidate of the conservative Brazilian Labour Renewal Party to be elected deputy mayor of Petrópolis but he was not successful in the election.

Dynastic activities
In 2022 Prince Pedro Thiago asserted a claim to the headship of the Imperial House of Brazil under the name Pedro VI, believing his father to have abandoned any claim to head the imperial house after declaring himself a republican.

Honours
He has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Pedro I, as well of the Order of the Rose.