Luís I of Brazil

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Luís I of Brazil
Emperor of Brazil
Reign July 5, 1981 — Present
Coronation	July 10, 1981
Born	June 6, 1938 (age 70) Palácio Imperial, Rio de Janeiro
Predecessor	Pedro III of Brazil
Heir-apparent	Prince Imperial Pedro
Consort	Princess Paula of Prussia
Issue	Prince Imperial Pedro Prince Afonso Princess Imperial Amélia Princess Francisca Prince João
Royal House	House of Orléans-Braganza
Father	Pedro III of Brazil
Mother	Princess Maria Isabel of Bavaria

Luís I is the reigning Emperor of Brazil. His name in full is Luís Gastão Maria José Pio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança e Wittelsbach. He is styled Sua Majestade Imperial e Real, Dom Luís I, Por Graça de Deus, e Unânime Aclamação dos Povos, Imperador Constitucional e Defensor Perpétuo do Brasil, which translates to His Imperial and Royal Majesty Dom Luís I, By the Grace of God and Unanimous Acclamation of the People, Constitutional Emperor and Perpetual Defender of Brazil. He ascended to the throne on July 5, 1981, upon the death of his father.

Biography

Luís was born on June 6, 1938, the eldest son of Emperor Pedro III of Brazil (1909-1981) and Princess Maria Isabel of Bavaria (1914-). His siblings are Prince Eudes Maria (b. 1939), Prince Bertrand (b. 1941), Princess Isabel Maria (b. 1944), Prince Pedro de Alcântara Henrique (b. 1945), Prince Fernando Diniz (1948), Prince Antônio João (b. 1950), Princess Eleanor Maria (b. 1953), Prince Francisco Maria (b. 1955), Prince Alberto Maria (b. 1957), Princess Maria Teresa (b. 1959), and Princess Maria Gabriela (b. 1959).

Luís's godparents are Princess Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies (1878–1973), who is also his paternal grandmother, and Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (1913-), his mother's brother.

By his paternal family, he descends directly from the Emperors of Brazil, from the Kings of Portugal (House of Braganza), and from the Kings of France (Houses of Orléans and Bourbon). By his maternal family, he is a descendant of the Kings of Bavaria (House of Wittelsbach), and from the other German Royal Houses.

Since his accession as Emperor of Brazil, he has devoted his time to serving the people as best he can, travelling frequently to every major city and even the most far-flung reaches of the country, conversing with people of every race, class, color, religion, and creed, in order to really know the people and their problems, address their grievances, etc. As a devout Catholic, the Emperor works arduously in the preservation of the Christian faith among the Brazilians; however, he is also known for his religious toleration, and meets regular with prominent leaders of minority faiths in Brazil. He is widely loved and praised for his combination of tradition and modernity, his piety, his honesty, his philanthropy, and his genuine commitment to the well-being of his people. He rules in an absolutist but enlightened fashion, as a benevolent autocrat who defends the liberties of the people against the depredations of democracy, egalitarianism, nationalism, and internationalism and stands firmly by his principles with a courageous disregard for (and contempt of) political expediency.

A polyglot, the Emperor speaks fluent Portuguese, French, and German, and understands Spanish, Italian, and English. His goal is to master the latter three languages and learn at least two indigenous Brazilian languages.

His hobbies and interests include reading, classical music, hunting, and equestrianism.

Family

Emperor Luís is married to Princess Paula of Prussia (b. October 12, 1957), the elder sister of the German Emperor, Friedrich Wilhelm III. They have five children:

• Prince Imperial Pedro Luís Maria José Jorge Miguel Rafael Gabriel de Orléans e Bragança e Hohenzollern, Prince of Grão-Pará (age 31), married to Susana Ysabel María de la Luz de Iturbide y de Liechtenstein, Imperial Princess of Mexico (age 21)
  • Prince Lorenzo Aarón Miguel Afonso Luís Maria Rafael Francisco Agustin de Orléans e Braganca e Iturbide (age 0)
• Prince Afonso José Maria João Pio Gabriel Rafael de Orléans e Bragança e Hohenzollern (age 28), married to Princess Mila Konstantinovich of Yugoslavia (age 21)
• Princess Imperial Amélia Maria Joana Carlota Leopoldina de Orléans e Bragança e Hohenzollern (age 27)
• Princess Francisca Glória Joana Carlota Micaela Gabriela Rafaela de Orléans e Bragança e Hohenzollern (age 26), married to José Maria Alves de Oliveira, Duke of São Paulo (age 40)
• Prince João Alcântara Francisco Carlos Xavier Leocádio Miguel de Orléans e Bragança e Hohenzollern (age 23), married to Princess Francesca Giovanna Alba Maria Chiara Isabella of Savoy (age 18)

Honors

• Grand Master of the Imperial Order of the Southern Cross
• Grand Master of the Imperial Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ
• Grand Master of the Imperial Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz
• Grand Master of the Imperial Order of Saint James of the Sword
• Grand Master of the Imperial Order of Dom Pedro I
• Grand Master of the Imperial Order of the Rose
• Bailiff Grand Cross of the Constantinian Order of Saint George

Ancestry