THE Princess Isabel she is one of the best known figures when it comes to the monarchic period gives brazilian history, having been responsible for decreeing the abolition of slavery in Brazil. Married to the Frenchman Conde d'Eu, the princess was the heir to the Brazilian throne, but the Proclamation of the Republic, in 1889, forced her to flee into exile.
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Biography
childhood and education
Isabel Cristina Leopoldina Augusta Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Bragança and Bourbon, or simply Princess Isabel, was born in Rio de Janeiro, on July 29, 1846. Princess Isabel was the second daughter of D. Pedro II with his wife, Teresa Cristina. Even though she was the second daughter, she became the heir to the throne at the age of 11 months, following the death of the emperor's eldest son, Afonso Pedro, at the age of two.
Thus, Princess Isabel was named presumptive heiress, which occurs when there was no better choice of heir to the throne. Later, the emperor and his wife had another male heir – Pedro Afonso – but this, as well as the first heir, died in infancy. This again caused Princess Isabel to be named the presumptive heiress.
Princess Isabel's education was worthy of royalty and followed the molds that were applied to her father, D. Peter II. During her childhood, for six days a week, the princess took classes in astronomy, history, literature, physics and philosophy and also learned several languages, such as Latin, French, English and German. She also studied dance, piano, drawing, geography, geology etc.
Princess Isabel grew up in the Paço do São Cristóvão, in the Palace where the remains of the National museum, and his childhood was marked by isolation. She had few friends and was little present in the main scenarios of the Brazilian court.
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Wedding
When she turned 18, Princess Isabel married Luís Filipe Maria Fernando Gastão, the Count of Eu. Although arranged marriages are a common practice among royal families, historians claim, for through records made by the princess herself, that she was in fact in love with the Count d’Eu when she got married.
From her marriage to Conde d’ Eu, four children were born: Luísa Vitória, Pedro, Luís and Antônio. Princess Isabel's husband was not very popular at the Brazilian court. Some historians claim that he was considered a rude person, and the fact that he was deaf and spoke Portuguese very poorly caused discomfort for many at the time.
Despite being unpopular, Conde d'Eu was chosen by liberals and conservatives to be sent to the Paraguay War, in 1869, as a substitute for Duque de Caxias, in command of the Brazilian troops. This is because Princess Isabel's husband had some military experience.
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Politics
Despite being the presumptive heiress and having received an excellent education, Princess Isabel was never very interested in Brazilian politics. Historians claim that the princess had a preference for housework and disliked getting involved in politics. Despite this, throughout her life, Princess Isabel assumed command of Brazil on three occasions.
As the heir to the Brazilian throne, Princess Isabel had the responsibility to assume command of the country when the emperor was absent. The three occasions on which the princess acted as regent of Brazil were:
In 1871, the princess assumed command of Brazil and, during her regency, the Lei do Ventre Livre was approved.
In 1876 and 1877, the princess had to deal with the clash between Freemasons and Catholics.
In 1888, she assumed power while her father treated health problems in Europe. In her regency, the Golden Law was approved.
role in abolition
Historically, Princess Isabel has always been exalted as a great humanist for having signed the law that ended slavery in Brazil. This attribution to the princess has been openly questioned by some historians, who point out the limits of Princess Isabel's performance on the abolitionist question.
Abolition was not the result of her benevolence, but of a process of struggle by abolitionists and slaves throughout the 1880s. Princess Isabel had the merit of signing the document, which, most likely, D. Pedro II would never have the courage to sign, due to the reactions that this could cause among the economic elites, which supported him in power.
Furthermore, some historians point out that the princess preferred, for much of the 1880s, remain oblivious to the slavery issue and only manifested itself when the abolition of slaves was something inevitable. Other reports say that she sheltered slaves in her residence and carried camellias in her clothing – flower symbol of the abolitionist movement.
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escape from Brazil
On November 15, 1889, the Proclamation of the Republic. With her, the royal family was expelled from Brazil and, thus, Princess Isabel went with her husband to exile in France. The establishment of the republic in Brazil was a result of the loss of political support from the monarchy during the 1880s.
The weakening of the monarchy was mainly due to the fact that the princess was not a very popular figure to succeed the Brazilian throne, as she was a woman. Her husband's unpopularity aggravated the situation and made them both susceptible to conspiracies. The Proclamation of the Republic was even a coup plotted by the military.
Death
Princess Isabel died on November 14, 1921, at the age of 75. The princess died in exile and never returned to Brazil after 1889. In 1920, the expulsion of the royal family was revoked, but for health reasons the princess was unable to return. Currently, her body is buried in Petrópolis, in Rio de Janeiro.
*Image credits: Georgios Kollides and Shutterstock
By Daniel Neves
Graduated in History