Princess Isabel was the heir to the throne of Brazil during the period when our country was a monarchy. She was married to a French nobleman known as Count of Eu and became famous for being responsible for signing the Golden Law, the law that abolished slavery in Brazil in May 13, 1888.
Biography
Childhood
Princess Isabel was born in Rio de Janeiro, in July 29 in 1846. her parents were Dom Pedro II, the emperor of Brazil, and Teresa Cristina, wife of the emperor. The princess's birth name was Isabel Cristina Leopoldina Augusta Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Bragança and Bourbon, and this was the emperor's second son and the first female.
Historians say that Princess Isabel's childhood was marked by isolation. She did not often appear in public and go to places visited by other members of the royal family and the court. She spent her childhood in São Cristóvão Palace, where the remains of the MuseumNational, destroyed by fire in 2018.
At the age of eleven months, the princess received the title of heiresspresumptive of Brazil, that is, she was heir because there was no better option available for the throne. This was because the emperor's two sons—one of them older than Princess Isabel—died in infancy. So, as the eldest daughter of the emperor, she ended up inheriting the title.
As a daughter of royalty and heir to the Brazilian throne, Princess Isabel's education was of quality. During her adolescence, she studied for 15 hours a day and studied different subjects, such as History, Rhetoric, Philosophy, Geology, Economics, Politics, etc. She learned several languages such as Latin, English and French; in the arts, she studied painting, drawing and the piano, for example.
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Wedding
In late 1863, when the princess was about to turn 18, her father began looking for a husband to marry her. In this search, an agreement was reached with Luís Filipe Maria Fernando Gastão, a member of the French nobility and known as Count of Eu.
The Count d'Eu was not the best loved person at the Brazilian court, and people's displeasure with him he was given for being French, in addition to having been prejudiced by the fact that he was deaf and spoke Portuguese bad. From the princess's marriage to the Count d'Eu, four children were born: Luisa Vitória, Peter, Luís and Antonio. The historians' reports show that Isabel and Conde d'Eu had a very stable relationship, being an extremely passionate couple.
The Count d'Eu was even sent to the Paraguay War by order of the emperor, to command the troops in place of Duque de Caxias. In the Paraguayan War, Conde d’Eu was responsible for freeing the Paraguayan slaves in 1870 and also coordinated the hunt for dictator Solano López.
Politics
Although she was the heiress and was well educated, historians claim that the princess never she was very fond of Brazilian politics and preferred to remain aloof from this matter as much as she was possible. As she was heir to the throne, she became a senator when she turned 25 (our country's first female senator). Princess Isabel, however, preferred to devote herself to domestic and religious affairs.
Even so, because of her position (as heir to the throne), she was forced to take charge of the country on three occasions. This happened as a result of the emperor's travels, which became quite common when the health of D. Pedro II deteriorated. She ruled Brazil on three occasions:
- In 1870, being responsible for signing the Free Womb Law.
- Between 1876-1877, having to deal with a conflict between Catholics and Freemasons.
- In 1888, when she signed the Lei Áurea.
Participation in abolition
This is the most controversial issue regarding Princess Isabel's life. By having signed the law that abolished slave labor in Brazil, the princess was marked in the history of our country as a great benefactor. The princess' involvement in the abolitionist cause has been the subject of intense study by historians, and this position of the princess as “redeemer” has been questioned.
First, the abolition of slavery in our country was not an act of political benefit for the princess, but was the result of a process of struggle that mobilized Brazilian society and included the struggle of several people, including the slaves. The maintenance of slavery at that time had become unsustainable due to a number of factors.
Furthermore, the princess's involvement in the cause was late. Historians point out that she only spoke publicly on the subject when the abolition of slavery seemed to be unavoidable, and throughout the 1880s, her stance was to avoid dealing with this issue. publicly. There are still critics pointing out that the princess' change of attitude was purely for political reasons.
Anyway, she performed an act that her father probably would not have the courage to perform, and there are reports that she once sheltered slaves in her residence and was also publicly seen carrying camellias, flower symbol of the abolitionist struggle in the Brazil. Finally, on May 13, 1888, Princess Isabel signed the Golden Law and abolished slavery in Brazil. If you want to know more about the process of this abolition, we suggest reading this text: Abolition of Slavery in Brazil.
escape from Brazil
The princess was forced to flee Brazil and into exile in France after the Proclamation of the Republic, which happened in November 15, 1889. This happened because, after this event, the Brazilian royal family was expelled from the country. As the Count d’Eu had family and possessions in Europe, the princess settled in France. The transformation of Brazil into a republic was the result of the monarchy's loss of popularity in our country's political cadres.
Another relevant factor is that, due to pure prejudice, both the princess and her husband were not well-regarded personalities to assume the throne of Brazil. The princess was questioned for being a woman, and the Count was questioned for being a foreigner. So the military—the group most dissatisfied with the monarchy—organized a coup and overthrew it.
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Death
the princess died in November 14, 1921,when he was 75 years old. She died in exile and therefore never had the chance to return to Brazil after her expulsion in 1889. The expulsion of the royal family was revoked in 1920, but the princess did not return to the country for health reasons. Her remains are currently found in Petrópolis, a city located in Rio de Janeiro.
*Image credits: Georgios Kollides and Shutterstock
