Dead Brazilian Prince commemorated

The first anniversary of the death of Brazilian heir presumptive His Imperial and Royal Highness Dom Pedro Luiz de Orleans e Bragança, Prince of Brazil, is to be commemorated in his country. The 26-year-old Prince, eldest nephew and heir of the present Head of the Brazilian Imperial Family, was a direct descendant of Brazil's Emperor Pedro II, who at the time of his reign was referred to as “the philosopher on the throne” was among the 228 people killed when Air France flight 447 went down en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on 31st May 2009. (See the news of June 2009 and the family's communiqué).

Dom Pedro Luiz had been returning to Luxembourg, where he worked in a financial institution, after visiting family. Brazil's Estado de S. Paulo newspaper claimed he had moved to Europe to find a royal bride to further his ambition to restore the monarchy in the South American country. Dom Pedro Luiz was a passionate supporter of his right to rule. As a child, he attended pro-monarchy rallies with his father, Prince Antonio de Orleans e Braganca, and later helped found the Youth for Monarchy organisation and the Imperial Crusade movement. (See Instituto Dona Isabel I).

Yesterday Dom Pedro Luiz’ sister, H.I. & R.H. Princesse Amélia de Orleans e Bragança attended a Catholic mass at the Palace of Beloeil in commemoration of her late brother.

On 1st June Dom Pedro Luiz will be remembered in another Catholic mass in the Church Abacial de Nossa Senhora do Montserrat of the São Bento do Rio de Janeiro monastery. The mass will be celebrated by Dom José Palmeiro Mendes, Alessandro de Bourbon-Deux-Siciles and Jorge Luiz Pereira Neves da Silva.