Prince Bertrand of Orléans-Braganza

Bertrand of Orléans-Braganza (born 2 February 1941) is the current head of the Vassouras branch of the House of Orléans-Braganza and one of the two principal claimants to the defunct Brazilian throne. He assumed the position on 15 July 2022, following the death of his elder brother, Luiz of Orléans-Braganza. The Vassouras branch asserts its claim in opposition to the Petrópolis branch of the Orléans-Braganzas, headed by Pedro Carlos. Both Bertrand and Pedro Carlos are great-grandsons of Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, daughter and heir of Emperor Pedro II, of the House of Braganza. The rivalry between the two branches stems from a dynastic dispute involving their fathers—who were first cousins—regarding the validity of renunciations and succession rights within the former Brazilian imperial family.

Born in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, France, the third child of Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, and Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria. He was the third and last child of the couple to be born abroad, and came to Brazil at the age of four. In Brazil, he graduated in law from the University of São Paulo and became a student of Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira and a devoted member of Tradition, Family and Property and later the Instituto Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira.^[1] Prince Bertrand is an avid traditionalist conservative, anticommunist, and outspoken advocate of right-wing Christian policies. Chaste, the Prince succeeded his brother as Head of the Imperial House of Brazil and is the main activist and spokesperson for the restoration of the monarchy, having gained prominence in the national media and, on occasion, in the international media. He is frequently invited by public and private institutions, including the Federal Government, to participate in official events, as well as to participate in monarchic events and meetings and to travel the country campaigning for the monarchy.^[2]^[3]

Although Prince Bertrand and Prince Pedro Carlos are great-grandsons of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, of the House of Braganza, they disputed the leadership of the Brazilian Imperial Family due to a dynastic dispute regarding their parents, who were cousins. A member of the Brazilian Imperial House, Prince Bertrand is closely related to the House of Braganza and the House of Orléans (Orleanist claimants), both through his paternal lineage, and with the House of Wittelsbach, through his maternal lineage. He is the great-grandson of Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil and King Ludwig III of Bavaria.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Roles

In recent years, Bertrand is coordinator and spokesman of the movement Paz no Campo (Peace in the fields), and has traveled all over Brazil lecturing for farmers and entrepreneurs in defense of private property and free enterprise.^[7]

As the activist and spokesman of the Brazilian Imperial House for the restoration of the monarchy, Bertrand has gained prominence in the national media and, on some occasions, international media,^[8] with the rise and spread of monarchist movements throughout the country.^[9] He participates annually in public meetings with monarchists,^[10] in addition to attending other meetings and conducting lectures, often at the invitation of private institutions, municipal governments and legislative assemblies, mainly for public events related to Brazil's monarchical past.^[11] In 2016 he gave an interview to Mariana Godoy on her program on RedeTV!, gaining notoriety with the general public.^[12] On 22 September 2017 Bertrand participated in the program The Noite com Danilo Gentili, currently the largest talk show in the country, breaking the program's record of audience.^[13] Despite the campaign, politically the monarchist movement is still small, with 11% of support among the population, according to a survey.^[14]

Political opinions

Bertrand is a Traditionalist Catholic and a member of Tradition, Family and Property,^[15] of traditionalist Catholic inspiration, founded and directed by the intellectual leader Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira until his death. There it diffuses from the catholic and monarchical ideals.^[16]

Bertrand supports typically Traditionalist Catholic ideas: he opposes same-sex marriage, favours the illegality of abortion and is against the demarcation of indigenous territory in Brazil.^[17]

He is a climate change denialist and has published a book entitled "Psicose Ambientalista" ("Environmentalist Psychosis"), denouncing with what he calls "the hoaxes created by radical environmentalists and by eco-terrorists".^[18]^[19]

Both he and his elder brother, Luiz, were engaged in monarchist proselytism in Brazil.^[16] They both played main roles during the campaign for the 1993 plebiscite, which represented the hitherto only real opportunity for a return of the monarchy since the proclamation of the republic, in 1889. In it, the people were asked to choose which form of government (presidential or parliamentary) and which form of state organization (republic or constitutional monarchy) Brazil should have. The monarchist cause was not successful, receiving only 13.4% of the vote.^[20]^[21]