Portugal Hosted Its First “Royal Wedding” In Almost Three Decades At Mafra Palace
Infanta Maria Francisca of Braganza, the Duchess of Coimbra, 26, got married at Mafra Palace. This is the first royal wedding in Portugal in the last 25 years.
Lawyer Duarte de Souza Araujo Martins, 31, was the happy groom.
The Duchess of Coimbra and Duarte de Souza Araujo Martins during their wedding (Source Screenshot YouTube )
Maria Francisca, the only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Braganza, got engaged last year and began dating her actual husband four years ago.
Maria Francisca, the only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Braganza, got engaged last year and began dating her actual husband four years ago.
Duarte proposed to her in East Timor, on the peak of Mount Ramelau. The Duke and Duchess of Braganza have a fondness for Timor.
The Duarte de Braganza family was granted citizenship as a token of gratitude for their involvement in Timor's independence.
Portugal established the First Portuguese Republic in 1910. However, members of royal and aristocratic families did not lose their titles and palaces.
The Royal Wedding
So, Maria Francisca's wedding ceremony took place at the Mafra monastery and palace with all the royal luxury.
For the wedding, the Infanta chose a simple and elegant ivory dress with long sleeves and a train.
The diamond tiara, earrings, and family veil added a touch of brilliance.
According to the Royal Watcher, it was the first royal wedding in Portugal in over a quarter of a century. The couple will reside in their estate in Sintra, Lisbon, before moving to London.
Thousands of guests attended the event, many of them members of foreign royal families: Prince Sebastian and Louis of Luxembourg, their uncle Prince William, Princess Gundakar of Liechtenstein, and His Royal Highness Prince Leka of Albania.
The Infanta is third in line to the throne of the so-called Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarve, after her older brother, the Prince of Beira, and her younger brother, the Duke of Porto.
The Braganza dynasty is a royal family that reigned in Portugal from 1640-1853 and in Brazil from 1822-1889.
The Monarchist Cause
The couple’s wedding was not only a celebration of their love but also an occasion to promote the Monarchist Cause.
They view their union as an opportunity to spotlight the monarchy’s potential role in Portugal’s political landscape, with Duarte advocating for a parliamentary monarchy as a viable system.
However, he also acknowledges his civic duties as a citizen of the Portuguese Republic, striking a delicate balance between his personal convictions and his responsibilities to the nation.
