The present Duke of Bragança is not only the legal heir of the Miguelist Branch but also the last King of Portugal. Through his mother he is a descendent of King Dom Pedro IV of Portugal earlier known as Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil.
In 1920, Dom Miguel resigned his dynastic rights in favour of his only son Dom Duarte Nuno by his wife Dona Theresa, daughter of Carl Prince von Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.
Two years later, in 1922, The Pact of Paris was signed by the representatives of both already married but heirless King Manuel II and Dom Duarte Nuno which resolved the future Headship of the Royal House of Portugal. The Pact of Paris stated:
It has been declared:
A. by the first signatory (for H.M. King Dom Manuel II) that His August Head in default of a direct heir will accept the successor indicated by the general Cortes of the Portuguese nation.
B. Equally he (H.M. King Dom Manuel II) will accept the resolution of the same Cortes as to the political constitution of the restored Monarchy.
C. With the agreement of the Holy See the religious question will be resolved by means of a diploma which is to be submitted to the Cortes.
By the second Signatory (for H.R.H. Dom Duarte Nuno) it was said before the proceeding Declaration His August Head (H.R.H. Dom Duarte Nuno) would ask and recommend to all His supporters that they would accept as King of Portugal Dom Manuel II, and that they would unite loyally under the same Flag that shelters Monarchists. That is the Flag of the Motherland and that Flag shall save Portugal.
In 1927, Dom Miguel died leaving Dom Duarte Nuno as the male heir of King Miguel I. Five years later, King Manuel II died without issue leaving Dom Duarte Nuno as the legitimate Chief of the Royal House of Bragança.
Dom Duarte Nuno married Princess Dona Maria Francisca of Brazil, the daughter of Dom Pedro Prince of Grão Para, in 1942. This union resulted in the birth of three sons: Dom Duarte Pio João Miguel Gabriel Rafael (the present Duke of Bragança), Dom Miguel Rafael Gabriel Xavier Teresia Maria Felix (the present Duke of Viseu) and Dom Henrique Nuno João Miguel (the present Duke of Coimbra). To conform to the Royal House Laws requiring royal princes to be born on Portuguese soil, all three sons were born inside of the Portuguese Embassy in Switzerland. The Royal Family was invited to return to Portugal in 1950 at the request of the benevolent dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazar who was President of the Council of Ministers of the National Assembly of the Republic of Portugal (the legislative body which replaced the Cortes).
Dom Duarte Nuno died in 1976 leaving his eldest son Dom Duarte Pio João Miguel Gabriel Rafael de Orleans e Bragança as the Chief of the Royal House of Portugal and the Most Serene House Bragança. His godparents at Baptism were His Holiness Pope Pius XII and Her Majesty Queen Amelia, the widow of King Carlos I and mother of King Manuel II.
The full style and titles of Dom Duarte Pio are: His Royal Highness, the Most Serene Lord, Duke of Bragança, of Guimarães and of Barcelos, Marquis of Vila Viçosa, Count of Arraiolos, of Ourém, of Barcelos, of Faria, of Neiva and of Guimarães, Sovereign of the Royal Order of Saint Isabel, Grand Master of the Order of Our Lady of Conception of Vila Viçosa and Grand Master by Birth of the Order of Saint Michael of the Wing and Judge of the Royal Brotherhood of Saint Michael of the Wing.
David
