Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza

Duarte Pio of Bragança (born May 15 1945) is the 24th Duke of Bragança and the presumptive heir to the throne of Portugal. He is the eldest son of Duarte Nuno of Bragança (1907-1976) by his wife Maria Francisca de Orleans e Bragança, Princess of Brazil. His baptismal godfather was Pope Pius XII. Although it has been a republic for nearly a century, the Duke of Bragança is personally popular in Portugal. The births of his children were treated as national events, while his wedding was attending by the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic.

Birth & education

Duarte Pio was born during his father's exile in Switzerland. He was physically born in the Portuguese Embassy in Bern: embassies are regarded as the territory of their country so his birth was legally on Portuguese soil. In 1950 Portugal abolished the Ban Law, which excluded the Royal Family from the country, allowing the duke and his family to return. Duarte was educated in the Military College and graduated in Agronomic Sciences.

Related Topics:
Switzerland - Bern - 1950 - Ban Law

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