House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Casa de Bragança-Saxe-Coburgo-Gota | |
---|---|
Parent house | |
Country | , Kingdom of Portugal, Empire of Brazil |
Founded | 9 April 1836 |
Founder | |
Final ruler | Manuel II |
Titles | List
|
Dissolution | 2 July 1932 (death of Manuel II) |
Deposition | 5 October 1910 |
The House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha[1] (also known as the House of Saxe-Coburg-Braganza or the Constitutional Branch of the Braganzas)[2] is a term used to categorize the last four rulers of the Kingdom of Portugal, and their families, from 1853 until the declaration of the republic in 1910. Its name derives from the four kings descended in a patrilineal line from King Ferdinand II of Portugal (of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry) and in a matrilineal line from Queen Maria II of Portugal (of the House of Braganza).
The designation Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is prevalent mainly in the writings of non-Portuguese historians and genealogists, as European custom classifies a descendant branch on the basis of patrilineal descent, which means that the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a cadet branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry.
Nonetheless, the 1838 Portuguese constitution stated that the House of Braganza was the ruling house of Portugal, by way of Queen Maria II, and her descendants still continued to style themselves as members of the House of Braganza, as opposed to Saxe-Coburg-Braganza.[3] With the death of King Manuel II without legitimate issue in 1932, the dynasty became extinct.[1]