Luís Gastão de Orléans e Bragança
1938–2022 (age 84)
Biography
Prince Luiz of Orléans-Braganza (6 June 1938 – 15 July 2022) was a Brazilian royal claimant who served as head of the Vassouras branch of the Imperial House of Brazil from 1981 until his death. He was the eldest son of Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza and Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria, and was regarded by his supporters as pretender to the defunct title of Emperor of Brazil.
The Vassouras branch asserts its claim to the former Brazilian throne in opposition to the Petrópolis branch, led by Pedro Carlos Orléans-Braganza. Both Luiz and Pedro Carlos were great-grandsons of Princess Isabel, daughter and heiress of Emperor Pedro II, but the two lines diverged following a dynastic dispute involving their fathers, who were first cousins. Throughout his life, Prince Luiz actively upheld the Vassouras claim, engaging in public discourse, monarchist movements, and initiatives related to Brazil’s imperial history and legacy.