Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg

Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
File:Adelheid of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. Queen of Portugal.jpg
Born	(1831-04-03)3 April 1831 Kleinheubach
Died	Ryde, Isle of Wight
Burial	Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza
Spouse	Miguel I of Portugal
Issue	Maria das Neves, Duchess of San Jaime Miguel, Duke of Braganza Infanta Maria Theresa Infanta Maria Josepha Adelgundes, Duchess of Guimarães Maria Anne, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Maria Antonia, Duchess of Parma
Full name German: Sophie Amelie Adelheid Louise Johanne Leopoldine
House	Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
Father	Constantine, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
Mother	Princess Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (3 April 1831 – 16 December 1909) was the wife of King Miguel I of Portugal but only following his deposition. As a widow, she secured advantageous marriages for their six daughters.

Family

Princess Adelaide Sofia Amelia of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg was born in Kleinheubach, near Miltenberg, Bavaria on 3 April 1831, Easter Sunday. She was a daughter of Constantine, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1802–1838), and Princess Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. Adelaide was four and half years old when her mother died and seven when she also lost her father. Adelaide and her brother, Charles, were brought up by their paternal grandparents, Karl Thomas, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1783–1849) and his wife Princess Sophie of Windisch-Graetz. Her maternal grandparents were Charles Louis, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Countess Amalia of Solms-Baruth.

Princess Adelaide belonged to the Löwenstein-Wertheim family, an originally morganatic branch of the House of Wittelsbach which was eventually elevated to princely status and mediatised in 1819.

Marriage

On 24 September 1851, Adelaide married Miguel I of Portugal. The bride was 20 years old while the groom was almost 49.

Miguel had at first served as Regent in Portugal for his niece and betrothed Mary II of Portugal but had seized the throne for himself on 23 June 1828. He was an avid conservative and admirer of Klemens Wenzel von Metternich. He overturned the Constitutional Charter written by his brother, Pedro I of Brazil, and tried to rule as an absolute monarch. This resulted in the so-called Liberal Wars (1828–1834), actually a prolonged civil war between progressive constitutionalists and authoritarian absolutists.

The war had ended in 1834 with the deposition of Miguel, who renounced all claims to the throne of Portugal in exchange for an annual pension. (Since he renegued on the terms of his deposition, he never collected the pension.) He was forced into a lifelong exile. He remained the senior male member of the Portuguese line of the House of Braganza, but he was never restored to the throne and it is disputed whether his descendants' dynastic rights were restored. On 15 January 1837, his support of Infante Carlos, Count of Molina, the first Carlist pretender to the Spanish throne, resulted in the removal of his own rights to said throne.

Children

Name	Birth	Death	Notes
Infanta Maria das Neves	5 August 1852	15 February 1941	Married Alfonso Carlos, Duke of San Jaime, Carlist claimant to the throne of Spain
Infante Miguel	19 September 1853	11 October 1927	Duke of Braganza, and grandfather of the current throne claimant, Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
Infanta Maria Theresa	24 August 1855	12 February 1944	Became the third wife of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria
Infanta Maria Josepha	19 March 1857	11 March 1943	Became the second wife of Karl Theodor, Duke in Bavaria
Infanta Adelgundes	10 November 1858	15 April 1946	Married Prince Enrico of Bourbon-Parma, Count of Bardi, son of Charles III, Duke of Parma
Infanta Marie Anne	13 July 1861	31 July 1942	Married Guillaume IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Infanta Maria Antónia	28 November 1862	14 May 1959	Became the second wife of Robert I, Duke of Parma

Ancestry

Family of Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg

16. Prince Theodore Alexander of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort               8. Dominic Constantine, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort                       17. Countess Catharine Louise Eleonore of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Hartenburg               4. Charles Thomas, Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg                             18. Ludwig Leopold, Prince of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein               9. Princess Leopoldine of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein                       19. Countess Polyxene of Limburg-Stirum               2. Constantine, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg                                   20. Count Leopold Karl of Windisch-Grätz               10. Count Joseph Nicholas of Windisch-Graetz                       21. Countess Maria Antonia of Khevenhüller               5. Countess Sophie of Windisch-Grätz                             22. Charles Marie Raymond, 5th Duke of Arenberg, 11th Duke of Aarschot               11. Princess Leopoldine of Arenberg                       23. Countess Louise-Marguerite de la Marck-Schleiden               1. Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg                                         24. Ludwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg               12. Christian Albrecht, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg                       25. Countess Eleonore of Nassau-Saarbrücken               6. Karl Ludwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg                             26. Frederick Charles, Prince of Stolberg-Gedern               13. Princess Caroline of Stolberg-Gedern                       27. Princess Louise of Nassau-Saarbrücken               3. Princess Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg                                   28. Johann Carl, Count of Solms-Baruth               14. Johann Christian II, Count of Solms-Baruth                       29. Countess Henriette Louise Wilhelmine of Lippe-Biesterfeld               7. Countess Amalie Henriette of Solms-Baruth                             30. Heinrich VI, Count Reuss of Köstritz               15. Countess Friederike Reuss of Köstritz                       31. Enriqueta Juana Francisca Susana Casado y Huguetan, Marchioness of Monteleone

Matchmaker and Later life

See also : Descendants of Miguel I of Portugal

Her husband, Miguel, died on 14 November 1866 before any of their children had reached adulthood. Adelaide, who was a very ambitious woman, would spend the next several decades attempting to secure prominent marriages for her children.

As a result of her largely successful attempts, her grandchildren would include (among others) Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza, Elisabeth Amalia, Princess of Liechtenstein, Elisabeth, Queen of the Belgians, Marie Gabrielle, Crown Princess of Bavaria, Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Antoinette, Crown Princess of Bavaria, Xavier, Duke of Parma, Zita, Empress of Austria, Felix of Bourbon-Parma and Infanta Maria Adelaide of Portugal. Many of her descendants have inherited her longevity.

In 1895, two years after the marriage of her last daughter, Adelaide, a devout Catholic, retired to the abbey of Sainte-Cécile de Solesmes in north-western France. She professed as a nun there on 12 June 1897. The community later moved to Cowes and then to Ryde on the Isle of Wight, where Adelhaid died on 16 December 1909 at the age of 78. In 1967 both her body and that of her husband were moved to the Braganza mausoleum in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.

Miguel and Adelaide, ancestors of many royalties

1. Adelheid, Princess zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1831-1909) ∞ King Miguel I of Portugal (1802-1866) 2. Miguel, Duke of Braganza (1853-1927) ∞ Princess Maria Theresa of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1870-1935) 3. Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza (1907–1976) ∞ Francisca of Orléans-Braganza (1914–1968) 4. Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza (1945), Head of the Royal House of Portugal ∞ Isabel de Castro Curvelo de Herédia (1966-) 5. Afonso, Prince of Beira (1996-) 2. Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal (1855–1944) oo Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria (1833–1896) 3. Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria (1878-1960)) ∞ Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein (1869–1955) 4. Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1906–1989) ∞ Countess Georgina von Wilczek (1921–1989) 5. Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1945-) ∞ Marie, Countess Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau (1940-) 6. Alois (1968-), Hereditary Prince and Regent of Liechtenstein 5. Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein (1947-) ∞ Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg (1957-) 6. Maria-Anunciata, Marie-Astrid & Josef-Emanuel of Liechtenstein, descendants of the 4 Bragance sisters 2. Infanta Maria Josepha of Portugal (1857-1943) ∞ Karl Theodor, Duke in Bavaria (1839-1909) 3. Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria (1876-1965) ∞ Albert I, King of the Belgians (1875-1934) 4. Leopold III, King of the Belgians (1901-1983) ∞ Astrid of Sweden (1905-1935) 5. Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium (1927-2005) See below 5. Albert II, King of the Belgians (1934-) ∞ Paola dei principi Ruffo di Calabria (1937-) 6. Philippe, King of the Belgians (1960-) ∞ Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz (1973-) 7. Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant (2001-) 6. Astrid of Belgium (1962-) See below 4. Marie José of Belgium (1906-2001) ∞ King Umberto II of Italy (1904–1983) 5. Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, Head of the House of Savoy, Royal House of Italy 6. Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont 3. Duchess Marie Gabrielle in Bavaria (1878–1912) ∞ Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria (1869–1955) 4. Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria (1905–1996) ∞ Countess Maria Draskovich of Trakostjan (1904–1969) 5. Franz, Duke of Bavaria (1933-), Head of the Royal House of Bavaria 5. Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria (1937-) ∞ Countess Elisabeth Douglas (1940-) 6. Sophie, Duchess in Bavaria (1967-) ∞ Alois (1968-), Hereditary Prince and Regent of Liechtenstein see above 2. Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal (1861–1942) ∞ William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1852–1912) 3. Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1896–1985) see below 2. Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal (1862–1959) ∞ Robert I, Duke of Parma (1848–1907) 3. Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma (1893–1970) ∞ Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1896–1985) 4. Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg in retreat (1921-) ∞ Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium (1927-2005) 5. Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1955-) ∞ Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla (1956-) 6. Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (11 novembre 1981 - ) 5. Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg (1957-) See above 3. Pr. Zita of Bourbon-Parma (1892–1989) ∞ Charles I, Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia (1887–1922) 4. Otto von Habsburg (1912–2011) ∞ Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen (1925–2010) 5. Karl von Habsburg (1961-), Head of the Imperial House of Austria 6. Ferdinand Zvonimir von Habsburg (1997-) 4. Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este (1915–1996) ∞ Margherita, Princess of Savoy-Aosta (1930-) 5. Lorenz, Archduke of Austria-Este (1955-), Head of the Ducal House of Modena ∞ Astrid of Belgium (1962-) 6. Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este, Crown Prince of Modena (1986-) 3. Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma (1889-1977) ∞ Madeleine de Bourbon-Busset (1898–1984) 4. Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma (1930–2010) ∞ Princess Irene of the Netherlands (1939-) 5. Carlos, Duke of Parma (1970), Head of the Ducal House of Parma ∞ Annemarie Gualthérie van Weezel (1977-)

Sources

• "The Book of Kings: A Royal Genealogy" by C. Arnold McNaughton.
• "Burke's Royal Families of the World", edited by Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd.

External links

• Her profile in Peerage.com
• A list of her descendants (Archived 2009-10-24)