Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil

Isabel
Princess Imperial of Brazil Countess of Eu
Portrait by Insley Pacheco, c. 1870
Head of the Imperial House of Brazil
Tenure	5 December 1891 – 14 November 1921
Predecessor	Emperor Pedro II
Successor	Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza
Born	(1846-07-29)29 July 1846 Palace of São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Died	14 November 1921(1921-11-14) (aged 75) Château d'Eu, Eu, France
Burial	Cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara, Petrópolis, Brazil
Spouse	Prince Gaston, Count of Eu ​ ​ (m. 1864)​
Issue	Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará Prince Luís Prince Antônio
Names Portuguese: Isabel Cristina Leopoldina Augusta Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga
House	Braganza
Father	Pedro II of Brazil
Mother	Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies
Religion	Catholic Church
Signature

Dona Isabel^[a] (29 July 1846 – 14 November 1921), nicknamed "the Redemptress",^[1] was the Princess Imperial (heiress presumptive to the throne) of the Empire of Brazil and the Empire's regent on three occasions. Born in Rio de Janeiro as the eldest daughter of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil and Empress Teresa Cristina, she was a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza (Portuguese: Bragança). After the deaths of her two brothers in infancy, she was recognized as her father's heiress presumptive. She married a French prince, Gaston, Count of Eu, in an arranged marriage and they had three sons.

During her father's absences abroad, Isabel acted as regent. In her third and final regency, she actively promoted and ultimately signed a law, named Lei Áurea or the Golden Law, emancipating all slaves in Brazil. Even though the action was broadly popular, there was strong opposition to her succession to the throne. Her gender, strong Catholic faith, and marriage to a foreigner were seen as impediments against her, and the emancipation of the slaves generated dislike among powerful planters. In 1889, her family was deposed in a military coup, and she spent the last 30 years of her life in exile in France.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).