Infanta Adelgundes, Duchess of Guimarães

Infanta Adelgundes, Duchess of Guimarães[1] (10 November 1858 – 15 April 1946) was the fifth child and fourth daughter[1] of Miguel of Portugal and his wife Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.[1] A member of the House of Braganza by birth, Adelgundes became a member of the House of Bourbon-Parma through her marriage to Prince Henry of Bourbon-Parma, Count of Bardi. She was also the Regent of the Monarchic Representation of Portugal and for that reason was granted the title of Duchess of Guimarães, usually reserved for the Head of the House.

Infanta Adelgundes
Countess of Bardi
Duchess of Guimarães
Born(1858-11-10)10 November 1858
Bronnbach, Wertheim, Germany
Died15 April 1946(1946-04-15) (aged 87)
Gunten, Bern, Switzerland
SpousePrince Henry, Count of Bardi
Full name
Portuguese: Adelgundes de Jesus Maria Francisca de Assis e de Paula Adelaide Eulália Leopoldina Carlota Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Gonzaga Inês Isabel Avelina Ana Estanislau Sofia Bernardina
HouseBraganza
FatherMiguel of Portugal
MotherAdelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
ReligionRoman Catholicism

Early life

Adelgundes de Jesus Maria Francisca de Assis e de Paula Adelaide Eulália Leopoldina Carlota Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Gonzaga Inês Isabel Avelina Ana Estanislau Sofia Bernardina, Infanta de Portugal, Duquesa de Guimarães, was born in Bronnbach, Wertheim, Germany.[1] Her father died on November 14,1866, a few days after her eighth birthday,[2] and Adelgundes and her siblings were educated in a Catholic and conservative environment by their mother. Her maternal uncle, Furst Carl zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, was like a second father to the children.

Marriage

Adelgundes married Prince Henry of Bourbon-Parma, Count of Bardi, fourth child and youngest son[1] of Charles III, Duke of Parma and his wife Princess Louise Marie Thérèse of France,[1] on 15 October 1876 in Salzburg, Austria–Hungary.[1] Henry, who was 25 years old, had been previously married to Princess Luisa Immacolata of the Two Sicilies, who had died three months after their marriage at the age of 19 in 1874.[3] Henry had taken part in the Carlist war and fought in the Battle of Lacar. War wounds turned him into an invalid.

Their union produced no issue, as her nine pregnancies all ended in miscarriages. The failed pregnancies, the last of which she suffered in 1890, were a source of great grief to the couple.[1] They divided their time between the Castle of Seebenstein in Austria and the Vedndrami-Caligari palace in Venice. Adelgundes spent long years looking after her paralyzed husband. The Count of Bardi was described by relatives as a disagreeable man who tyrannized his sweet, petite wife. After almost 30 years of marriage, Adelgundes became a widow in 1905.[4]

She was close to her many nephews and nieces, particularly Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg, from the time of her abdication to her early death.

Regent-in-absentia

Between 1920 and 1928, Adelgundes acted as the regent-in-absentia[5] on behalf of her nephew and Miguelist claimant to the Portuguese throne, Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza, who was only twelve years old when his father Miguel renounced his claim to the throne in favor of his son. At the beginning of her regency in 1920, Adelgundes was created 7th Duchess of Guimarães.[5] In 1921 she authored a manifesto outlining the House of Braganza's goals for the restoration of the Portuguese monarchy. During her regency, Aldegundes signed an accord with ex-King Manuel II of Portugal, by which he recognized Duarte as his heir. Duarte lived with her at Seebenstein until the German occupation of Austria when the whole family relocated to Bern, Switzerland, where she died in Gunten on 15 April 1946 at age 87.[1]

Ancestry

References
  1. Darryl Lundy (5 June 2004). "Adelgunde de Bragança, Infanta de Portugal". ThePeerage.com. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
  2. "Michael I., Portugal, König - Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek". www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  3. McNaughton, C. Arnold. The Book of Kings. p. 453.
  4. "Infanta Adelgundes of Portugal's many miscarriages". History of Royal Women. 2014-12-20. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  5. Martin K. I. Christensen (22 July 2008). "WOMEN IN POWER: 1900-1940". Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership. Retrieved 17 November 2008.

Bibliography
  • William Mead Lalor, Six Braganza Sisters, in Royalty History Digest.
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