Miguel II, Duke of Braganza
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Template:House of Braganza Miguel II of Bragança (pron. IPA: /Template:IPA/), in English Michael II of Braganza (September 19, 1853- October 11, 1927) was the head of the Migueline line of the dynasty of Braganza, and claimed to have been the 22nd Duke of Bragança.
He was born in Kleinheubach Castle near Miltenberg, Bavaria, during the exile in Germany of his father, former king Miguel I of Portugal. His mother was Adelaide, princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort-Rosenberg.
As the son of King Miguel, the duke was forbidden to enter Portuguese territory. Therefore, he was educated in Germany and Austria. He was a member of the staff of Franz Josef, emperor of Austria and took part in the occupation of Bosnia. It is said that the emperor liked the duke immensely and granted him the privilege of extra-territoriality that allowed him to remain Portuguese, despite the rejection of Portugal. During World War I, Miguel was one of the field marshals of the Austrian army until, in 1917, Portugal entered the conflict on the opposite side. Immediately he asked for exoneration and served the rest of the war as a civilian, in the Order of Malta. After the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Miguel and his family were thrown into relative poverty.
Miguel's descendants
- First marriage, with Princess Elisabeth of Thurn and Taxis (May 28, 1860 - February 7, 1881), on October 17, 1877 in Regensburg
- Miguel of Bragança (1878-1923)
- Francisco José of Bragança (1879-1919)
- Maria Teresa of Bragança (1881-1945)
- Second marriage, with Princess Maria Theresa of Löwenstein-Wertheim
- Isabel Maria of Bragança (1894-1970), married Franz, of Prince Thurn and Taxis
- Maria Benedita of Bragança (1896-1971)
- Mafalda of Bragança (1898-1918)
- Maria Ana of Bragança (1899-1971), married Karl, Prince of Thurn and Taxis
- Maria Antónia of Bragança (1903-1973), married Ashley Chandler
- Duarte Nuno, Duke of Bragança (1907-1976)
- Maria Adelaide of Bragança (born 1912), married Nicolau van Uden
In 1920, after some family quarrels with his older son, Miguel II abdicated (his claims, such as the pretension of kingdom) for Duarte, only 13 years old. It has been reported that in 1926, just before Miguel's death, the representative of deposed king Manuel II of Portugal concluded a pact with the Migueline line of the royal dynasty, and that the Duchy of Braganza was granted to the Migueline branch - whereby Miguel II is held to have become the uncontested 22nd Duke of Bragança. If ever so granted, the duchy then was inherited at latest at the death of Miguel by his second son Dom Duarte Nuno - his elder son having died meanwhile. Many monarchists argue against this pact constitutional validity because the abdication in favour of the miguelist line should have been made after the abrogation, by a King's sovereign act, of article 98 of the Monarchic Constitution, which has never happened, and with the personally sign of the last king Manuel. This opposition branch was led by the last daughter of the king Charles of Portugal, Maria Pia Saxe Coburg of Braganza.
Miguel died in Seebenstein, on October 11, 1927.