Maria Pia of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Braganza
| Maria Pia de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança | |
|---|---|
| Pretender | |
 |
|
| Born |
March 13, 1907 Lisbon, Portugal |
| Died | May 6, 1995 (aged 88) Verona, Italy |
| Title(s) | Duchess of Braganza (as pretender) |
| Throne(s) claimed | Portugal |
| Pretend from | 1932-1987 |
| Monarchy abolished | 1910 |
| Last monarch | Manuel II |
| Connection with | Alleged bastard half sister |
| Royal House | House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (as pretender) |
| Father | Carlos I of Portugal (claimed) |
| Mother | Maria Amelia Laredó e Murça |
| Spouse | Francesco Javier Bilbao Giuseppe Manlio Blais António João da Costa Amado-Noivo |
| Children | Fátima Francisca Maria Cristina Amelia Rosario (adopted) |
| Predecessor | Manuel II |
| Successor | Rosario Poidimani |
Maria Pia de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança, a name she assumed in later life, called María Pía de Sajonia Coburgo-Braganza de Laredo, in a disputed specimen of her birth certificate, also known by her literary pseudonym Hilda de Toledano, a Portuguese writer and journalist, claimed from 1932 to be the illegitimate daughter of King Carlos I of Portugal. In 1957 she also claimed the right to the title of Duchess of Braganza and to be the rightful heir to the throne of Portugal. Maria Pia claimed that King Carlos I legitimized her through a royal decree and placed her in the line of succession, however no proof was presented to demonstrate this and the King similarly did not have the personal authority to do so. Maria Pia's paternity was never proven and her claim not widely accepted.
Maria Pia de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança was born in Lisbon, Portugal, to Maria Amélia Laredó e Murça, the daughter of a wealthy Brazilian couple who had moved to Europe: Armando Maurício Laredó and Maria Amélia Murça e Berhen. Maria Amélia's parents are sometimes given the title "baron", but they did not actually hold any noble title; their wealth, however, may have allowed them to use such a title unquestioned.
Maria Amélia Laredó e Murça was not married at the time she gave birth to her daughter on March 13, 1907. Maria Pia de Bragança claimed that, shortly thereafter, she was taken by her mother and grandparents to Madrid, Spain. There, she said, she was baptised in the Church of Saint Fermin de los Navarros on April 15, 1907 and that the baptism was registered at the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and Saint Aloysius. She claimed that her baptismal registration recorded that her father was "D. Carlos de Sassonia-Coburgo y Savoya de la Casa de Braganza de Portugal". This clearly refers to King Carlos I of Portugal, who at the time was married to another woman, Princess Amélie of Orléans.
It has been suggested that Maria Pia de Bragança was, in fact, one Hilda de Toledano, a girl of modest birth adopted by a Brazilian family.
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Wikipedia