Infanta Maria Francisca married Duarte de Sousa Araujo Martins

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

Infanta Maria Francisca de Bragança, Duchess of Coimbra married lawyer Duarte de Sousa Araújo Martins at the Basilica of Mafra Palace in a religious wedding ceremony. Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amélie. Infanta Maria's wedding gown was created by designer Luzia do Nascimento.

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

Maria Francisca is the only daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Braganza. Her father, Dom Duarte Pio, is the heir to the now defunct Portuguese throne that was abolished after the founding of the Portuguese Republic in the revolution of 1910. Today, the family enjoys a somewhat semi-official role in the Portuguese society.

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

The guest list of 1200 persons included European royals as well as the President of Portugal. Among the guests were Princess Miriam al-Ghazi of Jordan, the Duke of Württemberg, Prince Sebastien, Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, the Count and Countess of Paris, Prince Ludwig and Princess Sophie of Bavaria, Prince Philipp and Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein.

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

Infanta Maria wore the diamond tiara of the last Queen of Portugal, Queen Amelie. Luzia do Nascimento wedding gown

39 Comments

(We will not publish anonymous comments that were posted without stating a name or nickname)

  1. It is a lovely dress and they were beaming with happiness. But I think the dress should have had a brooch on one side, just to give it a bit of an edge. - Ellie

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    1. Nobody is wearing a brooch on a wedding dress.

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    2. Queen Margrethe of Denmark did wear a daisy brooch pinned to her wedding dress. If I remember correctly it used to belong to her late grandmother who was also called Daisy just like the queen herself./Grace

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    3. @Anonymous 11:46: well, I must be Nobody, because I wore a brooch on my wedding dress.

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    4. Nobody, me, also wore a brooch on my wedding dress.

      T

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    5. A brooch would be an odd choice. I've noticed that plain, unadorned wedding gowns are not a favorite by some of the commentators here.

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    6. The dress does need something. Without any pleats or draping I think it would look better with a little sparkle, lace, or embroidery. A special brooch would have been a nice touch.

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  2. Simple, classy and elegant.
    Thank you to deadeggs for requesting these photos.
    And how did you come up with the nickname deadeggs by the way?

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    1. Thanks @ Cate for asking about Deadeggs.
      Well the name goes back a long way into the 18th and19th centuries.
      The family “de AdeGgs” were a noble, landed gentry family with a chateau and big holdings of land in Eastern Europe.
      Unfortunately, my great, great grandfather and his brother were big gamblers. They lived the high life in Monte Carlo, the Casinò di Venezia in Venice, Baden-Baden in Germany and other European gambling houses.They had a collection of courtesans and were also known for chasing “a bit of skirt”.
      My great, great grandmother’s best friend was the gin bottle.
      Her christian name was Dianthe. After the gin bottle, her weakness was lashing out money with fashion couturiers in Paris.
      Bit by bit the land was sold off to keep some money coming in and eventually the family chateau and its contents were sold off to pay for their noble, high-priced lifestyle.
      I kept the family name (de AdeGgs.) I have been able to do this as I never married my hubby as we preferred to live in sin and avoid the vengeance of his unloveable mother who was against her son marrying a second hand royal? / arostrac with a scandalous family past.
      So today I’m just known as Mrs or Madam Deadeggs (de AdeGgs) and carry the cross for my family’s sordid past on my back.
      But traces of noble and/or royal blood are still there as I never complain, never explain.

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    2. @ Deadeggs: what an interesting family history you have! Damsel Dragonfly

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    3. P. the original10/10/23 18:50

      Dear @ Deadeggs,
      just back here and I have read your comment.
      A very impressive bit of family history.
      Ok, now I'm m gonna sit down and cry my eyes out with laughter.
      A work of art👏👏👏👍👍😂

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    4. Okay, but what's the real reason you chose "Deadeggs?" :D

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    5. What a delicious family history! I must know if you inherited the close friendship with gin that your great, great grandmother had, and if so, would that have anything to do with your mother-in-law's immediate feelings toward you? Cheers!🍸

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    6. Thanks for your question @Anon 23:15
      You know, I’m not a stranger to the bottle but I don’t think my great, great grandmother’s weakness for the gin bottle was passed on to me and had any connection to my hubby’s unlovable mother hating me and causing me to live in sin.
      That’s another story for another day.
      Again, thanks for your kindness.

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    7. Thanks for the answer, deadeggs. It's nice getting to know you a little better. 😊

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  3. Beatiful pride.

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  4. I love this classic, elegant wedding dress very much. The simplicity of the dress and the veil and the beauty of the fabric make it one of the best wedding dresses I saw lately. The dress reminds me a bit of the coat Queen Mathilde wore over her wedding dress : the same kind of fabric, the same neckline,. . . . Rose

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    1. My first thought was indeed about Mathildes wedding dress, and Letizia's too, because of the neckline. The overall look and fabric reminds me also of Meghan's wedding dress. Anyway: the bride is wearing a beautiful dress and is looking stunning. Timelesss. Damsel Dragonfly

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    2. I went immediately to Litizia's dress.

      T

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    3. Also Maxima's was similar to this.

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  5. Très belle robe aux lignes sobres mais cela manque d'un petit rang de perles qui viendrait complèter à merveille les autres bijoux !

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  6. A lovely bride, a lovely dress - a bit on the severe side I think, but maybe fitting for an infanta.

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  7. It’s a rather pretty dress with slightly medieval lines but a design too pure for my taste. It seems a little wide too, not fitted enough.

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    1. I agree completely with your comment about the fitting. HRH Infanta Maria Francisca wore a dress with similar lines for her reception, but the “waist” area was ever so slightly higher and more fitted - it was stunning on her. I thought the wedding dress just needed that slight tweak to make it perfectly fitted. That said, it’s a minor quibble for me - I really did like the dress very much and thought both it and the reception dress suited the Infanta so well.

      Anya

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  8. Ladyofthemanor10/10/23 13:52

    Beautiful, classical elegant dress with exquisite embroidery on the cuffs. The tiara is stunning and dazzling!!!

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    1. I’ve read that the tiare is known as the King Luis Tiara and is composed of 800 diamonds.
      It was worn by the bride's mother and grandmother for their respective weddings.

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  9. Dieses zauberhafte Lächeln unter diesem so zarten Schleier, der Sonnenschein und Diadem mit Ohrringen müssen sich anstrengen bei dieser wunderschönen Braut. Das Kleid scheint mir, erlaubte vielleicht kein Gramm zu verlieren, es wirkt leicht zu weit. Ein sehr glückliches und schönes Paar. *Warum sollte eine Braut keine Brosche tragen? Gibt es dazu einen Grund, der mir nicht bekannt ist? -Dorothe-

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  10. Simply classy and elegant. She looks beautiful. Quite a few stylish guests in the background it looks like as well. Congrats to the couple!
    Chel

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    Replies
    1. In photo N°10 is the bride’s mother, her elder brother and her father, the Duke of Braganza (wearing the hat).
      The Duke and Duchess of Braganza and their three children are a very conservative and low-key royal, Portuguese family.
      Certainly compared with WindsorLand in the U.K.
      Always a pleasure to see photos and read of them, which unfortunately, is not often.

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    2. To Deadeggs: remember Portugal is a republic before you post an insulting comment

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    3. Dear Anon 06:56 I know very well that Portugal is a republic.
      I’m quite up to date on the history of Portugal.
      I suppose, like me, you know that the monarchy ended in October 1910
      And could you please tell me the comment which I made that was insulting?
      Or are you just advising me not to make an insulting comment?
      My favourite destination in Portugal is Porto on the mouth of the Douro river
      It is said to be the little jewel of Europe.
      The valley of Douro is one of the wonders of the world.
      The Portuguese people are kind and humble and the Duke of Braganza and his family are an excellent example of a royal family.
      Some of the other royal houses in Europe could take a leaf out of their “royal” book.


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  11. Exquisite dress needs nothing more than this beautifull bride.
    ( certainly not a brooch!)
    Mabel

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  12. P. the original10/10/23 19:13

    The bridal gown is sensational.
    A sartorial masterpiece, pure timeless elegance and class.
    Beautiful pics.
    Congratulations to the newlyweds.

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  13. Best wishes for the Newlyweds. The gown and Tiara look stunning. Their happiness shows in their faces, css

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  14. Gorgeous dress and fantastic tiara. Seriously, that tiara rivals some of the best tiaras in Europe. It’s really beautiful.

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  15. Such a beautiful wedding dress--very elegant. The cuffs on the 3/4 length sleeves are a perfect and simple touch so as not to compete with the tiara for dazzle. The bride is beautiful and her tiara is gorgeous. The couple look radiantly happy--wishing them all the best.

    Janet

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  16. This bridal gown is superb, simple and subtle, but so elegant. Her tiara and veil work in well and look good. The Mother of the bride looked beautiful, gorgeous ensemble, the mulit strand pearl necklace was the perfect finishing touch.

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    1. Agree Ava with all your comments. I'd throw in the word elegance.

      My final try at getting a blogger or bloggers to help me with information on the Portuguese designer Luzia do Nascimento who did both the wedding dress and the dress for the reception dinner.
      The dress for the reception dinner was of a holter neck style with a likeness very close to that worn by the Duchess Meghan as her second dress for her wedding.

      Delete

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