The Braganças

[Principessa]

Don't want to offend anyone, but I am curious. Why does the older boy hold his head up that way?

Actually I was thinkg the same. It looks like he swallowed a stick or something like that. He usually looks stiff in all pictures, not just in those.

I have noticed the same, and was also wondering about it.
It seems to me he has been raised in a kind of old fashion way. To be aware of his "status".

[Duchess of Lisbon]

Don't want to offend anyone, but I am curious. Why does the older boy hold his head up that way?

Actually I was thinkg the same. It looks like he swallowed a stick or something like that. He usually looks stiff in all pictures, not just in those.

I have noticed the same, and was also wondering about it.
It seems to me he has been raised in a kind of old fashion way. To be aware of his "status".

ITA with you. Just look at his posture in the service.











photos from Facebook

[Principessa]

Don't want to offend anyone, but I am curious. Why does the older boy hold his head up that way?

Actually I was thinkg the same. It looks like he swallowed a stick or something like that. He usually looks stiff in all pictures, not just in those.

I have noticed the same, and was also wondering about it.
It seems to me he has been raised in a kind of old fashion way. To be aware of his "status".

ITA with you. Just look at his posture in the service.











photos from Facebook

In current times he seems to be 'old' for his age.

[violetroses]

I feel a bit bad criticizing so young a person, but really such haughty bearing went out with the ark......it is not 1812

Today is ok to see such aloofness in a great aged gentleman like the Duke of Edinburgh but looks VERY unbecoming in so young a person.

Maybe there is a Mr Darcy thing going on where he looks haughty but is actually shy and uses this look as a protection against strangers approaching him.

[Duchess of Lisbon]

I feel a bit bad criticizing so young a person, but really such haughty bearing went out with the ark......it is not 1812

Today is ok to see such aloofness in a great aged gentleman like the Duke of Edinburgh but looks VERY unbecoming in so young a person.

Maybe there is a Mr Darcy thing going on where he looks haughty but is actually shy and uses this look as a protection against strangers approaching him.

He wished it was 1812, it would mean he was going to be a king.  (the monarchy ended in 1910)
I remember hearing that he used to be bullyied at school so maybe that's a defense mechanism.

[ortensia]

He looks like a very shy guy with the tendency of going red when in a pubblic occasion like this ceremony.
To me he looks very very young, even younger than his actual 18 years.
He reminds me a bit Gui .

[Principessa]

I agree with you. Possibly it is a sort of defend mechanism.

[Dangereuse]

Either that or he may have bony fusion of his spine making it rigid.  We need videos of his movement to be sure. 

[pixiecat]

Today Afonso turns 18 and Caras made this photogalery with some pictures of  him.

http://caras.sapo.pt/real...a-festeja-18.-aniversario

Today is schedule a mass to celebrate his birthday. (Only the Braganças to celebrate a boy's birthday on a church!  )

I take it that they're very, very religious?  I figured as much since they showed up to Imre and Katie's wedding in DC.

[pixiecat]

By the way, what's their status in Portugal?  There's no real chance that they'll come back to the throne, is there?

[Duchess of Lisbon]

By the way, what's their status in Portugal?  There's no real chance that they'll come back to the throne, is there?

Absolutely not! The constitution defines Portugal as a Republic and a referendum would be against the law and that's one of the monarchists main complaints.
Here's a few links about how the Monarchy ended here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Portugal
http://en.wikipedia.org/w...First_Portuguese_Republic

Portuguese people like the Branganças (they seem a very nice family) but not enough to give them the throne.
They are seen more as celebrities than  politicians.

[/quote]

I take it that they're very, very religious?  I figured as much since they showed up to Imre and Katie's wedding in DC.
[/quote]

I just realised they were very religious when I started reading some blogs and Facebook pages that defend the return of the monarchy. They talk about God almost all the time!!!  BTW, the Duke and Duchess didn't attend Kate & William's wedding (they weren't invited). They weren't invited to Vic & Dan's wedding, too.

 

[pixiecat]

By the way, what's their status in Portugal?  There's no real chance that they'll come back to the throne, is there?

Absolutely not! The constitution defines Portugal as a Republic and a referendum would be against the law and that's one of the monarchists main complaints.
Here's a few links about how the Monarchy ended here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Portugal
http://en.wikipedia.org/w...First_Portuguese_Republic

Portuguese people like the Branganças (they seem a very nice family) but not enough to give them the throne.
They are seen more as celebrities than  politicians.

I take it that they're very, very religious?  I figured as much since they showed up to Imre and Katie's wedding in DC.
[/quote]

I just realised they were very religious when I started reading some blogs and Facebook pages that defend the return of the monarchy. They talk about God almost all the time!!!  BTW, the Duke and Duchess didn't attend Kate & William's wedding (they weren't invited). They weren't invited to Vic & Dan's wedding, too.

 
[/quote]

Thanks, DoL

Their supporters sound a lot like the Greek Royal Family's supporters.  Their FB page has some crazy, crazy stuff written by their fans. 
So they're just celebrities and not people who have a real chance at coming back?  That's nice that they're treated so favorably even though it sounds like the people don't want them on the throne. 

[esther angeline]

Do they live in Portugal?  Are they wealthy?  How do they support themselves?

[Duchess of Lisbon]

Do they live in Portugal?  Are they wealthy?  How do they support themselves?

Yes, they live in Sintra, near Lisbon.
I'm not sure how they support themselves. I think D. Duarte is the head of Fundanção Dom Manuel II, which promotes the portuguese speaking countries in Africa and in Brazil and East Timor but nobody knows for sure how they make for a living since the Government doesn't give them any money.

I found more pictures of Afonso's 18th birthday on their oficial website (http://www.casarealportuguesa.org/)

[ortensia]

Alfonso is the spitting image of his mom, while the youngest brother looks like a blonde Harry Potter .
Dom Duarte seems nice and smiley, no wonder he didn't get an invitation for the Middleton wedding.