A descendant of Brazil's last emperor who dreamed of one day restoring the monarchy died on Air France Flight 447. Pedro Luiz de Orleans e Braganca, fourth in line to Brazil's defunct monarchy, was among the 228 people on the ill-fated flight, which crashed in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday night en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.
The royal family's Web site said Wednesday that the 26-year-old prince was returning to Luxembourg, where he worked in a financial institution, after visiting his family in Brazil.
The Estado de São Paulo newspaper said he was hoping to find a bride of royal blood in Europe as part of his dream of restoring the monarchy in Latin America's biggest country.
He was a direct descendent of Brazil's last emperor, Pedro II, whose 48-year-reign ended in 1889 when the military proclaimed Brazil a republic. At the age of 10, the prince was always seen accompanying his father, Prince Antonio de Orleans e Braganca, in pro-monarchy campaigns leading up to the 1993 nationwide plebiscite.
Brazilians were asked to choose between a British-style parliamentary monarchy, a parliamentary republic like Italy's or a U.S.-style presidential republic. The monarchists lost to the presidential republic but have never stopped dreaming.
In 1999, Pedro Luiz was named honorary president of the Youth for Monarchy rganization and helped create the Imperial Crusade movement. "He was an active participant in pro-monarchy events because he believed the restoration of Brazil's monarchy was close at hand", the royal family's Web site said. © GPD AP
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