Portrait of Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil

Birthday profile

Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil

Isabel, Brazilian princess (died 1921)

Born
July 29, 1846
Died
November 14, 1921
Zodiac sign
Leo
Birth year
1846

About Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil

Dona Isabel (29 July 1846 – 14 November 1921), known as "the Redemptress" (A Redentora), was the Princess Imperial of Brazil and heir presumptive to the throne of the Empire of Brazil. She served as regent of the empire on three occasions and was a central figure in Brazilian history during the final decades of the monarchy. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Isabel was the eldest daughter of Emperor Pedro II and Empress Teresa Cristina, and a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza (Portuguese: Bragança). Following the deaths of her two younger brothers in infancy, she was formally recognized as her father's heir presumptive. In 1864, she entered into an arranged marriage with the French prince Gaston, Count of Eu, with whom she had three sons. During Emperor Pedro II's absences abroad, Isabel exercised the powers of the crown as regent. In her third and final regency, she sponsored and signed the Lei Áurea ("Golden Law") in 1888, which abolished slavery in Brazil. Although emancipation was widely celebrated by the population, it intensified opposition among influential landowners and political elites. Her prospective accession was further contested due to prevailing gender prejudices, her strong Catholic faith, and her marriage to a foreign prince. In 1889, the Brazilian imperial family was overthrown in the military coup that ended the monarchy. Isabel subsequently lived in exile in France, where she spent the final three decades of her life. After his death in 1850, Isabel became the definitive heiress as Princess Imperial, the title given to the first in the line of succession.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

The world when Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil was born

Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil was born in 1846. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Headlines and milestones

  • Top headlineMexican-American War begins
  • Technology milestoneSewing machine patented by Elias Howe
  • World population~1.26B

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJames K. Polk
  • U.S. population20.2M

1846 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure18462026
Population20.2M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

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