Ana de Jesus Maria de Bragança (October 23 1806 - June 22 1857) was a Portuguese Princess (Infanta), youngest daughter of King John VI of Portugal and Carlota Joaquina, Princess of Spain. She was born in the Convent of Mafra .
In December 5 1827, Ana de Jesus married Nuno de Moura Barreto , Marquis of Loulé, afterwards created first Duke of Loulé . Loulé would afterwards be Prime Minister of Portugal. The wedding was celebrated in a private cerimony in the chapel of the Royal Palace of Ajuda and was considered at the time as a scandal. Ana de Jesus was the first Princess of Portugal to marry outside a royal family, which was considered as a demeanor by the conservative faction. The reasons of this peculiar wedding were probably not political, considering that the first child of the couple was born in December 27 1827, that is, 22 days after the cerimony. The couple then proceeded into an extended trip through Europe and had several other children. The marriage ended with a de facto separation in 1835.
Despite the scandalous nature of their matrimony, Ana de Jesus and the Duke of Loulé have a place in contemporaneous monarchic discussions in Portugal. After the ban and exile of her brother King Miguel of Portugal, his descendents were barred from the succession line. Nevertheless, the present heir to the throne of Portugal is Duarte Pio, Duke of Bragança, a great-grandson of Miguel. There has been debate on wether or not Duarte Pio has the right of being the Duke of Bragança due to the exclusion of his line cited above. If this exclusion holds, then the succession falls upon the issue of Ana de Jesus. The head of this line his her great-great-great-grandson Pedro de Moura Barreto, 6th Duke of Loulé.
Last updated: 06-04-2005 02:03:43