An envelope written by Dom Pedro II, bearing the imperial seal, addressed to a European first cousin.
Envelope from Dom Pedro II to the Duke of Parma and Piacenza.
No information available regarding location and date.
In Portuguese.
15.7 cm x 13 cm.
Good condition conservation.
Unique piece.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Parma and Piacenza, my good cousin and brother.
The Duke of Parma and Piacenza, recipient of this letter from Dom Pedro II, was named Roberto Carlos Luís Maria de Bourbon-Parma. He was born and died in Italy (1848-1907) and was the last sovereign of the extinct Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, marking the end of the Bourbon-Parma dynasty.
Despite losing the throne and the assassination of his father when he was only six years old, the Duke lived a comfortable life, residing in the family's various Austrian and Italian properties. He even inherited Chambord Castle in 1883 from his uncle Henri, the most renowned and visited castle in France after the Palace of Versailles.
This fortune also allowed him to attract the attention of European princesses. He married a cousin, Maria Pia, daughter of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. They had twelve children, half of whom had intellectual disabilities as a consequence of consanguinity. After Maria Pia's death, Robert married a second time, to Maria Antonia of Portugal, daughter of the deposed King Michael I of Portugal. From this union, another twelve children were born!
But what was his relationship with Dom Pedro II? To simplify, the Duke was a son-in-law of Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies, who was both a cousin of Dom Pedro II (through their mothers) and his brother-in-law through Empress Teresa Cristina, Ferdinand's sister and Dom Pedro II's wife.
Besides this recipient with an unusual destination, I found this envelope found in France interesting because of the intact imperial wax seal, since the letter was opened from the top. It's unknown where the letter ended up, nor its contents. Probably congratulations on the birth of a child (24 times!), Christmas, or those kinds of events that helped maintain the bond despite the distance. These details and, of course, the Emperor's handwriting, will excite the growing number of collectors interested in the Brazilian royal family.
