Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria

Princess Maria Elisabeth of Bavaria was a German princess of the House of Wittelsbach and a member of the Brazilian imperial family by marriage. She was a granddaughter of Ludwig III of Bavaria, the last reigning King of Bavaria. In 1937, she married Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, head of the Vassouras branch of the House of Orléans-Braganza and claimant to the defunct Brazilian throne. As his wife, Maria Elisabeth became a prominent figure within Brazilian monarchist circles and was often referred to as the “empress-mother”, reflecting her role as matriarch of the branch that continues to assert claims to the former Empire of Brazil. She was the mother of Prince Luiz Gastão and Prince Bertrand, both of whom successively served as heads of the Vassouras branch of the Imperial House of Brazil, with Bertrand remaining an active claimant in the 21st century.