Dona Dona may refer to: * Feminine form for don (honorific) (Spanish: doña, Portuguese: dona; Italian: donna), a Spanish, Portuguese, southern Italian, and Filipino title, given as a mark of respect * Feminine form for dom (title), titled nobility in ...

'' Diana Álvares Pereira de Melo, 11th Duchess of Cadaval (born 25 July 1978), more commonly known as Diana de Cadaval, is a

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

author and

noblewoman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...

. The duchess has authored several books on

Portuguese history The history of Portugal can be traced from circa 400,000 years ago, when the region of present-day Portugal was inhabited by Homo heidelbergensis. The Roman invasion in the 3rd century BC lasted several centuries, and developed the Roman provinc ...

and

Portuguese architecture Portuguese architecture refers to both the architecture of Portugal's modern-day territory in Continental Portugal, the Azores and Madeira, as well as the architectural heritage/patrimony of Portuguese architects and styles throughout the world, ...

Early life

Diana Mariana Vitória Álvares Pereira de Melo, 11th Duchess of Cadaval is the eldest daughter of Jaime Álvares Pereira de Melo, 10th Duke of Cadaval and his second wife Claudine Marguerite Marianne Tritz.

Career

She studied

international communication International communication (also referred to as the ''study of global communication'' or transnational communication) is the communication practice that occurs across international borders. The need for international communication was due to the ...

at the

American University of Paris The American University of Paris (AUP) is a private, independent, and accredited liberal arts university in Paris, France. Founded in 1962, the university is one of the oldest American institutions of higher education in Europe, and the first to ...

and attended the American School of Lisbon as a child. She manages the House of Cadaval's properties, which historically include the Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval in

Évora Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District. Due to its well-preserved old to ...

, and the Muge estate in Santarém. In the summer of 2015, the duchess collaborated with

Hubert de Givenchy Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy (; 21 February 1927 – 10 March 2018) was a French aristocrat and fashion designer who founded the luxury fashion and perfume house of Givenchy in 1952. He is famous for having designed much of the p ...

to open to the public an exhibit of

haute couture ''Haute couture'' (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design that is constructed by hand from start-to-finish. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, Paris became th ...

bridal gowns in the palace church, Saint John-the-Evangelist. Chosen and arranged by Givenchy, the twelve dresses on display were originals borrowed from such designers as Yves Saint-Laurent,

Balenciaga Balenciaga SA ( ) is a luxury fashion house founded in 1919 by the Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastian, Spain. Balenciaga produces ready-to-wear, footwear, handbags, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to C ...

Dior Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds ...

and include "The Nun" gown designed in 1972 for the marriage of the Spanish ''Caudillo''

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ref ...

's granddaughter,

Carmen Martínez-Bordiú María del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco (born 26 February 1951), commonly known as simply Carmen Martínez-Bordiú, is a former Spanish aristocrat and social figure. Martínez-Bordiú had been the '' 2nd Duchess of Franco'' from July 2018'' ...

Alphonso XIII Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alfo ...

's grandson Alfonso de Bourbon, Duke of Cadíz, as well as the Givenchy dress Diana wore for her own 2008 wedding.Lauriot Prévost, Marie-Eudes. Point de Vue, N.3496. ''Claudine et Diane de Cadaval: Les Trésors d'Évora''. 28 July 2015. (French). She is also an author of several books on personalities pertaining to the history of the Portuguese monarchy, which she publishes under the name of Diana de Cadaval.

Succession

''Dona'' Diana's father was married twice, but only the second marriage was a religious ceremony. Diana has two older half-sisters, an older half-brother (born from her father's extramarital relationship) and a younger sister: *''Dona'' Rosalinda Aurora Felicidade Álvares Pereira de Melo (born 1936), Duchess of Cadaval-Hermès, Marquise of Ferreira and Countess of Tentugal *''Dona'' Maria Graziela Consuelo Álvares Pereira de Melo (born 1938) *Jaime Álvares Pereira de Melo (born 1946) *''Dona'' Alexandra Eugénia Álvares Pereira de Melo (born 1982) When the Duke died in 2001, the eldest daughters of both marriages, Rosalinda and Diana, disputed the family heritage. ''Dom''

Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza (Portuguese: ''Duarte Pio de Bragança'': born 15 May 1945) is the current Duke of Braganza, claimant to the title of King of Portugal of the dormant Portuguese throne, as the head of the House of Braganza. The Miguel ...

recognized Diana as 11th Duchess of Cadaval (on a non-hereditary basis, as all holders of the Dukedom of Cadaval in the past have obtained royal recognition of the title during their lifetime), acting on the authority attributed to him post-monarchy by the ''Conselho de Nobreza'' (Council of the Nobility) as

Head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

of the Royal

House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Ame ...

. He recognized for her eldest half-sister, Dona Rosalinda, the new title of ''Duchess of Cadaval-Hermès'', as she's married to Hubert Guerrand-Hermès, heir of

Hermès Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès ( , ), is a French luxury design house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Its logo, since ...

Marriage

On 21 June 2008, ''Dona'' Diana married Prince Charles Philippe d'Orléans, (born 1973), a grandson of the Orleanist pretender Henri, Count of Paris. Charles Philippe bears the Orleanist title,

Duke of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of Count of Anjou. The Robertians ...

. The ceremony took place in the

Cathedral of Évora The Cathedral of Évora ( pt, Sé de Évora) is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Évora, Portugal. It is one of the oldest and most important local monuments, lying on the highest spot of the city. It is part of the historical city centre, ...

, a monument declared a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in 1988. Both wife and husband are

Capetians The Capetian dynasty (; french: Capétiens), also known as the House of France, is a dynasty of Frankish origin, and a branch of the Robertians. It is among the largest and oldest royal houses in Europe and the world, and consists of Hugh Cape ...

, descending in unbroken male line from King

Robert II of France Robert II (c. 972 – 20 July 1031), called the Pious (french: link=no, le Pieux) or the Wise (french: link=no, le Sage), was King of the Franks from 996 to 1031, the second from the Capetian dynasty. Crowned Junior King in 987, he assisted his ...

(972–1031), Diana from his younger son

Robert I, Duke of Burgundy Robert I (1011 – 21 March 1076), known as Robert the Old and " fro, Tête-Hardi, lit=the Headstrong", was Duke of Burgundy from 1032 to his death. Robert was the son of King Robert II of France and Constance of Arles. His brother was Henry I ...

through the royal (though

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...

) Portuguese branch of the

, and Charles-Philippe through the elder son, King

Henry I of France Henry I (4 May 1008 – 4 August 1060) was King of the Franks from 1031 to 1060. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians. Th ...

, via the

cadet branch In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, title ...

of the

House of Bourbon-Orléans A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

. The couple are also fifth cousins once-removed through shared descent from King

Francis I of the Two Sicilies Francis I of the Two Sicilies ( it, Francesco Gennaro Giuseppe Saverio Giovanni Battista; 19 August 1777 – 8 November 1830) was King of the Two Sicilies from 1825 to 1830 and regent of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1806 to 1814. Biography Fran ...

. Diana's children by Charles-Philippe bear the title "Prince/Princess d'Orléans" and the style of ''

Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it takes ...

''. Although not expected to inherit their mother's ducal title because of the terms of its recognition, traditionally, male Orléans dynasts receive individual, non-hereditary noble titles derived from the historical

appanage An appanage, or apanage (; french: apanage ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture. It was common in much o ...

s of the French

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...

. The couple's first child, Princess Isabelle d'Orléans, was born on 22 February 2012 in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, Portugal. The princess is named after her great-grandmother, the Countess of Paris, born

Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza (Isabelle Marie Amélie Louise Victoire Thérèse Jeanne; 13 August 1911 – 5 July 2003) was a French-Brazilian memoirist and consort of the Orléanist pretender, Henri, Count of Paris. Early life Born ...

. Her godparents are Princess Dora (Maria-Theodora) von

Löwenstein Löwenstein () is a city in the district of Heilbronn in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was first mentioned in 1123. The castle of Löwenstein served as a residence for the counts of Löwenstein-Wertheim. In 1634 the castle was destroyed by the ...

and

Felipe VI of Spain Felipe VI (;, * eu, Felipe VI.a, * ca, Felip VI, * gl, Filipe VI, . Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. He is the son of former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía, and h ...

(then Prince of Asturias). In December 2022, their divorce was announced.

References

External links