I was minding my business and doing my usual researches for a number of posts coming soon when something had me fascinated about. Did you know that there is a member of the Brazilian former royal family with roots in the Egyptian royal family?

This is a story of a Catholic Prince and a Muslim Princess marrying in the early 50's against all odds and the Vatican causing a few uncomfortable issues on both sides.

Prince Joao Maria of Orleans-Branganza was a french-born Brazilian pilot, soldier born to Prince Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará and Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky of Dobrzenicz. Through his father is a descendant/great grand son of Dom Pedro I of Brazil(he was also king of Portugal) before the Imperial reign was abolish.

Because of his parents' union which was considered non dynastic by his grandmother who was heiress Dona Isabel, his father renounced his right and claim to the throne as well as that of his descendants.

During Prince Joao Maria's station in Egypt as a soldier, he was invited by the then king His Majesty King Farouk I to a reception where he met a widow Princess Fátima Scherifa Chirine Tousson Egyptian princess of Alexandria, who was an Egyptian aristocrat daughter of Khedive Ismail Hussein Chirine and Aysha Musallam.

Fatima Scherifa Chirine was a member of the Muhammad Ali's dynasty who came from the Ottoman Empire(Turkish former ruling family). Her ancestor was a commander in the army. She got married to Prince Hassan Omar, prince of Toussoun, prince of Alexandria with whom she had 1 daughter Princess Melekper. Prince Hassan was a cousin of King Farouk II. She was also cousin-in law to Queen Fawzia of Iran(first wife to the Shah of Iran, daughter to King Farouk I of Egypt, sister to the current King Fuad II) as the former Queen married her cousin Colonel Ismail Chirine.

When she met and fell in love with the Brazilian prince, she had become a widow as her late husband died in an accident. As in most marriages with partners from different religions, the couple face many controversies. Although the groom's family his elder brother Prince Pedro Gastão the then head of the House of Orléans-Braganza, and by his brother-in-law Henri, Count of Paris, the then head of the French branch of the dynasty approve the marriage, the fiancée's family didn't approved. Against all odds, they got married on April 29th 1949 in Sintra, Portugal at the home of the Count and Countess of Paris and in the presence of João's mother.

From this union was born His Imperial Highness Prince João Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, who is a photo-journalist, royalist and agricultural environmentalist. During  their marriage, Princess Fatima converted to Catholicism and lost custody to her daughter. She fought and after a few years of negotiations, Princess Melekper was allowed to live with the family in Brazil.