Afonso was the eldest child of Emperor Dom Pedro II and Dona Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies. He was named after his ancestor Afonso, Duke of Braganza, son of King João I of Portugal. Afonso died from epilepsy at the age of two, devastating the emperor.
About Afonso, Prince Imperial of Brazil in brief
Afonso was the eldest child of Emperor Dom Pedro II and Dona Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies. He was named after his ancestor Afonso, Duke of Braganza, son of King João I of Portugal. Afonso died from epilepsy at the age of two, devastating the emperor. After the loss of his second son, doubts grew in Pedro II’s mind that the imperial system could be viable. He showed less concern about the effects his policies had on the monarchy, provided his daughter Isabel with no training for her role as potential empress, and failed to cultivate her acceptance within the country’s political class. The birth of an heir produced changes in Pedro II’s character. Previously isolated and shy, he became more outgoing and confident as monarch.
His strained relationship with his wife, the product of a disappointing arranged marriage, also improved, and with children came shared domestic interests that developed into an affectionate friendship. It was feared that the shock of Afonso’s death might affect his wife’s health, as she was pregnant at the time with her third child. She gave birth without complications on July 13, 1847, to a girl, Amélia Leopoldina, telling her stepmother, the Empress, that Afonso had died a few days earlier. The devastated emperor wrote a letter to his step-mother, dated 11 July 1847 telling her: ‘With the most piercing grief, I tell you that my little Afonso has died’
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