Princess Imperial engaged, to wed in April
Princess Isabel and long-term partner Máximo Pires have officially announced their engagement. The couple became engaged on December 24, 2023 and will marry on April 20, 2024, with the news confirmed in a statement by the Imperial Palace today.
"Her Imperial Highness The Princess Imperial and Senhor Máximo Edgar Abreu Pires are pleased to announce their engagement. The couple have informed The Emperor and other close members of their families. Senhor Abreu sought, and received, the blessing of The Emperor."
The Emperor's permission to marry is constitutionally required for all members of the Imperial family to remain in the line of succession. While it is not known when Sr Pires sought permission to marry the Emperor's daughter and heir apparent to the Aurean throne, the statement from the Imperial Palace confirmed it has been sought and granted.
The statement further announced the royal wedding—Aurea's first in three decades—will take place on April 20 of this year at the Cathedral of Saint Peter of Alcântara in Petrópolis. Per tradition, it is expected that Sr Pires will be given a noble title upon the wedding day—though this will be solely at the Emperor's discretion—with many speculating he will be made "Duke of Serra" after his home city.
The Princess Imperial, 30, and Sr Pires, 32, who met at a charity function in 2017, have been discreetly dating for 5 years, with the founder and owner of a gym business keeping a low profile for most of that time. He began making more public appearances with Isabel last year, increasing speculation of a future royal wedding.
It remains to be seen if the wedding day will be made a public holiday. This has to be approved by the government and so is not guaranteed, but there will likely be media and public pressure to do so. It last happened on July 12, 1991 for the wedding of Princess Isabel's own father, the then Prince Imperial now Emperor, Henrique. His wedding to Isabel's mother, the now Empress Marcia, became a huge public celebration with many parties and parades across the country. However, the government of the day chose not to make the wedding of the Emperor's younger brother, Infante Carlos, a public holiday when he wed in 1994. The prime minister's office has yet to make a statement on the announcement of the engagement.
[Edited to correct typo in date.]