The Majestic Attire


The inaugurations of the reigns of the Brazilian emperors comprised three ceremonies: the acclamation, which celebrated the alliance between the monarch and his subjects; the consecration, a liturgical rite that sacralized the imperial figure; and the coronation, a political act that marked the investiture of power and authority.

D. Pedro de Alcântara was acclaimed following the abdication of his father, Emperor D. Pedro I, from the Brazilian throne on April 7th, 1831, thereby assuming the title of D. Pedro II. Due to the requirements imposed by the Constitution of the Empire, the ceremonies of acclamation and coronation only took place ten years later, on Sunday, July 18th, 1841, when the young emperor finally ascended the throne.

Rio de Janeiro then became the stage for the greatest celebration ever witnessed, with a civic and festive program that unfolded over nine days. Among these events, the highlight was the coronation, during which D. Pedro II wore, for the first time, the Majestic Attire, composed of several elements: the cape, the tunic, the shoes, the gloves, lace cuffs, maniples, the pallium made of black-beaked toucan throat feathers, the collar of the Order of the Rose, and the badge and blue sash of the Imperial Order of the Cruzeiro. From that moment on, certain items such as the gloves and shoes were gradually replaced as the emperor grew, since he had been crowned at the age of 15.

The ensemble was used during the opening and closing ceremonies of the General Assembly, held in the Imperial Senate’s Noble Hall, throughout the 48 years of D. Pedro II’s reign.


Sagração e Coroação do Imperador D. Pedro II

François-René Moreaux
Sagração e Coroação do Imperador D. Pedro II
1842
Óleo sobre tela
238 x 310 cm

The ceremony took place on July 18th, 1841, at the Imperial Chapel in Rio de Janeiro.
The painting was acquired by D. Pedro II, paid in installments (as recorded in the decree of March 23rd, 1843)
and reserved for display in the Canopy Room of the City Palace.
Before that, however, it was exhibited at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, in 1842.
With this work, François-René Moreaux was awarded the Habit of the Order of Christ.   

Discover the figures depicted in the painting

D. Pedro II at the Opening of the General Assembly

Pedro Américo de Figueiredo e Mello
1872
Óleo sobre tela
288 x 205 cm

Discover the figures depicted in the painting

1. GLOVE AND SHOES

The glove and shoes were of white satin and embroidered with gold thread. They were made for the consecration and the coronation of D. Pedro II on July 18th, 1841.

Gloves – Silk mesh with the coat of arms of the Empire of Brazil embroidered in gold
22 cm

Shoes – Silk satin embroidered with gold threads, sequins, and leather
28 cm

2. Tunic

The silk satin tunic is embroidered with gold threads and sequins, measuring 99 x 60 cm.
Just like the gloves and shoes, it was gradually replaced as the emperor grew, since he was crowned at the age of 15.

Silk satin embroidered with gold threads and sequins
99 × 60 cm

3. IMPERIAL ORDER OF THE CRUZEIRO

The Imperial Order of Cruzeiro was created to commemorate the coronation of the emperor D. Pedro I, in 1822. It is the only one, of the honorary orders of the Empire, still given today under the title of the National Order of the Southern Cross.

Badge and sash
Gold and enamel
4.9 × 5.6 cm

4. CAPE

Cape of green velvet with a golden band and embroidery with gold thread measuring 3,05 m. x 1,93 m. The embroidery was the work of Rosa Alexandrina de Lima for the coronation of D. Pedro II on July 18th, 1841.

Green silk velvet with golden lama lining and embroidery made with gold threads and sequins.
1841
Embroidered by Rosa Alexandrina de Lima
305 × 193 cm

5. PALLIUM

The pallium is a colar in the shape of a long cape. Made with the throat feathers of a black beak toucan, for the coronation of D. Pedro I, on December 1st, 1822 and incorporated in the robes of D. Pedro II.

Throat feathers of the black-beaked toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus) and silk
Crafted for the coronation of D. Pedro I and later incorporated into the attire of D. Pedro II
c. 1822
31 × 177 cm

6. ORDER OF THE ROSE

The Order of the Rose was created to commemorate the marriage of the Emperor D. Pedro I to his second spouse, D. Amélia de Leuchtenberg, in 1829.

Grand Cross Collar
Gold, silver, and enamel
96 cm (collar), 8.3 × 6 cm

7. SCEPTRE

The golden sceptre of Brazilian emperors measures a height of 2,5 m. and weighs 2.5 Kilos. it was made by Manuel Inácio de Loiola, supervised by Inácio Luis da Costa. It is the symbol of the command of the Brazilian Empire.

8. CROWN

D. Pedro II’s crown was made up of 639 diamonds, 77 pearls and weighed nearly 2 Kilos of gold. It was completed on the 8th of July, 1841. It was on show at the shop of the goldsmith, Carlos Marin, until the ceremony of the coronation, on July 18th.