Royal Profile: Princess Diana d'Orléans, The 11th Duchess of Cadaval, The Duchess of Anjou

Princess Diana Álvares Pereira de Melo d'Orléans, The 11th Duchess of Cadaval, The Duchess of Anjou was born 25 July 1978 as the daughter of Jaime Álvares Pereira de Melo, The 10th Duke of Cadaval and his second wife. Claudine Marguerite Tritz. She has two older half-sisters, an older half-brother, and a younger sister

1. Dona Rosalinda Aurora Felicidade Álvares Pereira de Melo (1936)
2. Dona Maria Graziela Consuelo Álvares Pereira de Melo (1938)
3. Jaime Álvares Pereira de Melo (born 1946)
4. Dona Alexandra Eugénia Álvares Pereira de Melo (1982)

She grew up on her father's estate. She attended American Schools in Portugal and Paris. Her primary education took place at the American School of Lisbon {Source}. Upon completing her primary education, she continued her studies at the American University of Paris {Source}. Upon her graduation with a degree in International Communication, she returned home to help manage the House of Cadaval's properties, which historically include the Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval in Évora, and the Muge estate in Santarém.

Upon her father's death in 2001, her elder sister, Rosalinda and she went to courts over the status of the titles. The titular Portuguese head of the Royal Family, Dom Duarte Pio Duke of Braganza awareded the title of 11th Duchess of Cadaval to Diana, the eldest of his only religious wedding. The title came with the condition that it was on a non-hereditary basis-previous holders of the title have obtained royal recognition of the title in their lifetime, acting on the authority attributed to him post-monarchy by the Conselho de Nobreza (Council of the Nobility) as Head of the Royal House of Braganza,.  To her elder sister, he granted a newly minted title, Duchess of Cadaval-Hermès.

On 21 June 2008, Dona Diana married Prince Charles Philippe d'Orléans, The Duke of Anjou. Together, they have one child:

1. Princess Isabelle d'Orléans (2012)

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 appanages of the French royal family.

In the summer of 2015, the duchess collaborated with Hubert de Givenchy to open to the public an exhibit of haute couture 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, Dior and include "The Nun" gown designed in 1972 for the marriage of the Spanish Caudillo Franco's granddaughter, Carmen Martínez-Bordiú to Alphonso XIII's grandson Alfonso de Bourbon, Duke of Cadíz, as well as the Givenchy dress Diana wore for her own 2008 wedding.{Source}


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.