List of first ladies of Brazil

The First Lady of Brazil is the hostess of the Palácio da Alvorada. The position is traditionally held by the wife of the president of Brazil, but the title may be applied to president's daughter in the case that he is widowed. The first lady is not an elected position; she does not perform official duties nor receive a salary. However, she attends official ceremonies alongside or instead of the president, and is traditionally associated with the defense of social causes.^[2]

There have been a total of 37 first ladies and 39 first ladyships. This discrepancy exists because Darcy Vargas, married to Getúlio Vargas, and Sylvia Mazzilli, married to Ranieri Mazzilli, assumed the position two times each. Following Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's inauguration on January 1, 2023, his wife, Rosângela Lula da Silva, became the 39th First Lady of Brazil.

There are five living former first ladies: Maria Thereza Goulart, widow of João Goulart; Marly Sarney, married to José Sarney; Rosane Malta, former wife of Fernando Collor; Marcela Temer, married to Michel Temer; and Michelle Bolsonaro, married to Jair Bolsonaro. The first First Lady was Mariana da Fonseca, married to Deodoro da Fonseca. Hermes da Fonseca was the only president to remarry during his presidential term. Dilma Rousseff, the first and only female president in Brazil to date, was twice divorced before assuming, meaning that her presidency did not bring a first gentleman.

Current living first ladies

Living first ladies as of March 2024^[update] (from oldest to youngest):

• 
  Marly Sarney
  (1985–1990)
  Born (1931-12-04)December 4, 1931
  (age 92)
• 
  Maria Thereza Goulart
  (1961–1964)
  Born (1936-08-23)August 23, 1936
  (age 87)
• 
  Rosane Malta
  (1990–1992)
  Born (1964-10-20)October 20, 1964
  (age 59)
• 
  Rosângela Lula da Silva
  (2023–present)
  Born (1966-08-27)August 27, 1966
  (age 57)
• 
  Michelle Bolsonaro
  (2019–2022)
  Born (1982-03-22)March 22, 1982
  (age 42)
• 
  Marcela Temer
  (2016–2018)
  Born (1983-05-16)May 16, 1983
  (age 41)

List

This list includes all women who served as first ladies.^[3]

Other spouses of presidents of Brazil

Two presidents were widowed before their presidencies:

• Rodrigues Alves was married to Ana Guilhermina Rodrigues Alves from 1875 until her death in 1891.^[4]
• Humberto Castelo Branco was married to Argentina Castelo Branco from 1922 until her death in 1963.^[5]

Three presidents were widowed and remarried before their presidencies:

• Epitácio Pessoa was married to Francisca Pessoa from 1894 until her death in 1895. He was later married to Mary Pessoa from 1898 until 1942.^[6]
• Carlos Luz was married to Maria José Luz from 1920 until her death in 1924. He was later married to Graciema da Luz from 1927 until 1961.^[7]
• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was married to Maria de Lurdes da Silva from 1969 until her death in 1971. He was later married to Marisa Letícia from 1974 until her death in 2017. He later married Rosângela Lula da Silva in 2022.^[8]

Five presidents were divorced before their presidencies:

• Fernando Collor was married to Lilibeth Monteiro de Carvalho from 1975 to 1981.
• Itamar Franco was married to Ana Elisa Surerus from 1968 to 1978.^[9]
• Dilma Rousseff was married to Cláudio Linhares from 1967 to 1969 and to Carlos Araújo from 1969 to 2000.^[10][11]
• Michel Temer was married to Maria Célia de Toledo from 1969 to 1987.^[12]
• Jair Bolsonaro was married to Rogéria Nantes Braga from 1978 to 1997 and to Ana Cristina Valle from 1997 to 2007.^[13][14]

Three presidents remarried after their presidencies:

• Fernando Collor has been married to Caroline Collor since October 28, 2005.^[15]
• Fernando Henrique Cardoso has been married to Patrícia Kundrát since January 29, 2014.^[16]
• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been married to Rosângela Lula da Silva since May 18, 2022.

See also

• Second Lady of Brazil
• List of spouses of heads of state
• List of spouses of heads of government

References

1. Orientações sobre Relações Institucionais, Cerimonial e Protocolo. Tribunal de Contas da União. p. 24. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
2. Mesquita, Lígia (January 3, 2019). "De onde vem o papel da primeira-dama — e a tradição de trabalho social". BBC Brasil. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
3. Guedes, Ciça; Melo, Murilo Fiuza de (November 28, 2019). Todas as mulheres dos presidentes: A história pouco conhecida das primeiras-damas do Brasil desde o início da República. Editora Máquina de Livros. ISBN 978-85-54349-18-9. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
4. Publicações, Discovery (February 12, 2019). A República e a História dos Presidentes do Brasil. Discovery Publicações. p. 29. ISBN 978-85-8417-141-5. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
5. Filho, Luís Viana (1975). O Governo Castelo Branco (PDF). Rio de Janeiro: Livraria José Olympio Editora. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
6. "Governo Epitácio Pessoa". Portal São Francisco. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
7. "Neste domingo faz 59 anos que morreu um ex-presidente da República que morou em Lavras". Jornal de Lavras. Lavras. February 9, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
8. Negrini, Alisson; Souza, Renata (May 18, 2022). "Lula se casa com Janja em cerimônia em São Paulo". CNN Brasil. São Paulo. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
9. Yazbeck, Ivanir (November 8, 2011). O real Itamar: Uma biografia. Gutemberg. ISBN 978-85-8235-223-6.
10. "'Perdi hoje um parceiro de uma vida', diz Dilma em texto sobre a morte do ex-marido". G1. August 13, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
11. Bienne, Alexander Thoele, Alexander Thoele (August 28, 2014). ""Éramos socialistas. E o sou até hoje"". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved March 30, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
12. Ramalhoso, Wellington (May 12, 2016). "Jovem Temer ganhava correio elegante e fazia mais política do que estudava". UOL. Tietê. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
13. Cipriani, Juliana (June 19, 2019). "Sem poder se aposentar, ex-mulher de Bolsonaro ganha cargo na Alerj". Estado de Minas. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
14. Abbud, Bruno (September 28, 2018). "Ana Cristina Siqueira Valle: a ex-mulher de Bolsonaro que quer um lugar na Câmara dos Deputados". Época. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
15. Cruz, Angélica Santa (November 13, 2005). "O casamento de mentirinha de Fernando Collor". O Estado de São Paulo. Federal Senate. p. A14. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
16. "Ex-presidente Fernando Henrique formaliza união estável". Estado de Minas. February 5, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2024.