Heart of Brazil’s first emperor returns after nearly 200 years for ‘state visit’

Pedro I declared independence from Portugal in 1822, and relic is now at the centre of politically charged election year celebrations

Nearly two centuries after it was cut from his corpse and preserved in formaldehyde, the heart of Emperor Pedro I, who declared Brazil's independence from Portugal, has returned for politically charged commemorations of the South American country's 200th birthday.

Dom Pedro, a beloved figure in both Brazilian and Portuguese history, has been divided between the two countries in death - his heart enshrined in a church in Porto, Portugal, and the rest of his remains in an independence monument in Sao Paulo, Brazil.