The first dynasty of Portuguese kings came to an end with the death of Fernando I in 1383. An uprising began in the country, and the widow of the late king Leonor and his heir Beatrice had to flee. In 1384, Leonor abdicated power, transferring it into the hands of the Castilian king. But the people defended the independence of Portugal. The Avis dynasty established itself on the throne.
Dukes of Braganza
The last dynasty of Portuguese kings comes from the ducal family of Braganza, known since the 15th century. It goes back to Afonso (1371?-1461), illegitimate son King Joan I of Portugal (1357-1433) from the Aviz dynasty. Afonso's first marriage brought him the vast estates of the legendary NuNu commander Alvares Pereira. These lands became the basis of the independent, comparable only to the royal position of this family. There was also a close blood relationship with royal house: Afonso's second wife, illegitimate daughter of King Fernando I (1345-1383), became the ancestress of subsequent Braganese dukes. The title of second duke was inherited by the youngest of their sons, Fernando, to whom King Afonso V (1432-1481) granted the Marquisate of Vila Visoza - a town fifty kilometers from the city of Évora, which became a kind of capital of the Dukes of Braganza and their favorite residence.
According to heraldists of the 17th century, the coat of arms of the House of Braganza is a scarlet oblique cross in a argent field with five shields of the royal coat of arms. Each of the shields has a black inclined stripe superimposed on top of all the figures, reminiscent of the fact that the founder of the clan was illegitimate son. The helmet emblem is a scarlet horse's head.
The name of the Dukes of Braganza is inseparable from the history of Portugal; the most important moments in the history of the country are associated with them. Many of the kingdom's ruling houses trace their ancestry back to them. The third Duke of Braganza, Fernando II, who fought on the side of the nobility against King Joan II (1455-1495) during the time of unrest, after the defeat was accused of treason, sentenced to death and beheaded in Évora in 1483. Under King Manuel I (1469-1521 ) the son of the executed man, Jaime (1479-1532), managed to return from Castile to Portugal and return the taken possessions. However, the lucky man favored by the king was beset by misfortunes in family life. The Duchess of Braganza was accused of adultery and barely begged for her life. After some time, the Duke's jealousy, either by itself or by receiving new food, was revived and he stained the history of the family with the murder of his own wife.
The family, whose representatives can be seen in various fields of service to the fatherland, occupied an exceptional place. Back in 1474, the decrees of the dukes were equated to royal ones. The Dukes of Braganza had the right to exempt the inhabitants of their lands from military service, paying taxes, etc. They had legal immunity, the right to establish fairs - a profitable medieval privilege. Under King Manuel I, they were given the privilege of receiving 300 quintals of spices from India. This enormously valuable mercy was given for 20 years and was confirmed by all subsequent monarchs.
The Dukes of Braganza were lords of two dozen cities and countless settlements: talcs in the district of Braganza - 202 and in the district of Chaves - 187. They owned palace residences in Chaves, Barcelos, Guimarães, Évora and Vila Visoza, which are now public museums, and three palaces in Lisbon, destroyed in 1755 by an earthquake.
During the reign of King Sebastian the Secret (1557-1578), the youthful ambition of the sovereign led Portugal to tragedy. The adventure of the king who disappeared in battle buried the Avis dynasty and the flower of the Portuguese nobility in the African sands. Many were captured, and a lot of gold was spent ransoming them. Didn't escape common destiny and the House of Braganza: the seventh Duke Teodozio II (1568-1630) took part in the campaign as a ten-year-old boy, was captured after the battle and was ransomed in 1579.
The disappearance of Sebastian was only the beginning of the trials of the Portuguese kingdom, which brought the finest hour Braganza house. The king left no descendants, and as a result the country became the prey of the Spanish kings, who had achieved the goal of their centuries-old aspirations. From 1581 to 1640, Portugal, having lost its sovereignty, was part of the lands of the Spanish crown.
Duke Theodosiou II in his adolescence was filled with the bitter taste of adventure and did not want to expose his fate to the vicissitudes of the struggle for power. He preferred voluntary seclusion in his own domain to the dubious ghost of the Throne. The taste for solitude was passed on to his son and heir, the eighth Duke of Braganza, Joan II (1604-1656). However, history judged that Joan II of Braganza had to change the unburdensome ducal crown to a royal one.
The first kings of the new dynasty
This duke did not strive for power, was not ambitious. His passion for music is known; the theoretical works he left in this area were recognized as not at all amateurish. Tradition is not inclined to see Joan of Braganza as the main character in high-profile historical events. Tradition gives a considerable share of the credit to his 27-year-old wife, Luisa Francisco de Guzman y Sandoval (1613-1666), putting into her mouth the decisive phrase: “I prefer to be a queen for one hour than a duchess all my life.” * The uprising in Lisbon on December 1, 1640 restored Portuguese independence. The Duke was proclaimed king under the name Joan IV. So fate elevated the noble house closest to it to the Portuguese throne and gave Portugal the Braganza royal dynasty.
The fate of the king’s brother, Duarte (1605-1649), known in literature as the “Prisoner of Milan,” was more sad. He thought more about wars and travel and thought little about thrones. In 1634, Duarte left the kingdom and fought under the banner of Emperor Ferdinand III in the battles of the Thirty Years' War. But in the eyes Spanish king To Philip IV he seemed a dangerous contender for the throne. After the fall of Portugal, Duarte was arrested and imprisoned. Joan IV's attempts to save his brother were unsuccessful, and Duarte ended his days imprisoned in a Milan castle on September 3, 1649, after languishing in captivity for eight years.
Joan IV had to endure a long struggle with Spain - both conspiracies and wars. Despite the fact that all the forces of the House of Braganza were aimed at retaining the throne - even the family jewels of the dukes were spent on diplomatic gifts - neither Joan IV nor his descendants mixed the property of the crown with the possessions of the House of Braganza. After 1645, an order was established in which the heir to the throne used the ducal domain, like the Dauphin of France.
*Raposo N. Luisa de Gusmao. Lisboa, 1947. P.
At the end of the 1640s. Joan IV's health began to weaken, and in 1656 he died, tormented by gout and nephrolithiasis (urolithiasis). By this point, after 16 years of confrontation with Spain, the danger of it seizing the Portuguese throne was again very great.
The fact is that the eldest son royal couple died, and Afonso VI (1643-1683), proclaimed king in 1656, was barely 13 years old. But his youth was not the only obstacle to the conduct of public affairs. IN three years old he suffered a “malignant fever” (apparently meningoencephalitis), which left him mentally and physically not fully functional. As long as his elder brother, the other heir to the throne, was alive, this did not cause concern. Now the queen dowager had to take on the burden of the regency. It gave rise to discontent, and the palace coup of 1662 transferred the rule to Afonso VI.
The country was faced with the question of the descendants of the king, the prospect of dynastic and political crisis. Portugal's international status presented no difficulty. For example, one of the daughters of Joan IV, Catharina (1638-1705), was married to Charles II in 1662, and she became the Queen of England. But, alas, Afonso VI’s illness was not a secret. Finally, it was possible to reach agreement on the marriage of the king with the daughter of the Duke of Nemours, Maria Francisca Isabella of Savoy (1646-1683), which was concluded through representation in La Rochelle in 1666.
Despite all these efforts, in 1667 there was a palace coup in favor of the king's brother, Pedro II (1648-1706). Mary of Savoy's marriage was annulled: doctors stated that she was "in the same condition in which she arrived from France, as if she had not been married." “To calm the kingdom,” the Cortes agreed to her marriage to the new king. This eliminated the need to return her dowry to France along with her.
Afonso VI was exiled to the island of Terceira in 1669. His illness progressed. Nevertheless, in 1673, a plot was discovered in Lisbon to return the monarch. Then the former king was transported from the Azores to the continent and imprisoned in Sintra Castle, where he died nine years later from apoplexy.
King Pedro's second marriage brought seven children to the royal house. In addition to eight children from his legal spouses, the loving king had, as far as is known, three more illegitimate ones. Unlike his brother, he was a physically strong, dexterous man, experienced in military affairs and a passionate hunter. Official legends say that neither day nor night the king refused to grant petitioners an audience. But from 1703 he suffered from severe laryngitis, and in 1706, after two apoplexy strokes and suspected hepatitis, Pedro II died.
Monarchs of the Age of Enlightenment
He was succeeded by Joan V (1689-1750), who ascended the throne in 1707 at the age of 17. Raised by Jesuits as a child, the young king was well versed in classical literature, languages, and showed literary talents. He, who has earned the official nickname of the Magnanimous, is undoubtedly a major figure in the Braganza dynasty. During his reign, known for his patronage of literature and the arts, the Portuguese Royal Academy Sci. The construction of the Mafra Palace and many other architectural endeavors rightfully filled the treasury of Portuguese culture with priceless creations. Joan V was jealous of the splendor of the court Louis XIV, and he was very impressed by the title of “Sun King”. Under him, the Portuguese court amazed with the luxury of outfits and jewelry, and the brilliant carriages alone now fill an entire museum.
Joan was famous and influential in Europe; he repeatedly had to play the role of arbiter in European disputes. The papal throne also valued him, giving him the title of Most Faithful King (Rex fedelissimus) in 1748.
King Joan managed to resolve the problems of the large royal family, although there were some misunderstandings. In 1715, Joan V did not include his younger brother, 18-year-old Infante Manuel Bartolomeu (1697-1736), in his planned trip to Europe, and he, offended, secretly fled by ship to Holland. He despised requests to return and wandered around Europe for almost 20 years: he participated in the war in the Balkans, helped the German emperor, and almost became king of Poland.
In marriage, Joan V had six children and, in addition, four illegitimate ones. His illegitimate descendants males became university professors and priests.
Throughout his life, Joan V was not in good health and suffered from laryngitis. In 1742, he was struck by partial left-sided paralysis, the disease no longer left him and in 1750 brought him to the grave.
His son, José I (1714-1777), was in many ways the opposite of his father. Consciously not wanting to resemble him, he showed modesty in clothing and abstinence in drinking. Jose received a good education: he understood geography, mathematics, and maritime affairs; knew Latin, spoke Italian, French and Spanish; he was given lessons in secular and church history. He collected a rich library and had a hereditary love of music. In his younger years, he showed more of a penchant for entertainment and was an inveterate hunter, but towards the end of his life he became very religious and spoke only about the soul.
During his reign, the catastrophic Lisbon earthquake occurred in 1755, during which about 50 thousand people died in the capital alone. But during his reign, grandiose construction was also carried out - the restoration of the destroyed capital. Descendants branded Jose I as a weak-willed ruler under the all-powerful Marquis of Pombal. However, perhaps the secret is that the king agreed with his minister in the policy pursued.
From his marriage to the daughter of the Spanish king Maria de Bourbon (1718-1781), who mixed Braganza blood with Bourbon blood, Jose did not have a male heir; he had only four daughters, the eldest of whom, Maria I (1734-1816), inherited the throne . She was not prepared for the difficult craft of a sovereign, and she knew little about public affairs. The reformer Pombal fell into disgrace under her, and his endeavors were curtailed. After the death of her husband, King Consort Pedro III (1717-1786), Maria I was struck by mental illness. A hemorrhage at the beginning of 1792, which was soon repeated, deprived her of the opportunity to govern the state. Her son Joan VI (1767-1826) became regent. Towards the end of her life, the queen suffered from severe mental illness. Doctors declared her illness incurable. She was transported to the countryside palace of Queluz. Mental state The queen's condition worsened: depression gave way to horror when she imagined her charred king-father on a pedestal of hot iron.
Joan VI took as his wife the daughter of Charles IV, Carlota Joaquina (Joaquina) (1775-1830), again linking the Braganza dynasty with the Bourbons through this marriage. Of the nine children from this marriage, there were only two boys: Pedro and Miguel - and both tasted the delights of the struggle for the throne, finding themselves in the thick of political events in the first third of the 19th century.
Brazilian emperors
In November 1807, Portugal was occupied by French and Spanish troops. Junot laid siege to Lisbon in the hope of capturing Joan VI, but he was already on his way to Brazil with his family and court. From 1808 to 1821, Brazil became the center of the Portuguese monarchy. After the king and court moved, Rio de Janeiro became the capital; The first university was founded in Brazil and the first newspaper was published. Projects to turn Joan VI into an “American king” were fueled by the conviction that the future of Portugal lay in America, and not on the Iberian Peninsula.
After Joan VI returned to Europe, his son, Prince Pedro (1798-1834), declared Brazil independent, and a month later, on October 12, 1822, Brazil proclaimed itself an empire, and the prince - Emperor Pedro I. Brazil's true independence began after the victory in Portugal's Liberal Revolution of 1820: In Portugal, liberals demanded the establishment of a constitutional monarchy and the return of Joan VI. But growing discontent in the young empire also undermined the fragile Brazilian throne.
The Brazilian empire of the House of Braganza did not last long and knew only two emperors. The second marriage of Pedro I (aka Pedro IV, King of Portugal) with Amelia of Leuchtenberg, daughter of Eugenie de Beaugarneau, gave him a daughter, Maria, known as Maria II da Gloria, about whom more we'll talk, and son, Emperor Pedro II of Brazil (1825-1891).
At the time of his father's abandonment of the throne, Pedro II was only six years old. Parliament established a regency that lasted until 1840. Emperor Pedro II, not without reason, was considered meek and educated person. In 1876, he visited the USA and became acquainted with technical innovations: telephone and electricity. The Emperor wanted Brazil to take advantage of them, and did a lot for this. But he was too hasty with his plans. They were realized only at the beginning of the 20th century.
The daughter of Pedro II, Princess Isabel of Braganza (1846-1921), became in 1864 the wife of Gaston of Orléans, Comte d'E (1842-1922), who belonged to the Orléans branch of the French royal house. Gaston of Orléans, commanding the Brazilian army in the war against Paraguay , showed himself so decisively that he did not give up hope that he would be content with the decorative role of the prince consort. A strong Brazilian empire did not correspond to the plans of the North Americans. They, the constant instigators of anti-monarchist protests in Brazil, became especially active.
Emperor Pedro II was too slow to abolish slavery. When Princess Isabel took over the regency, she was no longer able to save the empire with the “golden law” on the abolition of slavery in 1888. The monarchy lost the support of the army and fell. The provisional government confiscated the property of Pedro II. On November 16, 1889, at his residence in Pedropolis, Pedro signed a renunciation, and on November 17, he sailed to Portugal with his entire family. The descendants of Isabel Braganza and Gaston d'Orléans combined their titles, are still alive today, and among them the order of succession is established by the head of the Imperial House of Brazil *.
* Pierre d'Alcantara (aka Pedro Orleans and Braganza), son of Count d'E, on October 30, 1908, renounced the rights to inherit the Brazilian imperial throne in favor of his brother Louis (Luisha). After Louis's death in 1920, these rights passed to his son Pierre Henri (Pedro Henrique), born in 1909 and died in 1981, and then to the latter's son, Prince Luis. However, the descendants of Pedro Orleans and Braganza also make claims to the Brazilian throne. Note comp.
Miguelist Wars
During the stay of the royal house in Brazil, a revolution occurred in Portugal in 1820. In January 1821, the Cortes met and adopted a democratic constitution in 1822. Joan VI and Prince Pedro swore allegiance to her. Joan VI was asked to return to Portugal as constitutional monarch, and he left Brazil. Meanwhile, in Portugal they developed revolutionary events. In May 1823, a revolt broke out in Vila Franca. However, Joan VI was proclaimed an absolute monarch without military action. On July 5, he promulgated in Lisbon a new constitution, revised in the interests of absolute royal power. In April of the following year, a new anti-liberal conspiracy was formed in Lisbon, directed by Queen Carlota Joaquina, who wanted to see her youngest son Miguel, commander-in-chief of the Portuguese army, on the throne instead of Joan VI. In fact, in 1823-1824. Miguel started a civil war.
Joan VI did not object to the status of a constitutional monarch, but the Queen and Metel were against any diminution of the prerogatives of the crown. On April 30, Miguel carried out a coup and captured the royal palace. Joan VI managed to escape aboard an English ship, where he prepared a decree for the expulsion of Migal. Miguel had to submit.
King Joan VI died in Lisbon on March 10, 1826, and his death led to the dynastic turmoil of 1826-1834, which fueled various social movements of the time. He left the Portuguese throne to his eldest son, who was in Brazil. Thus he became the Portuguese king Pedro IV.
Pedro IV issued a Charter that could ensure moderate parliamentary rule English type, but refused to leave Brazil and handed over the throne of Portugal to his daughter Maria (1819-1853), who was then only seven years old. Wanting to reconcile both parties, Pedro betrothed Maria to 24-year-old Miguel, her uncle. This could be one of many typical marriages in the history of the Braganza dynasty. But it happened differently.
In 1828, Miguel returned to Lisbon, entering the river on board the frigate "Perola". Toku, and did new revolution. On May 3, the Cortes proclaimed him King Miguel I (reigned 1828-1834). Mary, arriving from Brazil in Gibraltar and learning about the seizure of the throne, fled to England.
After abdicating the throne in Brazil, Pedro IV was forced to return to Europe and begin the struggle to restore Mary to the throne. Two approaches to the dynastic question emerged: anti-liberal Lisbon for Metola versus northern Porto, which stood for the Charter and Pedro IV. After Pedro landed at Mindelo on July 8, 1832, a brutal civil war broke out across the country with renewed vigor. Miguel's defeat on May 16, 1834 at the Battle of Asceceira brought it to an end. After the defeat, Metel was again sentenced to exile and left the country within two weeks. On September 20, 1834, the Cortes declared Maria of age, and Queen Maria II da Gloria swore allegiance to the constitution. Four days later, her father, Pedro IV, died in the Palace of Queluz in the Hall of Don Quixote.
Maria II ruled Portugal until 1853. In January 1835 she married the Duke of Leuchtenberg (1810-1835), son of Prince Eugene of Beauharnais, but on March 26 of that year the Duke died of a sore throat. April 9, 1836 young Portuguese queen entered into a second marriage - with Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1816-1885), which gave rise to the Coburg-Braganza branch of this house.
Coburg-Braganza branch
The reign of Maria da Gloria turned out to be very unstable politically. The confrontation between the "Septemberists" - supporters of the radical constitution of 1822 - and the "chartists" - adherents of the Charter of 1826 and Queen Mary - was constant. Attempts were made at pro-Miguelist protests. All this devastated and impoverished the already poor country. Among all these upheavals, many medieval institutions found their end, including the Dukes of Braganza in 1834, who lost most of their land holdings, falling into the hands of exalted representatives of the third estate.
After the death of Maria II in 1853, the crown passed to 16-year-old Pedro V (1837-1861), who reigned for two more years under the tutelage of his father, King Consort Fernando II. The prominent historian A. Herculanu was involved in the upbringing of Pedro V. To complete his education, the king undertook a trip to Europe. Education and travel opened his eyes to the shortcomings of his fatherland, but did not give him the energy to act. Early death wife, Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1837-1859), intensified the king's melancholy. He survived her by two years and died without issue.
The throne was inherited by his brother Luis I (1838-1889), whose reign was marked by greater activity: passports were eliminated for both Portuguese and foreigners, and slavery was abolished in the colonies in 1868. In the last quarter of the 19th century. Portugal made progress in economic development, but not all was well. When the son of Luis I and Maria Pia of Savoy, King Carlos I (1863-1908), ascended the throne, the country's debt was enormous. These debts have accumulated since the foreign loans of the Miguelist wars. The situation was heating up. The conviction grew that only the king's renunciation of the throne could lead the country out of the crisis. When in March 1894 King Carlos I, his wife and two princes celebrated the 500th anniversary of the birth of Henrique the Navigator, the days of the Portuguese monarchy were already numbered. For the monarch himself and his family, the collapse of the monarchy ended tragically.
In the winter of 1908, the royal family planned to spend a few days in Vila Visoza, a favorite place of the Braganza dynasty. In the evening of February 1, 1908, when the royal carriage left Terreiro do Paço, two masked anarchist revolutionaries rushed towards it. One of them, the clerk, killed the king, and the second, school teacher, mortally wounded the heir to the throne, Luis Philip (1887-1908). Both regicides were immediately deprived of their lives. Queen Amalia (1865-1951) supported the body of her youngest, slightly wounded son, who became the last king Portugal by Manuel II (1889-1932). It was his sad fate to complete the gallery of Portuguese kings. In 1910, the Portuguese Revolution abolished the monarchy. On the night of October 5, 1910, Manuel left for England on a yacht. He died without issue at the age of 43.
The fate of the contenders
Fate decreed that the rights to the Portuguese throne would go to the descendants of the once exiled eternal rebel and warmonger Miguel I (1802-1866). Until the end of his days, he retained his love for his fatherland and said: “If I knew that I would never return there again, I would die of grief.” * Alas, he was not destined to see Portugal again; he died in Karlsruhe on November 14, 1866 and was buried in the Löwenstein pantheon in the Franciscan monastery of Engelberg.
From his marriage to Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1831-1909), Miguel I had a son who inherited the name and title. Miguel II (1853-1927) visited Portugal incognito in 1883, was in Lisbon and Sintra, in the Queluz Palace, visited the theater and torada. His first marriage was in 1877 to Isabel (Elizabeth), Princess of Turi-i-Taxis (1860-1881). Princess Isabel gave birth to three sons and died at the age of 21. Their middle son, Francisco José of Braganza (1879-1919), died without issue. The eldest, Miguel Braganza (1878-1923), born in Reichenau, studied at the Higher military school in Dresden, then moved to America. In the USA in 1909 he married Anita Stewart, an American of Scottish descent, who Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I bestowed the title of princess. Along this line only the name, but not the title, of the Dukes of Braganza is retained. Broom of Braganza bore the title of Duke of Viseu. He died in New York, and his two sons became American citizens. The eldest, Joan, or rather John Braganza (born in 1912), has a son, Michael Braganza (born in 1951); the youngest, Michael Braganza (born in 1915), a former civilian pilot, has two children - Anita Braganza (born in 1947) and Michael Braganza (born in 1949).
The family line was continued by the youngest of the sons of Miguel II and Princess Isabel - Duarte (1907-1976). He was born in Siebenstein Castle in Austria and was baptized with holy water from the Guimarães church. He retained the right to a name and ducal title. In 1920, at the age of 13, his father gave him full rights to the crown of Portugal. Duarte II, a contender for the throne, studied at the College of Clairvaux Abbey, then at the Faculty of Agronomy in Toulouse. In the fall of 1929, Duarte traveled incognito around Portugal, visiting places connected with the history of the country and family. His ashes are buried in the pantheon of the Dukes of Braganza in Vila Visoza.
* Beirao S. EI-Rei Dom Miguel I e a sua descellencia. Lisboa, 1943. P. 14.
During the Second World War, Duarte II, fleeing the German National Socialists who hated the nobility, found refuge in neutral Switzerland. In 1942, he traveled to Brazil, where he stayed for a week at the Grand Para Palace in Petropolis with the descendants of the Brazilian imperial house. In Brazil in 1942, Duarte II married a distant relative, Princess Maria Francisco of Orleans and Braganza (1914-1968), daughter of Pedro Orleans and Braganza (1875-1940) and Countess Elisabeth of Dobrenskaya (1875-1951). From this marriage Duarte had three sons, who are still alive today.
The eldest of them, Duarte, was born on May 15, 1945 in Bern (Switzerland). He is the Duke of Braganza, Guimarães, Barcelos, Marquis of Vila Viçosa, Count of Arraiolos, Orem, Barcelos, Farna, Neiva, Guimarães. Since 1976, he has been considered a contender for the Portuguese throne. His younger brothers. Metel (born in 1946) and Enrique (born in 1949), bear the title of Infantes of Portugal. After the 1974 revolution, the brothers returned to Portugal. Don Duarte lives in Sintra. In 1995, he married Isabella Eredna. The Duke of Braganza heads the Portuguese-Russian Friendship Society and finances various charitable and cultural programs. Don Metel, Duke of Viseu, lives in a village in the north of the country. He is interested in agriculture, painting, philosophy and the occult.
Recently I promised to tell you about the queens of Portugal...
Mafalda of Savoy
(1125-1157)
Daughter of Count Amadeus III of Savoy. In 1146 she married the first king of Portugal, Alfonso I. She gave birth to seven children, died relatively young (according to some sources, she was killed by her husband out of jealousy)
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Dulcinea Berenguer, Princess of Aragon
(1152-1198)
The younger sister of King Alfonso II of Aragon, in 1174 she married Sancho, Crown Prince of Portugal, later King Sancho I. She gave birth to 11 children. The husband-king was not distinguished by fidelity, having a lot of children on the side. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Urraca of Castile
(1187-1220)
The fifth child of the Castilian king Alfonso the Noble and his wife Eleanor of England. Her sisters were Queen Berengaria and Blanca of Castile, and her brother was Enrique I. According to legend, Urraca was planned to marry one of the French princes, but Eleanor of Aquitaine did not like the name of the bride (Urraka is magpie in Spanish). In 1206, the girl married the Portuguese prince Afonso, who in 1212 ascended the throne under the name Afonso II. She gave birth to five children. The fifth birth was very difficult, the child died almost immediately. Urraca was also unable to regain her health and died six months later. 
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Messia Lopez de Jaro
(d.1270)
Castilian lady. Since 1247 wife of Sanshu II. In 1246, the rebellious nobility invited Afonso, Sancho's younger brother, who lived in France as Count of Boulogne, to the throne. Afonso immediately renounced all his French possessions and went to Portugal. Sanshu was removed in 1247, and fled to Toledo, where he soon died. There are no legal heirs left.
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Beatrice of Castile
(1244-1303)
Afonso III, in order to ascend the throne of Portugal, urgently divorced his wife Matilda of Boulogne, renounced the Boulogne possessions, returned to Portugal and in 1253 married the illegitimate daughter of King Alfonso X of Castile from his mistress Major Guillen de Guzman, Señora de Alcocer. The girl was 10 years old. In 1263, after the death of Matilda, the marriage of Afonso and Beatrice was recognized by Pope Urban IV. During the years of marriage, Beatrice gave birth to eight children. But the king also had side children. Having been widowed, Beatrice remained at the Portuguese court as Queen Mother. 
Queen's Tombstone
Isabella of Aragon
(1270-1336)
Daughter of King Pedro III of Aragon and Constance (daughter of Manfred of Hohenstaufen), since 1282 wife of King Dinis of Portugal. She founded hospitals, schools and orphanages. Despite the fact that Dinish led a free life and had many mistresses, she remained an example of a faithful wife. She gave birth to two children. After the death of her husband, she retired to the Franciscan monastery of St. Clare in Coimbra, which she founded. Canonized. 
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Beatrice of Castile
(1293-1359)
Daughter of the Castilian king Sancho the Bold and his wife Maria de Molina, sister of King Ferdinand. From 1309 wife of Prince Afonso, later King Afonso IV. She gave birth to seven children. She died two years after her husband. 
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Ines de Castro
(d.1355)
Daughter of Pedro Fernandez de Castro and Adolfa Lorenzo De Valladares, from the Castilian royal family. Long years She was the mistress of Prince Pedro of Portugal. She bore him four children. When Pedro's legal wife died and he refused to marry another, King Afonso IV ordered the death of Ines, which was carried out. But Prince Pedro rebelled and went to war against his father. Having seized power, and after the death of his father, becoming the full-fledged king Pedro I, he swore to the nobles that he was married to Ines. After this, her corpse was transported from Coimbra, dressed in royal robes and placed on the throne. A crown was placed on her head, and all the courtiers had to give royal honors to the dead favorite and kiss the hem of her dress. Following this, she was buried with extreme pomp in the royal tomb. Of course, she was not a queen, but almost. Pedro I died on January 18, 1367 and, according to his will, was buried opposite his beloved. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Leonora Telles de Menezes
(d.1386)
Leonora was born into a family of Portuguese nobles. She married early: to the Portuguese nobleman Joao Lorenzo de Cunha. From this marriage she had a son. As a maid of honor at court, she captivated Prince Fernanda so much that he refused to marry Princess Eleanor of Aragon (daughter of King Enrique II), which influenced the tension with Castile and the military alliance concluded shortly before. Fernanda divorced Leonora from her husband (as a result, according to a beautiful legend, de Cunha, who was exiled to Castile, added gilded horns to his family coat of arms) and in 1372 he himself married her. The new queen was very smart, tried to attract people to her with affection and generosity, but the majority of the Portuguese always treated her with hostility. The only daughter Beatrice was born from the marriage. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Philippa of Lancaster
(1359-1415)
Eldest daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Blanche of Lancaster, daughter of Henry Grosmont. Since 1387, the wife of King João I. Philippa of Portugal, at the age of 27, was considered too old to be a first-time bride, so her ability to bear children with the king was questioned. These fears soon became irrelevant, as Philippa gave birth to nine children, six of whom lived to mature age. She died of the plague. The king, who initially did not really love his wife, was very sad. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Eleanor of Aragon
(c. 1402-1445)
Daughter of King Ferdinand I of Aragon. In 1428 she married Duarte I. She gave birth to nine children. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Juana of Castile
(1462-1530)
Officially, Juana was the daughter of King Enrique IV of Castile and his second wife Joana of Portugal, daughter of King Duarte I of Portugal. Juana received her derogatory nickname "Beltraneja" due to rumors about her illegitimate origin from the Castilian nobleman Beltran de la Cueva, a favorite of Queen Juana. King Enrique (nicknamed El Impotente) had no other children. He either disinherited his daughter Juana, or restored her rights, making every effort to ensure that Juana inherited the Castilian throne. In 1475, Juana married her maternal uncle, King Afonso V of Portugal, and became Queen of Portugal. There were no children in the marriage. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Eleanor of Portugal, Duchess of Viseu
(1458-1525)
Daughter of Fernando of Portugal, Duke of Viseu, son of King Duarte I of Portugal. Her mother, Beatriz, was a Portuguese princess, granddaughter of King John I. In 1481, Leonora marries King John II. Thus, Leonora’s husband was her cousin on her father’s side, and her second cousin on her mother’s side. She gave birth to two sons, one of whom died in infancy, and the second Afonso died at the age of six, falling from a horse. 
(artist - José Malhoa)
Isabella of Asturias
(1470-1498)
The eldest daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. The first wife of King Manuela I of Portugal. She died giving birth to her first child. The son lived only six months.
(the artist is unknown to me)
Maria of Aragon
(1482-1517)
Isabella's sister. The second wife of King Manuela I of Portugal. During 17 years of marriage, she gave birth to 10 children, which undermined her health and she died six months after the birth of the last one. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Eleanor of Austria
(1498-1558)
Niece of the first two wives. The third wife of King Manuela I of Portugal. She gave birth to two children. Having been widowed, she married the King of France, Francis I. This marriage was no happier than the previous one; Francis preferred his mistress Anna de Pisleu to his new wife. The couple had no children. Brantôme writes that the queen found relaxation in her intimate life in the arms of her court ladies. 
(artist Joos van Cleve)
Catherine of Austria
(1507-1578)
Youngest daughter of Philip IV, Duke of Burgundy and Queen of Castile Juana I. Wife of King Juan III, Queen Consort of Portugal. She gave birth to seven children, only two of whom reached adulthood. Regent for his grandson King Sebastian. 
Portrait by Antonis Mora
Margaret of Austria
(1584-1611)
Austrian Archduchess, from 1599 Queen of Spain and Portugal, wife of Philip III. In 1599, she married King Philip III of Spain and Portugal and bore him eight children (including the famous Anne of Austria, wife of King Louis XIII of France).
(portrait by Bartolomé González y Serrano)
Isabella Bourbon
(French: Elisabeth de Bourbon, 1602-1644)
French princess, eldest daughter of Henry IV, King of France and his second wife Marie de' Medici. First wife of Philip IV, Queen of Spain and Portugal. She gave birth to eight children, of whom only the youngest daughter, Maria Theresa, reached adulthood and later became his wife. French king Louis XIV.
(portrait by Frans Pourbus Jr.)
Louise de Guzman
(1613-1666)
She was born into the family of a Spanish aristocrat, Juan Manuel Pérez de Guzmán, 8th Duke of Medina Sidonia, and his wife, Juana Lourenza Gómez de Sandoval y la Cerda. Wife of King John IV of Portugal. She gave birth to seven children, including two Portuguese kings, Afonso VI and Pedro II. Her daughter, Katharina-Henrietta, became Queen of England and Scotland (wife of the English King Charles II). 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Maria Francisca of Savoy
(1646-1683)
Marie Francisca was the second daughter of Charles Amadeus of Savoy, Duke of Nemours and Omel, and his wife, Elisabeth de Bourbon, granddaughter of the French king Henry IV. In 1666 she married King Afonso VI of Portugal. This marriage was extremely unsuccessful, since the young queen had no inclination towards her husband, while at the same time falling in love with his younger brother, the future Portuguese king Pedro II. By entering into a secret alliance with him against her husband, Maria Francisca ensured that the king was removed. The younger brother becomes prince regent, and after Afonso's death, king. In 1668, the marriage between Maria Francisca and Afonso VI was annulled on the grounds that the husband was unable to fulfill his duties. Having received permission from the Pope, on April 2, 1668, she married again, this time to her lover, Prince Regent Pedro, on whose policy Maria Francisca continued to have a serious influence. From her second marriage she gave birth to a daughter. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Maria Sophia of Neuburg
(1666-1699)
She was the eleventh child of Philip William of the Palatinate and Elizabeth Amalia of Hesse-Darmstadt. In 1687 she married the widowed Pedro II. She gave birth to seven children. She died after her last birth from fever. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Maria Anna of Austria
(1683-1754)
Born Maria Anna Josepha, she was the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I and Empress Eleanor, making her sister to Emperors Joseph I and Charles VI. In 1708, she married her cousin, King of Portugal, João V. Even after the wedding, the king did not stop his love affairs on the side. The queen, who was six years older than her husband, had to put up with this; perhaps her patience with her husband’s infidelity made their marriage outwardly happy. The royal couple had six children. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Marianna Victoria of Spain
(1718 - 1781)
The daughter of Philip V of Spain, she in 1729 married the son and heir of the Portuguese king João V, José. Both spouses were deeply religious. Despite this, Marianna Victoria bore her husband eight children. 
(artist Miguel António do Amaral)
Maria I
(1734-1816)
First reigning queen Portugal. The eldest of four daughters of José I and his wife Marianna Victoria. After her father's death, Mary was proclaimed Queen of Portugal along with her husband, King Consort Pedro III. She suffered from religious mania and melancholy, which after 1799 made her unable to perform royal duties. Her son Juan was her regent until her death. 
(artist José Leandro de Carvalho)
Carlota Joaquina Bourbon
(1775-1830)
Eldest daughter of King Charles IV of Spain and his wife Marie Louise of Parma. In 1790, she married the Portuguese Prince John (later King John VI), the son of Maria I. The marriage produced 9 children. 
(artist Domingos António de Sequeira)
Maria II
(1819-1853)
When her grandfather João VI died, Maria's father abdicated the throne of Portugal in favor of his daughter Maria. He was the Emperor of Brazil and did not want to combine two thrones. But the father remained regent for his daughter until she came of age in 1834. In 1835 she married Augustus, Duke of Leuchtenberg (1810-1835), son of Eugene Beauharnais. Two months later, her husband died. In January 1836, Mary married Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1816-1885), who reigned with her as King Consort under the name Fernando II. There were many births, but only seven children survived. Queen Mary died in childbirth in 1853. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Stefanie Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
(1837 – 1859)
Eldest daughter of Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and his wife Josephine of Baden. On her mother's side, her grandparents were Charles of Baden and Stephanie de Beauharnais. In 1858, she married King Pedro V of Portugal. Stefania soon fell ill with diphtheria and died just a year later at the age of 22. There were no children in the marriage. The early death of his wife plunged Pedro into a cruel melancholy, from which he did not emerge until his death. Inherited the throne younger brother Pedro - Luis I. 
(the artist is unknown to me)
Maria Pia of Savoy
(1847-1911)
Youngest daughter of King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy and Adelheide of Austria. In 1862 she married King Luis I of Portugal and gave birth to two sons. In 1889 Maria Pia became a widow. A strong blow for her was the murder of her son Carlos I and grandson Luis Filipe in 1908. After the revolution, she left Portugal with the rest of the royal family. 
(artist Joseph Layraud)
Amelia d'Orléans
(1865-1951)
Eldest daughter of Louis Philippe, Count of Paris and his wife Marie Isabella d'Orléans. In 1886 she married the Portuguese Prince Carlos (later Carlos I). She gave birth to three children. In 1908, two republican terrorists opened fire on the royal family's open carriage. The king was killed on the spot, the heir to the throne Luis Filipe died 20 minutes later, the youngest son Manuel was slightly wounded in the arm and became the next king. After the tragedy, the Queen Mother retired to the Pena Palace in Sintra, from where she only came out to support her son Manuel II. Revolutionary movement gained strength, ultimately, on October 5, 1910, Portugal was proclaimed a republic. 
Queen Amelia (artist Vittorio Matteo Corcos)
Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern
(1890-1966)
Augusta Victoria was the daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Hohenzollern, the elder brother of King Ferdinand I of Romania, and his second wife Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Sicily. In 1913 she married Manuel II, but the marriage took place after Manuel's overthrow, so she was never officially Queen of Portugal. died July 2, 1932, leaving no heirs. Seven years later, on April 23, 1939, Augusta Victoria married for the second time. Her husband was Karl Robert Douglas, 13th head of the house of the Swedish Counts of Douglas, lord of Langenstein Castle in Badeen. The bride was almost 49 years old, the groom was 10 years older. The marriage remained childless.
The kings of Portugal sat on the throne for more than seven hundred years. They had a significant impact on historical processes in Europe and the world. During highest power Portugal was one of the most influential powers.
Many monarchs were involved in the political life of other European powers, due to the close interweaving of dynasties.
History and background
The kings of Portugal date back to ancient times. At the beginning of the eighth century, the Visigoths created the first independent formations on the Iberian Peninsula. However, at this time the expansion of the Saracens to the mainland begins. At that time, they were much more united and developed than the scattered tribes. Therefore, in a fairly short period they managed to occupy almost the entire peninsula. In response to the invasion of the Moors, the western and southern parts of Christian Europe respond with the Reconquista. The reconquest of territories begins. This war will continue for centuries. In the ninth century, almost on the border between the Christian world and the emirates, the kingdom of Leon created its own county.
The first Portuguese county was headed by Vimara Peres. This public education considered the first prototype of modern Portugal. The counts obeyed Leon and paid tribute to their vassal. Due to its proximity to the epicenter of the war, the county was actively involved in the Reconquista. It was on par with Spain greatest number knights from Europe. Even before the first crusades, settlers arrived here from all over the mainland. Many knights who arrived with their retinue for the war against the Saracens eventually settled down. At the end of the ninth century, revolts against central government. Revolts are almost always supported by a Portuguese county.
As a result, the second county significantly expands its territory to the south. Henry of Burgundy, who received these lands for his services to the crown, significantly strengthens the influence of the county. It gradually absorbs other vassal territories. And soon the first king of Portugal, Afonso, comes to power.
Gaining independence
The King of Castile sent a significant army to the south. He also called on the French to help expel the Moors. One of the knights, Henry of Burgundy, was given lands near the border. There his son Afonso was born. By the time of his birth, Henry was already the Count of Portugal. The boy took the title after the death of his father. However, his mother Teresa ruled. Afonso was raised by a bishop from Braga. He did this with a far-sighted plan. Understanding the changes on the peninsula, he intended to place the young count at the head of the opposition to his mother.
After an open speech, the archbishop and the eleven-year-old heir to the title are expelled from the country. They have been living abroad for several years. In three years they find allies and means to return. At the age of fourteen, Afonso becomes a knight and arrives in the county. The war against the mother begins. Afonso is supported by knights and local feudal lords. However, over time, a vassal - the king of Castile himself - takes Teresa's side.
Five years later, a turning point in the war occurs. The prince's army wins at Guimarães. The commander's mother is captured and sent to a monastery forever. Now power in Portugal is concentrated in one hand. However, a much more important victory was the expulsion of Alfonso the Seventh. It was de facto destroyed. The first king of Portugal ascended the throne. However, to gain full independence, other monarchies and the papacy had to recognize the new king.
The fight for recognition
Recognition process medieval Europe was quite difficult. Indeed, if contacts were established with the newly-minted king, problems could arise with his former vassal.
One of the most influential institutions determining legitimacy was the Vatican. Recognition of the Pope would guarantee the support of European states. Therefore, churches began to be built throughout Portugal at the expense of the treasury. Papal representatives received significant benefits. The king also decided to finally deal with the Saracens in the south. A series of major victories allowed the invaders to be driven back beyond the Tagus. After this, the embassy of the throne left for Rome. At this moment, intending to regain his territories, Emperor Alfonso invades the country. The King of Portugal gathers his army and gives a decisive rebuff. But rich Castile continues to wage war at the expense of mercenaries.
As a result, peace is concluded and Afonso is recognized as king, but remains under Spanish rule. After the death of the emperor, a new war begins. This time the Portuguese make the first move and invade Galicia. However, the initial success is negated by the capture of Afonso himself. Since at that time the self-proclaimed king was key figure for the state, the conquered territories served as ransom for it. As a result, the Kingdom of Leon annexed several regions without a single battle. However, Afonso's bet on the church worked. In the year one hundred and seventy-nine, the papal throne officially recognizes the independence of Portugal. Also, the Pope, in the name of the Lord, gives the right to campaign against the Saracens. This event is one of the fundamental ones in history. From this day the kings of Portugal begin to rule. Afonso also managed to take part in several wars. At the age of seventy, he successfully leads the breaking of the siege of Santarem. His death became a real national mourning. Now the first king is revered as a folk hero.
Strengthening the monarchy
After Afonso's death, for several generations the kings of Portugal predominantly continued his work. Sanshu was engaged in the reconquista and strengthening of influence on the peninsula. IN in certain directions he managed to push the Moors south. Cities and villages began to be built. This was facilitated by new land reforms. Now they could receive inheritance in their own property, but they were obliged to build settlements before the crown.
In foreign policy terms, the reconquista remained the focus for many centuries.
All the kings of Portugal directed their efforts towards the fight against the Saracens. The list of reforms expanded under the reign of Afonso the Fat Man. The first parliament was created. Cities received significant liberties. In many ways, their charter of rights copied the Roman statute.
A crisis is brewing
After the establishment of the monarchy, political life in the country remained almost unchanged. WITH with varying success Wars were fought with the Moors, diplomats continued to try to isolate themselves from the influence of Castile. However, the usual course of affairs was changed with the ascension of Pedro I to the throne. The King of Portugal, while still a prince, planted a bomb under his throne. His father Afonso the Fourth wished him to marry a Castilian royal. Such a merger was supposed to further strengthen the kingdom’s position on the peninsula. However, the marriage with the emperor's daughter did not take place. Meanwhile, Emperor Alfonso himself decides to marry the king's daughter. But since he was married to the wife of a local count, he dissolves this marriage. As a result, the bride's father Manuel starts a war. Soon the Portuguese support him. To seal the union, Pedro is married to Manuel's daughter. Constance arrive in Portugal. After marriage, the prince devotes everything more attention her companion Ines. In 1945, Constance dies after giving birth to a child.
Pedro begins to live with his wife's former maid of honor.
Ines gives birth to his children. The king is concerned about his son's behavior. He orders him to find a more suitable companion. But Pedro does not heed his advice and even announces his marriage to Ines. In addition, her brothers and relatives arrive in Portugal. With the light hand of the prince they get high government posts. This worries the father and the nobility very much. Rumors begin to spread about a possible war for the throne after the death of Afonso the Fourth. Most of all, the nobility fears the Castilians seizing power in the country, although Ines’s relatives were expelled from Spain.
Death of the Old King
As a result, Afonso cannot withstand such pressure. Wanting to secure the future of his dynasty, he secretly sends three assassins. In the end, Ines is killed. The news of his beloved's death infuriates Pedra. He refuses to recognize his father and is preparing an uprising. But they soon reconcile. And after some time Afonso the Fourth dies at mysterious circumstances. In the fifty-seventh year, Pedro was crowned. As it turned out, he never forgave the murder of his wife. First of all, he begins to look for the killers of his beloved. He even manages to negotiate with Castile for their extradition. Three years later, two murderers are brought to him. He personally cuts out their hearts. The latter managed to hide all his life.
As the myth goes, after cutting out the hearts, he performed some crazy ritual. Allegedly, the king ordered Ines to be taken out of the coffin, dressed in a dress and placed on the throne. After which all the nobility had to swear allegiance to her and kiss her hand (according to other sources, her dress). There are no reliable sources describing this event, but there is a picture.
Foreign policy
Pedro's reign was characterized by changes in foreign policy. England was now the priority. Portuguese ambassadors visited regularly. A number of trade agreements were concluded, allowing merchants to freely import their goods into the territory of the two kingdoms. At the same time, peaceful relations with Spain were maintained. The reconquista progressed rather slowly.
Because the Moors were now increasingly seen as possible allies in the struggle for power in the region.
However, quite successful reforms inside the country and conquest outside it cannot be compared with the love games of Pedro the First. Because of the complicated story with three wives, the king created the best possible basis for an internecine war.
Fall of the dynasty
After Pedro's death, power passed to his son from his first wife, Fernado. He began his reign quite ambitiously. Immediately after the death of the Castilian emperor, he declares his claim to the throne. Using as an excuse family ties his grandmother, he is trying to unite in his hands power not only over Portugal, but also over Castile and Leon. However, the Spanish nobility refuses to accept him. To resist the Castilian court, Fernando enters into an alliance with the Saracens, and a war begins. After some time, the Pope intervenes and a truce ensues. However, Fernando does not give up his claims, but only forgets about them for a while. At the insistence papal throne the king was supposed to marry the daughter of the Castilian ruler. But instead, Fernanda takes Leonora Menezes as his wife. Begins another war. The Portuguese manage to conclude a number of profitable allied agreements and persuade Henry to a truce.
But after the death of Henry, the king of Spain and Portugal (as he considered himself) Fenrando the First turns to England for help. Edward sends his troops and his daughter to Lisbon by sea. After marriage, a campaign against Castile is expected. But the king suddenly renounces his claims and makes peace. For this, the English army destroys part of his possessions. Six months after these events, Fernando dies. After it comes a period of unrest.
Interregnum and period of decline
After Fernando's death, there is not a single male heir left. Power passes to his daughter. And due to his small age, in fact - to her mother. Leonora weaves intrigues and quickly finds herself a new lover. And his daughter is going to marry off to the Castilian heir. This would make Portugal part of Spain. The nobility turns out to be extremely dissatisfied with this fact. Since the union with Castile is contrary to the basic principles foreign policy, which all previous kings of Portugal professed. The list of contenders for the throne is growing every day. These are mainly Pedro's illegitimate children and their descendants.
At the same time, unpopular reforms are being introduced in the country. All these factors lead to conspiracy and coup. In 1985, an uprising began in Lisbon. As a result, the rebels kill Leonora's favorite. The Cortes (meeting of parliamentarians) is convened. João 1 ascends the throne. The King of Portugal immediately faces the danger of a Spanish invasion. After all, the expulsion of Beatrice was a direct declaration of war.
And the king’s fears were not in vain. Juan the First invades with a huge army. His destination is Lisbon. A detachment of French came out on the side of the Castilians. An English expeditionary force of six hundred archers arrives in Portugal as allied aid. After two major battles The Spaniards leave and renounce their claims to the throne. After this, Juan pursued a predominantly peaceful policy. The main changes concerned internal reforms. Culture and education developed. Many cities have grown significantly.
Consolidation of power
Nobles have always been the pillar of society on which the kings of Portugal relied. History knows hundreds of examples when they rebelled against their overlord. After the Avis dynasty came to power, the position of the nobles changed significantly. This has a lot to do with the gratitude of the new kings. Duarte, for example, distributed huge amounts of land to the courtiers. As a result, they gained more independence. João 2 began to solve this problem. The King of Portugal, immediately after his ascension, created a new institution - the Royal Commission on Charters. She revised the rights of nobles to their lands. In response to such a decisive step, the nobles are preparing a conspiracy.
However, it is revealed quite quickly. The leader of the rebels is caught, and his estate is under siege. royal troops. After this, another intrigue is brewing with the goal of killing the king and calling a Castilian pretender to reign. But Juan reveals it too. The King of Portugal personally kills the leader of the conspirators.
Juan was extremely ambitious and arrogant. He had charisma and had enormous influence on the courtiers. He was interested in the art of war. While still a prince, he often participated in knightly tournaments, where he invariably took first place. He was a supporter of strict centralization of power. Nevertheless, he also patronized many humanitarian areas. He also allocated significant funds from the royal treasury for the development of science. According to some reports, he was an avid chess player. He even specially invited European masters for the party.
Legends about the royal family
During the reign of John III, rumors were spread at court that Henry 8's sister Margaret and the king of Portugal could marry.
Close relations with England developed under Pedro the First. The Britons often sided with the Portuguese in wars with Castile. Therefore, for many then it seemed that the Tudors would marry one of their daughters to Juan to strengthen allied relations. Henry 8's sister Margaret and the King of Portugal, in fact, most likely did not even see each other. However, many legends have brought them together. In particular, in the popular modern television series, the plot is about marrying a Portuguese man.
Sebastian was at the center of another famous “royal” legend. The King of Portugal ascended the throne immediately after the death of his father. Grew up in difficult conditions. The cardinal was actually in charge of education. The mother fled to Spain, and the grandmother soon died. As a result, the boy became a full-fledged king at the age of fifteen. And almost immediately he went to his own crusade, in which he died. At home for a long time There was a legend that Sebastian was supposedly alive and preparing to return to the country to save it from the claims of the Spanish King Philip. As a result of such sentiments in society, impostors appeared several times in Portugal, claiming rights to the throne.
End of the monarchy
By the beginning of the twentieth century, the monarchy was in decline. To protect its power, the crown intensified repression. At the same time, socialist and republican sentiments spread among the people. On February 1, 1908, the fate of the dictatorship in Portugal was decided. Having overthrown the power of the king, some republicans were going to start a revolution. Therefore, they killed Carlos I and his family right in the center of Lisbon.
Nevertheless, one of the heirs to the throne managed to survive. The mother saved ten-year-old Manuel. However, he showed no interest in government affairs. Therefore, two years later, a revolution began in the country, which led to the overthrow of the monarchical system and the proclamation of a republic.
Thus ended the seven hundred year history of the monarchy in Portugal. Initially, the goals of the crown corresponded to the national demands of the people. Moreover, the throne was a unifying and shaping force for the Portuguese nation. Political activity was basically no different. Protection from Spanish influence was given priority by the kings of Portugal. The chronology of dynasties and clan branches is kept in the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon. Many royal families were closely related to the most famous houses of Europe.
The territory of Portugal has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. In the Bronze Age, metallurgical production was developed in the north of the country, the products of which were exported beyond its borders. Over the following centuries, Greeks, Romans and people from North Africa settled in this area.
In 713-718 Portuguese territory was conquered by Arabs and Berbers. In the IX-X centuries. the south of the country, ruled by the Arabs, was experiencing a period of economic and cultural growth. At the same time, the mountainous northern territories, which only nominally submitted to the Arab conquerors, became the focus of the Reconquista (the Portuguese struggle for their territories) and in the middle of the 11th century. joined the kingdom of Leon. The northerners conquered more and more from the Arabs large areas. In 1143, the state of Portugal was formed with its capital in the city of Coimbra, which was officially recognized by Leon. The reconquista in Portugal ended in 1249-50. conquest of the Algarve territory. During its course, the Portuguese people gradually formed and elements of Portuguese culture took shape.
WITH mid-XIII V. Urban growth has increased in the country. This was facilitated by profitable geographical position Portugal at the junction trade routes from England and other countries Northern Europe to the Mediterranean countries. The development of crafts and trade was also favored by the policy of religious tolerance that the Portuguese kings adhered to until the end of the 15th century. in relation to non-believers (adherents of Islam, Judaism), who played a prominent role in these areas of the economy. At this time, Lisbon acquired the importance of a major center of transit trade, and in 1255-56. became the capital of the state.
In the XV-XVI centuries. With the strengthening of absolutism, Portugal began a policy of external expansion. By 1485, she captured a number of strongholds on west coast Africa, the islands of Madeira, Cape Verde, the islands of Sao Tome and Principe, the Azores. Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India marked the beginning of Portuguese expansion in East Africa, India, Southeast Asia. Brazil became the country's largest colony. The highest flowering Portuguese colonial empire reached in the first half of the 16th century. However, the influx of enormous wealth from the colonies led to only a short-term economic boom. From the end of the 16th century, Portugal began to gradually lose its power, and from 1581 to 1640 it was under Spanish rule. One after another, the Portuguese colonies won independence.
End of the 18th century and 19th century - a time of unrest in the country. In the second half of the 18th century. the political and economic difficulties facing Portuguese absolutism assumed a threatening character. Discontent among the liberal-minded part of the nobility and the emerging bourgeoisie grew. The struggle between supporters of constitutionalism and absolutism took the form of a civil war, ending in the victory of the constitutionalists. On May 29, 1834, King Miguel of Braganza was forced to abdicate the throne.
From 1926 to 1976, the country was ruled by dictators, and finally, as a result of the revolution, a democratic system was established here. Today, Portugal is a member of the European Union.
Founding of the County of Portugal
The emergence of Portugal as a separate state is associated in history with the Christian Reconquista of Spain. At the end of the 11th century. Crusader knights came from all over Europe to help the kings of northern and central Spain expel the Moors. Among these adventurers was Count Enrique of Burgundy, a determined warrior who, in 1095, married Teresa, the natural daughter of King Alfonso VI of Leonese. The County of Portugal, already conquered from the Moors (1055-1064), was part of Teresa's dowry. Count Enrique ruled as a vassal of Alfonso VI, whose Galician border territories were thus protected from any sudden raid by the Moors. In 1109, Alfonso VI died, leaving all his territories as an inheritance to his legitimate daughter Urraca, and Count Enrique immediately invaded Leon, hoping to expand his dominions at the expense of the overlord.
After a three-year war against Urraca and other claimants to the throne of Leon, Count Enrique himself dies in 1112. He leaves Teresa to rule Portugal north of Mondego until her son Afonso Henriques comes of age: the Moors still rule south of Mondego.
Teresa renewed the struggle against her half-sister and overlord Urraca in 1116-1117, and again in 1120; in 1121 she was besieged in Lagnoso and taken prisoner. However, Archbishops Diogo Gelmires Santiago di Compostella and Burdin of Bragano established a truce through negotiations. These church leaders had wealth and military resources that allowed them to dictate terms. There was an ineradicable rivalry between the prelates: each claimed to be the “Primate of all Spains,” and this antagonism played an important historical role, since it fueled separatist sentiments in Portugal. But the quarrel between them was temporarily postponed, since both Gelmires and Burdinu had reason to fear the expansion of Urraca's influence. It was arranged that Teresa was freed and continued to rule Portugal as Leon's fief.
In the next five years, she began to shower her favorite Fernanda Peres, Count of Trava with wealth and titles, removing in this regard her son Afonso, Archbishop of Braga and the supreme nobility, most of whom were foreign crusaders. In 1128, when her power was undermined in another unsuccessful conflict with Leon and Castile, she was deposed by her own rebellious subjects and expelled along with Peres. Teresa died in 1130.
Afonso I - first king of Portugal
Afonso Henriques, who became Count of Portugal in 1128, was one of the warrior heroes of medieval legends; his exploits were sung by troubadours throughout southwestern Europe, and even in Africa "Ibn Errik", i.e. "Son Enrique" was a terrifying figure. The annals of his reign are cluttered with a mass of legends, among which mention must be made of the assembly of the Cortes in Lamego in 1143, and, probably, also a description of the Valdevez knightly tournament, in which the Portuguese knights defeated the champions of Castile and Leon.
Afonso was engaged in almost continuous border conflicts with his Christian and Moorish neighbors. Twelve years of campaigns on the Galician border ended by 1143 with the peace of Zamora, according to which Afonso was recognized as a ruler independent of all Spanish kingdoms, although he promised to be a loyal vassal of the pope and pay him an annual tribute of 4 ounces of gold. In 1167, however, the war resumed. Afonso succeeded in conquering part of Galicia, but while attempting to take the border fort of Badajoz, he was wounded and captured by Ferdinand II of León (1169). Ferdinand was his son-in-law, and was probably inclined to be lenient in light of the threat of a Moorish attack, in the event of which Portuguese assistance would be most welcome. Afonso was therefore released on a promise to leave everything he had conquered in Galicia.
By that time he had already won many victories over the Moors. At the beginning of his reign, the religious fervor that had animated the Almoravid dynasty was rapidly waning; in Portugal, independent Moorish rulers ruled their cities and small states, ignoring the central government; in Africa, the Almohads destroyed the remnants of Almoravid power. Afonso took advantage of these differences and sent troops to the Alentejo, reinforced by the Templars and Hospitallers.
On July 25, 1139, he defeats the combined forces of the Moors on the plains of Orica in the Alentejo. The legend that exaggerates the significance of this victory speaks of the flight of 200 thousand Muslims under the leadership of five kings, but the battle was far from decisive, for in 1140 the Moors besieged Leiria, built by Afonso in 1135 as an outpost to defend Coimbra, his capital. The Moors then defeat the Templars at Sur. But on March 15, 1147, Afonso stormed the Santarem fortress, and at about the same time, a detachment of crusaders heading to Palestine landed in Oporto and provided voluntary assistance in the impending siege of Lisbon. Among the knights there were many Englishmen, Germans, and Flemings, who were then destined to remain in Portugal. With the help of powerful allies, Afonso captured Lisbon on October 24, 1147.
This was the greatest military achievement of his reign. The Moorish garrisons at Palmela, Sintra and Almada soon capitulated, and in 1158 Alcácer do Sal, one of the main centers of Moorish trade, was stormed. By that time, however, the Almohads had gained the upper hand in Africa and invaded the peninsula, managing to contain the Portuguese Reconquista, although isolated detachments of crusading adventurers were able to establish a strong foothold in some cities of the Alentejo. The most famous of these condottieri was Giraldo Peshtana, Sempavor (Girald the Fearless), also known in history as the “Cid of Portugal,” who captured Évora in 1166.
In 1171, Afonso concluded a seven-year truce with the Moors, weakened by wounds and years, he could no longer fight with the same energy, and when war broke out again, he sent his son Sansha to command the troops. Between 1179 and 1184 The Moors recovered much of what was lost in the Alentejo, but were unable to retake Santarem and Lisbon. Afonso died on December 6, 1185. He secured for Portugal the status, although not the glory, of an independent kingdom, and extended its borders from Mondego to Tagus (Tejo). He created a system of interaction between the crown and military monastic orders, which later brought nations invaluable benefits in the reconquista, and further development navigation and colonization.
Sanshu I
Sanshu I continued his war against the Moors with varying success. In 1189 he conquered Silves, at that time the capital of the Algarve; in 1192 he loses not only the Algarve, but even most of the Alentejo, including Alcácer do Sal. Peace is then concluded and for the next six years Sanshu is involved in the fight against Alfonso IX of León. And the motives and course of this insoluble struggle are equally unclear. The conflict ends in 1201 and in the last decade of his reign, Sanshu carries out peaceful reforms, thanks to which he receives his historical nickname “o Povoador”, “Settler”, creator of cities.
He renews charters of rights for many cities, legalizing the system of self-government that the Visigoths inherited from the Romans and then modified and supported by the Moors. Lisbon had already received a charter from Afonso I (1179). Sanshu also tried to stimulate the influx of population and agriculture by transferring landholdings to military monastic orders under the conditions of mandatory cultivation of these lands or the creation of settlements. Towards the end of his reign he was involved in a debate with Pope Innocent III. He insisted that priests must accompany their flock in battle, established secular jurisdiction for them, suspended the payment of tribute due to Rome, and even proclaimed the right to revoke ecclesiastical landholdings. Finally he quarreled with Martinho Rodrigues, the unpopular bishop of Oporto, who was besieged in his palace for five months and then forced to seek protection from Rome (1209). Since Sanshu was in poor health and unable to resist Papal pressure, he abdicated the throne (1210) and, after transferring extensive possessions to his sons and daughters, went to the Alcobaça monastery, where he died in 1211.
Afonso II
The reign of Afonso II (the Fat Man) is notable for the first meeting of the Portuguese Cortes, which included the supreme clergy and nobles (Hidalgos e ricos homens), convened by royal order. King Afonso II (reigned 1211 to 1223) was not a warrior, but in 1212 a Portuguese contingent helped the Castilians defeat the Moors at Las Navas de Tolosa, and in 1217 the kingdom's ministers, bishops and captains, reinforced by foreign crusaders, Alcácer was taken again to Sal.
Afonso II violated his father's will and refused to transfer part of the lands to his brothers, who went into exile; only the sisters received the inheritance after a long civil war, in which Afonso IX of Leon took part on their side. And even after that, he forced the heiresses to become nuns. His attempts to strengthen the monarchy and fill the treasury at the expense of the Church led to his excommunication by Pope Honorius III and the banning of Portugal until his death in 1223.
Sanshu II
Sanshu II ascended the throne at the age of thirteen. To lift the said ban, all government leaders associated with his father: Gonzalo Mendes, councilor, Pedro Annes, treasurer (mordomo-mor) and Vicente, dean of Lisbon - were removed. Estevao Soares, Archbishop of Braga, became the head of the nobility and clergy who threatened to seize royal power during the minority of Sancho II and, entering into an alliance with Alfonso IX, organized an attack by the Portuguese on Elvas and the Spaniards on Badajoz.
Elvas was taken from the Moors in 1226, and in 1227 Sanshu began to fully rule the kingdom. He restored Pedro Annes, made Vicente an adviser, and appointed Martin Annes as the supreme standard bearer (alferes mor). He continued his crusade against the Moors, who had been expelled from their last strongholds in the Alentejo, and in 1239-1244, after a long dispute with Rome, which again ended in the imposition of tribute, the ban and the deposition of the Portuguese ruler, he won many victories in the Algarve. But his career as a conqueror was interrupted by the revolution (1245), the cause of which was his marriage to the Castilian lady, Donna Messia Lopez de Jaro.
The legality of the union was disputed for reasons that could hardly be called convincing, but its unpopularity was undeniable. The bishops, indignant at the favor shown by Sanshu towards his father's anti-clerical ministers, seized the opportunity to organize a revolt. They found a leader in Sancho's brother, Afonso, Count of Boulogne, who acquired this title by marrying Matilda, Countess of Boulogne. The Pope issued a bull transferring the crown in favor of Afonso, who arrived in Lisbon in 1246, and after a civil war that lasted two years, Sancho II retired to Toledo, where he soon died in January 1248.
Afonso III
One of the first and most important actions of the invader was to get rid of the semi-ecclesiastical titles of “controller” (visitador) and “protector” (curador) and proclaim himself king (rei). Up to this point the position of the monarchy had been precarious, as in Aragon the nobility and clergy had considerable power over their nominal ruler, and although it would be pedantic to exaggerate the importance of the royal title, its acquisition by Afonso III marks an important stage in the evolution of the national monarchy and centralized government.
The second stage was completed soon after with the conquest of the Algarve, the last remaining stronghold of the Moors. This brought down upon Portugal the wrath of Alfonso X of Castile, nicknamed “The Wise,” who declared himself overlord of the Algarve. The war that followed ended with Afonso III agreeing to marry Donna Beatriz di Guzman, the illegitimate daughter of Alfonso X, and declaring the Algarve a fief of Castile. The celebration of this wedding while Matilda, Countess of Boulogne was still alive, again brought a ban on the kingdom. In 1254, Afonso III convened the Cortes in Leiria, and all the most important cities, nobility and clergy were represented in the assembly.
Inspired by the support of the Cortes, the king refuses to submit to Rome. At the Cortes in Coimbra (1261), he further strengthened his position, winning over representatives of the cities who accused him of issuing coins of reduced quality, and recognizing that new taxes could not be introduced without the consent of the Cortes. The clergy suffered much more than secular power from a long excommunication, and therefore in 1262 Pope Urban VI finally declared the controversial marriage legal, and Don Dinis, the eldest son of the king, was declared the legal heir to the throne. Thus, another dispute over supremacy between the Church and the Crown in Portugal ended.
The monarchy owed its success and the establishment of national interests to the support of cities and military orders, as well as to the prestige won by the royal army in the Moorish and Castilian wars. In 1263 Alfonso X withdrew his claim to suzerainty over the Algarve, and the Kingdom of Portugal was thus established within its present European borders and achieved complete independence. Lisbon has always subsequently been the capital of the state. Afonso III continued to rule until his death in 1279, but the peace of his final years was shattered by the rebellion (1277-1279) of his heir, Don Dinis.
The last king of Portugal was Manuel II, b.1889 - d.1932.
“King of Portugal, who reigned 1908 -1910. Second son of King Carlos I and Amelia d'Orléans. He ascended the throne at the age of 19 after the murder of the father and elder brother of the heir to the throne, Luis Filipe, in Lisbon on February 1, 1908. He dismissed the dictatorial government and called democratic elections, in which the socialists and republicans won a decisive victory. Two years later, overthrown by revolution, Portugal was proclaimed a republic. On October 5, 1910, the king left the country on a yacht and went into exile in England. Belonged to the house of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, officially considered a representative of the Braganza dynasty. He was married to Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern (1890-1966), but the marriage was childless. With his death, the Portuguese branch of the House of Coburg ended.”
Portugal is located in the very west of continental Europe, and it seems that nothing connects it with Russia. According to my version of history, a representative of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty simply must be Romanov. Let’s rephrase the saying “tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are” to “tell me who your parents are, and I’ll tell you who you are.”
“Carlos (Charles) I Martyr, b. 09.28.1863, Lisbon – d. 02.1.1908, Lisbon - King of Portugal from October 19, 1889 to February 1, 1908. Belonged to the house of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, officially considered a representative of the Braganza dynasty. On February 1, 1908, in Lisbon, an open carriage carrying the royal family was shot at by two assassins. The wife of Carlos I, Queen Amelia, and their youngest son Manuel managed to escape, but the King himself and his eldest son Luis Filipe died. Carlos I became the first Portuguese king to die a violent death since Sebastian I, who ruled back in the 16th century.”
“Infante Luis Philippe, b.03.21.1887 – d.02.1.1908 - Duke of Braganza, eldest son and heir of King Carlos I of Portugal and Amelia of Orleans. In 1907 he visited African colonies Portugal. Acted as regent during his father's absence. On February 1, 1908, together with his father, he was mortally wounded in Lisbon by Republican terrorists. Carlos I died immediately, the infante lived for 20 minutes. Some sources indicate that he was king (Luis II) for these 20 minutes and that this was the shortest reign in history. However, in reality, under Portuguese law there was no automatic inheritance, and every new king had to be proclaimed in a special way. Therefore, Luis Filipe never reigned, and after the murders, his younger brother Manuel II (slightly wounded in the arm on February 1) came to the throne.”
Let's look for a person with the name Carlos1 in Portugal in Russia, based on the monotonous fantasy of historians, since the king and his son were killed in Portugal, in Russia the Grand Duke and his son should be shot by the Bolsheviks. Such a person is easy to find - this is Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich Romanov.
“Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich (September 21, 1860, Tsarskoe Selo, near St. Petersburg - January 30, 1919, Petrograd) - the sixth son of Emperor Alexander II and his wife Empress Maria Alexandrovna; adjutant general, cavalry general. Soon after the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II, the Provisional Government took measures to isolate the Romanovs. In March 1918, his son Vladimir Paley was exiled to the Urals, and was executed on July 18 of the same year near Alapaevsk. He was arrested in August 1918 and sent to prison in Petrograd. On January 9, 1919, the Presidium of the Cheka (Peters, Latsis, Ksenofontov and secretary Murnek took part in the meeting) issued a resolution: “The verdict of the Cheka against persons of the former imperial pack is to be approved by reporting this to the Central Executive Committee.” On January 29, 1919, he was transferred to the Peter and Paul Fortress, where his cousins were already there - Grand Dukes Dmitry Konstantinovich, Nikolai Mikhailovich and Georgy Mikhailovich. All four were shot early in the morning next day as hostages in response to the murder of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in Germany. The execution squad was commanded by a certain Gordienko, a prison guard who at one time received valuable gifts from His Majesty’s Cabinet. Probably buried in a mass grave on the territory of Hare Island.”
Pavel Alexandrovich had two sons.
“Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, who used the surname Romanov in emigration (September 6 (18), 1891, Ilyinskoye estate, Zvenigorod district, Moscow province - March 5, 1942, Davos, Switzerland) - the only son of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich from his marriage with greek princess Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna, grandson of Alexander II, cousin Emperor Nicholas II. Participant in the murder of G. E. Rasputin, after the revolution of 1917 - in exile. Father of Pavel Romanovsky-Ilyinsky, colonel of the American army.
Vladimir Pavlovich Paley (January 9, 1897, St. Petersburg - July 18, 1918, Alapaevsk) - son of Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich from his morganatic marriage with Olga Valerianovna Pistolkors (née Karnovich), grandson of Alexander II, Count Hohenfelsen (1904) , prince (1915); Lieutenant of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, poet. Volodya learned to read and write in French, English and German, and later in Russian, played the piano and other instruments, and drew.”
These Russian Romanovs are interesting; their children learn to read and write in Russian only as a last resort.
The man we know as Pavel Alexandrovich Romanov has many faces. His next book image is Carlos 1, and his son Vladimir Paley is Manuel 2.
“Orléans-Braganza branch, descendants of Louis d'Orléans, duc de Nemours, whose eldest son Gaston (1842-1922) married Isabella of Braganza (1846-1921), Princess Imperial of Brazil. At the moment, this branch is divided into two, and their heads are disputing the status of heir to the Brazilian throne."
The mother of Manuela 2 belonged to the Orleans dynasty, the father was a representative of the Braganza dynasty, and this is another link to the royal house of Brazil. Something tells me that the House of Romanov includes everything royal dynasties not only Europe, but also the world.
In the photo above, from left to right and from top to bottom, Carlos 1, Pavel Alexandrovich Romanov, Manuel 2, Vladimir Paley.