House of Braganza
Encyclopedia
The Most Serene House of Braganza (Sereníssima Casa de Bragança; bɾɐˈɣɐ̃sɐ), an important Portuguese
noble
family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal
and its colonial Empire
, from 1640 to 1910. A branch of the house founded and governed the Empire of Brazil from 1822 to 1889 as the Brazilian Imperial Family.
The house of Braganza forms a collateral line of the House of Aviz
, which ruled Portugal from 1385 until 1580. Therefore it is also a branch of the Afonsine Royal House
, and thus of the House of Capet
. This House founded Portugal in 1139, when it proclaimed independence from the Kingdom of León
, ruling until 1385, when the House of Aviz, a branch of the first royal house
, succeeded the throne.
In 1853, due to the marriage of Queen Maria II of Braganza to Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the dynastic heirs of House of Braganza became the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
, though use of the designation Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, or just Braganza-Coburg, however, predominates mainly in the writings of non-Portuguese historians and genealogists, or in writings that are not contemporary to the rule of the Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha monarchs in Portugal, since they still continued to style themselves as members of the House of Braganza, as opposed to Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
, count of Barcelos
, was an illegitimate son of King João I of Portugal
by Inês Pires. In 1442, Afonso's nephew, King Afonso V
created the Duchy of Braganza, a royal dukedom, for his uncle. The Duchy included the important town of Braganza
in northeastern Portugal, which gave the house its name. It is the third-oldest dukedom in Portugal, after Viseu
and Coimbra
.
Count Afonso, an expert intriguer, won the favor of his father King João I, his brother King Duarte I, and his nephew King Afonso V. In 1442, King Afonso gave him the dukedom, and in 1445, when the King came of age, Duke Afonso was the wealthiest and most powerful man in the kingdom.
The third Duke, Fernando II
, married Isabella, granddaughter of Duarte I, thus bringing the House of Braganza into the legitimate succession to the throne. However, his power and intrigues led to the suppression of the Braganzas by King João II
. In 1483, João had Fernando executed in Évora
for treason. Later João seized the Braganza lands and exiled the four-year-old heir, Jaime
, to Castile
.
João II's successor, King Manuel I
was Jaime's uncle. In 1500, he recalled his nephew to Portugal, returning to him the titles and (part of) the lands of Braganza. The house was once again one of the highest and mightiest in the country. Jaime ordered the construction of a monumental palace at Vila Viçosa
, which would become one of the royal palaces in the 17th century.
The sixth Duke, John I of Braganza, married Infanta Catarina of Portugal, daughter of Infant Duarte, sixth son of king Manuel I
, again linking with the royal line. Their son was the courageous seventh Duke Teodósio II
, who allegedly fought in the Battle of Ksar El Kebir (1578) when only ten years old.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese kingdom had a succession crisis. King Sebastian went missing in battle in Morocco in 1578. He was a childless bachelor and the crown passed to his elderly great-uncle, Cardinal Henry I, who of course was also childless. On Henry I's death in 1580, there were several claimants to the throne, all in some way weak. The Duchess of Braganza had a claim, through her father, but was denied, mostly due to her gender. Her husband had a claim descending from the third Duke. Other claimants included Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma
and King Philip II of Spain
. Philip was the most powerful contender, and became King Philip I of Portugal, establishing a union of crowns. Portugal was thereafter ruled by Habsburg
governors appointed by Philip and his successors.
The Duke Teodosius II
did not press his claim; he supported Philip II, from whom the Braganzas gained more land and titles.
By 1640 the wise policies of Philip II in respect of Portugal were long past. The country was overtaxed, Portuguese colonies were left unprotected, and the Habsburg king, Philip IV of Spain
(III of Portugal), no longer had the trust or support of most Portuguese nobles. He was especially loathed by the powerful Portuguese guild of merchants. Portugal, like the rest of Philip's kingdoms, was on the verge of rebellion. The eighth Duke of Bragança, João IV, had inherited the claim of his grandmother, Infanta Catarina, and the remoter claim through of his grandfather João I. The rebels asked him to lead their uprising.
According to court historians, João IV was a modest man without particular ambitions to the crown. Legend says that his wife, Luisa de Guzmán, daughter of the duke of Medina-Sidonia, urged him to accept the offer, saying "I'd rather be Queen for one day than duchess for a lifetime." He accepted the leadership of the rebellion, which was successful, and was acclaimed João IV of Portugal on December 1, 1640.
After the accession of the Braganzas to the throne, the duchy was linked to the Crown. "Duke of Braganza" became the traditional title of the heir to the throne, together with or alternate to Prince of Beira
, much as Prince of Wales
is in the United Kingdom or Prince of Asturias
in Spain.
Under João's sons Afonso VI and Pedro II, the Portuguese colonial empire
, part of which was lost during the Spanish occupation, was restored and expanded, bringing new wealth to Portugal.
The zenith of the Braganza dynasty came with the long reign of João V (1706–1750), who ruled with grandeur and piety. The reign of José I, son of João V, was marked by the great earthquake
, which struck Lisbon
in 1755. The political genius of his reign was the Marquis of Pombal. The end of the 18th century was characterized by stability, under the rule of Maria I
(1777–1816), who discharged Pombal at her accession. Unfortunately Maria became psychologically unstable, displaying similar symptoms to George III of the United Kingdom
in his later years.
In 1807 the Braganzas fled
to Brazil
, Portugal's largest colony, as the mother country was involved in the Napoleonic Wars
. Some time after they had crossed the Atlantic, a royal decree changed the status of Brazil from a Portuguese colony into the capital of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarve.
In 1821, João VI, who succeeded in 1816, returned to Portugal. He demoted Brazil
to a colony again, sparking rebellion there.
Dom Pedro, the eldest son of João VI and also regent in Brazil, sided with the Brazilian rebels in January 1822. He proclaimed himself Emperor Pedro I of an independent Brazil in 1822.
Pedro I ruled Brazil until 1831, when he abdicated in favor of his young son Pedro II
, and returned to Portugal to aid his daughter Maria II (see below). Pedro II ruled Brazil until 1889, when the Brazilian monarchy was toppled by angry landed aristocrats disagreeing with the abolition of slavery.
In Portugal, Pedro I of Brazil became King as Pedro IV (1826), but no one wanted to re-establish the union of Portugal and Brazil. Pedro abdicated the Portuguese throne (May 1826) in favor of his daughter Maria da Glória, then seven years old. Pedro's brother Miguel
was to act as Regent, and to marry Maria when she came of age. Miguel instead proclaimed himself king (1828) and repudiated the liberal constitution granted by João VI.
Maria was forced into exile (1828). Her father Pedro returned from Brazil, and from the Azores waged a successful campaign against Miguel, who was defeated and exiled in 1834. She married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
. Maria II was succeeded in 1853 by her son Pedro V
, a hard-working reformer who died prematurely in 1861 due to cholera. Pedro V was succeeded by his brother Luis
, a dedicated scientist.
Luis was succeeded in 1889 by his son Carlos I
. Carlos was assassinated in 1908 together with his eldest son
, Luís Filipe by republicans. His younger son, Manuel II
, survived the attack on his father and elder brother, but was toppled in the 1910 republican revolution
. The Portuguese First Republic
forced Manuel into exile.
, grandson of Miguel. Duarte Nuno remained the Braganza pretender until his death in 1976. In 1942, he married a great-granddaughter of Pedro II of Brazil, uniting the two lines of the House.
In 1950 Portugal repealed the law of exile against the Braganzas, and Duarte Nuno moved to the country in 1952.
Duarte Nuno was succeeded as pretender by his son, Duarte Pio
(born 1945). Duarte Pio served in the Portuguese Army and took the customary oath of allegiance to the Republic, but Portuguese monarchists still recognize him as the pretender to the Portuguese throne. In 1995 he married Isabel de Herédia
, a Portuguese businesswoman. He worked actively in support of the independence of East Timor
from Indonesia
.
Maria Pia de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança, who claimed she was an illegitimate daughter of Carlos I, started claiming she was the heir to the throne from 1957.
|-
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
and its colonial Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
, from 1640 to 1910. A branch of the house founded and governed the Empire of Brazil from 1822 to 1889 as the Brazilian Imperial Family.
The house of Braganza forms a collateral line of the House of Aviz
House of Aviz
The House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. In 1385, the Interregnum of the 1383-1385 crisis ended with the acclamation of the Master of the Order of Aviz, John, natural son of king Peter I and Dona Teresa Lourenço as king...
, which ruled Portugal from 1385 until 1580. Therefore it is also a branch of the Afonsine Royal House
House of Burgundy
The House of Burgundy was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, descending from Robert I, Duke of Burgundy, a younger son of Robert II of France....
, and thus of the House of Capet
House of Capet
The House of Capet, or The Direct Capetian Dynasty, , also called The House of France , or simply the Capets, which ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to 1328, was the most senior line of the Capetian dynasty – itself a derivative dynasty from the Robertians. As rulers of France, the dynasty...
. This House founded Portugal in 1139, when it proclaimed independence from the Kingdom of León
Kingdom of León
The Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
, ruling until 1385, when the House of Aviz, a branch of the first royal house
Royal House
A royal house or royal dynasty consists of at least one, but usually more monarchs who are related to one another, as well as their non-reigning descendants and spouses. Monarchs of the same realm who are not related to one another are usually deemed to belong to different houses, and each house is...
, succeeded the throne.
In 1853, due to the marriage of Queen Maria II of Braganza to Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the dynastic heirs of House of Braganza became the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
The House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a branch of the House of Braganza that ruled the Kingdom of Portugal from 1853 until the declaration of the republic in 1910....
, though use of the designation Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, or just Braganza-Coburg, however, predominates mainly in the writings of non-Portuguese historians and genealogists, or in writings that are not contemporary to the rule of the Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha monarchs in Portugal, since they still continued to style themselves as members of the House of Braganza, as opposed to Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Feudal dukes
AfonsoAfonso, 1st Duke of Braganza
Dom Afonso I, the 1st Duke of Braganza was the eighth Count of Barcelos, the 2nd Count of Neiva, 2nd Lord of Faria and the first Duke of Braganza.-Origins:...
, count of Barcelos
Count of Barcelos
Count of Barcelos is a title of nobility, the first to be granted in Portugal. It was created in 1298 by king Denis I and initially it was a non hereditary title, although most of the holders belonged to the Teles de Menezes family...
, was an illegitimate son of King João I of Portugal
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
by Inês Pires. In 1442, Afonso's nephew, King Afonso V
Afonso V of Portugal
Afonso V KG , called the African , was the twelfth King of Portugal and the Algarves. His sobriquet refers to his conquests in Northern Africa.-Early life:...
created the Duchy of Braganza, a royal dukedom, for his uncle. The Duchy included the important town of Braganza
Bragança (Portugal)
Bragança is a city and municipality in north-eastern Portugal, capital of district of Bragança, in Alto Trás-os-Montes subregion of Portugal. In 2001, the population of the municipality was 34,774, in an area of 1173.57 km².-History:...
in northeastern Portugal, which gave the house its name. It is the third-oldest dukedom in Portugal, after Viseu
Duke of Viseu
Duke of Viseu was a Portuguese Royal Dukedom created in 1415 by King John I of Portugal for his third male child, Prince Henry the Navigator, following the conquest of Ceuta....
and Coimbra
Duke of Coimbra
Duke of Coimbra was an aristocratic Portuguese title with the level of Royal Dukedom, that is, associated with the Portuguese Royal House, created in 1415, by King John I of Portugal to the his 2nd. male son, Infante Pedro...
.
Count Afonso, an expert intriguer, won the favor of his father King João I, his brother King Duarte I, and his nephew King Afonso V. In 1442, King Afonso gave him the dukedom, and in 1445, when the King came of age, Duke Afonso was the wealthiest and most powerful man in the kingdom.
The third Duke, Fernando II
Fernando II, Duke of Braganza
Ferdinand II was the older son of Fernando I, 2nd Duke of Braganza and of his wife, Doña Joana de Castro....
, married Isabella, granddaughter of Duarte I, thus bringing the House of Braganza into the legitimate succession to the throne. However, his power and intrigues led to the suppression of the Braganzas by King João II
John II of Portugal
John II , the Perfect Prince , was the thirteenth king of Portugal and the Algarves...
. In 1483, João had Fernando executed in Évora
Évora
Évora is a municipality in Portugal. It has total area of with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Évora District and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in Évora District....
for treason. Later João seized the Braganza lands and exiled the four-year-old heir, Jaime
Jaime, Duke of Braganza
James was the older son of Ferdinand II, 3rd Duke of Braganza and of his wife, Isabella of Viseu and he became the fourth Duke of Braganza following his father's death.His father and one of his uncles were...
, to Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
.
João II's successor, King Manuel I
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
was Jaime's uncle. In 1500, he recalled his nephew to Portugal, returning to him the titles and (part of) the lands of Braganza. The house was once again one of the highest and mightiest in the country. Jaime ordered the construction of a monumental palace at Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 195.0 km² and a total population of 8,745 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in the District of Évora....
, which would become one of the royal palaces in the 17th century.
The sixth Duke, John I of Braganza, married Infanta Catarina of Portugal, daughter of Infant Duarte, sixth son of king Manuel I
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
, again linking with the royal line. Their son was the courageous seventh Duke Teodósio II
Teodósio II, Duke of Braganza
Teodósio II of Bragança , was the 7th Duke of Braganza. He was the son of John I, 6th Duke of Bragança by his wife, Infanta Catherine of Guimarães ....
, who allegedly fought in the Battle of Ksar El Kebir (1578) when only ten years old.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese kingdom had a succession crisis. King Sebastian went missing in battle in Morocco in 1578. He was a childless bachelor and the crown passed to his elderly great-uncle, Cardinal Henry I, who of course was also childless. On Henry I's death in 1580, there were several claimants to the throne, all in some way weak. The Duchess of Braganza had a claim, through her father, but was denied, mostly due to her gender. Her husband had a claim descending from the third Duke. Other claimants included Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma
Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma
Ranuccio I Farnese reigned as Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1592. A firm believer in absolute monarchy, Ranuccio, in 1594, centralised the administration of Parma and Piacenza, thus rescinding the nobles' hitherto vast prerogative...
and King Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
. Philip was the most powerful contender, and became King Philip I of Portugal, establishing a union of crowns. Portugal was thereafter ruled by Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
governors appointed by Philip and his successors.
The Duke Teodosius II
Teodósio II, Duke of Braganza
Teodósio II of Bragança , was the 7th Duke of Braganza. He was the son of John I, 6th Duke of Bragança by his wife, Infanta Catherine of Guimarães ....
did not press his claim; he supported Philip II, from whom the Braganzas gained more land and titles.
Kings of Portugal and the colonies
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
(III of Portugal), no longer had the trust or support of most Portuguese nobles. He was especially loathed by the powerful Portuguese guild of merchants. Portugal, like the rest of Philip's kingdoms, was on the verge of rebellion. The eighth Duke of Bragança, João IV, had inherited the claim of his grandmother, Infanta Catarina, and the remoter claim through of his grandfather João I. The rebels asked him to lead their uprising.
According to court historians, João IV was a modest man without particular ambitions to the crown. Legend says that his wife, Luisa de Guzmán, daughter of the duke of Medina-Sidonia, urged him to accept the offer, saying "I'd rather be Queen for one day than duchess for a lifetime." He accepted the leadership of the rebellion, which was successful, and was acclaimed João IV of Portugal on December 1, 1640.
After the accession of the Braganzas to the throne, the duchy was linked to the Crown. "Duke of Braganza" became the traditional title of the heir to the throne, together with or alternate to Prince of Beira
Prince of Beira
Prince of Beira is a title in Portugal, normally given to the second heirs to the throne and/or to the eldest daughter of the monarch. It was thus attributed to persons of the royal family especially esteemed by the sovereign...
, much as Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
is in the United Kingdom or Prince of Asturias
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Asturias is the historical title given to the heir to the Spanish throne. It was also the title under the earlier Kingdom of Castile. The current Prince of Asturias is Felipe, son of King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sofía...
in Spain.
Under João's sons Afonso VI and Pedro II, the Portuguese colonial empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
, part of which was lost during the Spanish occupation, was restored and expanded, bringing new wealth to Portugal.
The zenith of the Braganza dynasty came with the long reign of João V (1706–1750), who ruled with grandeur and piety. The reign of José I, son of João V, was marked by the great earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
, which struck Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in 1755. The political genius of his reign was the Marquis of Pombal. The end of the 18th century was characterized by stability, under the rule of Maria I
Maria I of Portugal
Maria I was Queen regnant of Portugal and the Algarves from 1777 until her death. Known as Maria the Pious , or Maria the Mad , she was the first undisputed Queen regnant of Portugal...
(1777–1816), who discharged Pombal at her accession. Unfortunately Maria became psychologically unstable, displaying similar symptoms to George III of the United Kingdom
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
in his later years.
In 1807 the Braganzas fled
Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil
The Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil was an episode in the history of Portugal and the history of Brazil in which the Portuguese royal family and its court escaped from Lisbon on November 29, 1807 to Brazil, just days before Napoleonic forces captured the city on December 1...
to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Portugal's largest colony, as the mother country was involved in the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. Some time after they had crossed the Atlantic, a royal decree changed the status of Brazil from a Portuguese colony into the capital of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarve.
In 1821, João VI, who succeeded in 1816, returned to Portugal. He demoted Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
to a colony again, sparking rebellion there.
Dom Pedro, the eldest son of João VI and also regent in Brazil, sided with the Brazilian rebels in January 1822. He proclaimed himself Emperor Pedro I of an independent Brazil in 1822.
Pedro I ruled Brazil until 1831, when he abdicated in favor of his young son Pedro II
Pedro II of Brazil
Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
, and returned to Portugal to aid his daughter Maria II (see below). Pedro II ruled Brazil until 1889, when the Brazilian monarchy was toppled by angry landed aristocrats disagreeing with the abolition of slavery.
In Portugal, Pedro I of Brazil became King as Pedro IV (1826), but no one wanted to re-establish the union of Portugal and Brazil. Pedro abdicated the Portuguese throne (May 1826) in favor of his daughter Maria da Glória, then seven years old. Pedro's brother Miguel
Miguel of Portugal
Dom Miguel I, sometimes Michael , was the King of Portugal between 1828 and 1834, the seventh child and second son of King John VI and his queen, Charlotte of Spain....
was to act as Regent, and to marry Maria when she came of age. Miguel instead proclaimed himself king (1828) and repudiated the liberal constitution granted by João VI.
Maria was forced into exile (1828). Her father Pedro returned from Brazil, and from the Azores waged a successful campaign against Miguel, who was defeated and exiled in 1834. She married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Ferdinand II of Portugal
Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , named Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry, was King of Portugal as husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal from the birth of their son in 1837 to her death in 1853.In keeping with Portuguese law, only after the birth of his son in...
. Maria II was succeeded in 1853 by her son Pedro V
Pedro V of Portugal
* Duke of Barcelos* Marquis of Vila Viçosa* Count of Ourém* Count of Barcelos* Count of Arraiolos* Count of Guimarães-Honours:* Knight of the Garter* Knight of the Golden Fleece-Ancestry:...
, a hard-working reformer who died prematurely in 1861 due to cholera. Pedro V was succeeded by his brother Luis
Luís I of Portugal
|-...
, a dedicated scientist.
Carlos I of Portugal
-Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open...
. Carlos was assassinated in 1908 together with his eldest son
Lisbon Regicide
The Lisbon Regicide was the name given for the assassinations of King Carlos I of Portugal and his heir, Luis Filipe, the Prince Royal by assassins sympathetic to republican interests...
, Luís Filipe by republicans. His younger son, Manuel II
Manuel II of Portugal
Manuel II , named Manuel Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugénio de Bragança Orleães Sabóia e Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha — , was the last King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910, ascending the throne after the assassination of his father and elder brother Manuel...
, survived the attack on his father and elder brother, but was toppled in the 1910 republican revolution
5 October 1910 revolution
The revolution of 1910 was a republican coup d'état that occurred in Portugal on 5 October 1910, which deposed King Manuel II and established the Portuguese First Republic....
. The Portuguese First Republic
Portuguese First Republic
The Portuguese First Republic spans a complex 16 year period in the history of Portugal, between the end of the period of constitutional monarchy marked by the 5 October 1910 revolution and the 28 May coup d'état of 1926...
forced Manuel into exile.
Pretenders in the post-monarchy era
After the revolution of 1910, King Manuel II settled in England until his death in 1932. He was childless, and descendants of Miguel (the usurper of 1826) claimed the throne. In 1920–22, the two branches of the House of Braganza negotiated a pact under which Manuel named as his heir Duarte Nuno, Duke of BraganzaDuarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza
Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza was a claimant to the throne of Portugal from 1920 until his death.-Birth:...
, grandson of Miguel. Duarte Nuno remained the Braganza pretender until his death in 1976. In 1942, he married a great-granddaughter of Pedro II of Brazil, uniting the two lines of the House.
In 1950 Portugal repealed the law of exile against the Braganzas, and Duarte Nuno moved to the country in 1952.
Duarte Nuno was succeeded as pretender by his son, Duarte Pio
Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza , is the 24th Duke of Braganza and a pretender to the throne of Portugal.-Birth and education:...
(born 1945). Duarte Pio served in the Portuguese Army and took the customary oath of allegiance to the Republic, but Portuguese monarchists still recognize him as the pretender to the Portuguese throne. In 1995 he married Isabel de Herédia
Isabel de Herédia
Dona Isabel Inês, Duchess of Braganza , and wife Raquel Leonor Pinheiro Curvelo, is the wife of Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Bragança, current claimant to the Portuguese throne and Duchess of...
, a Portuguese businesswoman. He worked actively in support of the independence of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
Maria Pia de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança, who claimed she was an illegitimate daughter of Carlos I, started claiming she was the heir to the throne from 1957.
Dukes of Braganza
- AfonsoAfonso, 1st Duke of BraganzaDom Afonso I, the 1st Duke of Braganza was the eighth Count of Barcelos, the 2nd Count of Neiva, 2nd Lord of Faria and the first Duke of Braganza.-Origins:...
, 8th Count of BarcelosCount of BarcelosCount of Barcelos is a title of nobility, the first to be granted in Portugal. It was created in 1298 by king Denis I and initially it was a non hereditary title, although most of the holders belonged to the Teles de Menezes family...
, became 1st Duke of Braganza (1442). - Ferdinand IFernando I, Duke of BraganzaFerdinand was the second son of Afonso, 1st Duke of Braganza and of his wife, Beatriz Pereira de Alvim .-Life:...
, 2nd Duke of Braganza. - Ferdinand IIFernando II, Duke of BraganzaFerdinand II was the older son of Fernando I, 2nd Duke of Braganza and of his wife, Doña Joana de Castro....
, 3rd Duke of Braganza and 1st Duke of Guimarães (1475). - JamesJaime, Duke of BraganzaJames was the older son of Ferdinand II, 3rd Duke of Braganza and of his wife, Isabella of Viseu and he became the fourth Duke of Braganza following his father's death.His father and one of his uncles were...
(Jaime), 4th Duke of Braganza and 2nd Duke of Guimarães. - Teodosius ITeodósio I, Duke of BraganzaTeodósio I of Braganza was the 5th Duke of Braganza. He was son of Jaime, 4th Duke of Braganza, and succeeded his father in the House of Braganza when he died, in 1532....
, 5th Duke of Braganza and 3rd Duke of Guimarães. He ceded the dukedom of Guimarães to his brother-in-law, infant Duarte. - John I, 6th Duke of Braganza and 1st Duke of Barcelos (1562).
- Teodosius IITeodósio II, Duke of BraganzaTeodósio II of Bragança , was the 7th Duke of Braganza. He was the son of John I, 6th Duke of Bragança by his wife, Infanta Catherine of Guimarães ....
, 7th Duke of Braganza and 2nd Duke of Barcelos - John IIJohn IV of Portugal|-|John IV was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1640 to his death. He was the grandson of Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, who had in 1580 claimed the Portuguese crown and sparked the struggle for the throne of Portugal. John was nicknamed John the Restorer...
, 8th Duke of Braganza and 3rd Duke of Barcelos. He recovered the Dukedom of Guimarães (6th Duke), once his grand-uncle, Infante (Prince) Duarte II, 5th Duke of Guimarães, died childless (1576). In 1640, he became King of Portugal as John IV.
Kings and Queens of Portugal
Braganza Line
- João IVJohn IV of Portugal|-|John IV was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1640 to his death. He was the grandson of Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, who had in 1580 claimed the Portuguese crown and sparked the struggle for the throne of Portugal. John was nicknamed John the Restorer...
(1640–1656) - Afonso VI (1656–1683)
- Pedro II (1683–1706)
- João V (1706–1750)
- José I (1750–1777)
- Pedro IIIPeter III of PortugalPeter III became King of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves by the accession of his wife and niece Queen Maria I in 1777, and co-reigned alongside her until his death.-Biography:...
(1777–1786) - Maria IMaria I of PortugalMaria I was Queen regnant of Portugal and the Algarves from 1777 until her death. Known as Maria the Pious , or Maria the Mad , she was the first undisputed Queen regnant of Portugal...
(1777–1816) - João VIJohn VI of PortugalJohn VI John VI John VI (full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael; (13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826) was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (later changed to just King of Portugal and the Algarves, after Brazil was recognized...
(1816–1826) - Pedro IV (1826)
- Miguel I (1828–1834)
- Maria II (1826–1853)
Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Line
- Pedro VPedro V of Portugal* Duke of Barcelos* Marquis of Vila Viçosa* Count of Ourém* Count of Barcelos* Count of Arraiolos* Count of Guimarães-Honours:* Knight of the Garter* Knight of the Golden Fleece-Ancestry:...
(1853–1861) - Luis I (1861–1889)
- Carlos ICarlos I of Portugal-Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open...
(1889–1908) - Manuel IIManuel II of PortugalManuel II , named Manuel Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugénio de Bragança Orleães Sabóia e Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha — , was the last King of Portugal from 1908 to 1910, ascending the throne after the assassination of his father and elder brother Manuel...
(1908–1910)
Emperors of Brazil
- Pedro I (1822–1831) also King of Portugal as Pedro IV
- Pedro IIPedro II of BrazilDom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
(1831–1889)
See also
- List of Portuguese monarchs
- Kings of Portugal family treeKings of Portugal family treeThis is a collection of the family trees of the kingdom of Portugal.See also: Portugal - History of Portugal - List of Portuguese monarchs...
- House of BurgundyHouse of BurgundyThe House of Burgundy was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, descending from Robert I, Duke of Burgundy, a younger son of Robert II of France....
- House of AvizHouse of AvizThe House of Aviz is a dynasty of kings of Portugal. In 1385, the Interregnum of the 1383-1385 crisis ended with the acclamation of the Master of the Order of Aviz, John, natural son of king Peter I and Dona Teresa Lourenço as king...
- Philippine House
- House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and GothaHouse of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and GothaThe House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a branch of the House of Braganza that ruled the Kingdom of Portugal from 1853 until the declaration of the republic in 1910....
- Timeline of Portuguese historyTimeline of Portuguese historyThis is a historical timeline of Portugal.*Timeline of Iberian prehistory*Pre-Roman Iberia *Roman Lusitania and Gallaecia *Germanic Kingdoms...
- Line of succession to the Portuguese throneLine of succession to the Portuguese throneThe Portuguese monarchy was abolished on the 5 October 1910 when King Manuel II was deposed following a republican revolution. The present head of the House of Braganza the former ruling house is, Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza a position he has held since the death of his father Duarte Nuno in 1976...
- Line of succession to the Brazilian throneLine of succession to the Brazilian throneThe Brazilian monarchy came to an end on November 15, 1889, following a military coup which overthrew Emperor Dom Pedro II. The current Brazilian Imperial Family is split into two branches: the Petrópolis and the Vassouras...
External links
- Official Website of the Royal House of Braganza
- Dukes of Braganza genealogy in a Portuguese genealogical site
- Family tree of the kings of the House of Braganza
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