Line of succession to the Portuguese throne
Encyclopedia
The 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. The succession law used for the former Portuguese throne is primogeniture
with male heirs taking precedence over female.
The line after Infanta Antónia was rather murky. Queen Maria II's father Pedro has been alleged to have renounced the succession on behalf of his children other than Maria, and many have theorized whether he actually was entitled to do so, if he ever actually did so. The Portuguese constitution of 1838 (which however had been replaced by reviving the 1826 Constitutional Charter), as well as decrees and treaties in 1834, had specifically excluded all rights of Pedro's younger brother, the Infante Miguel of Portugal
, meaning that no one could be in line of succession on basis of descent from him.
Relatively uncontested is that the issue from Pedro's eldest sister, Infanta Teresa, Princess of Beira
, were in line of succession (but several individuals from Pedro's lineage may have preceded them):
After all eligible issue of elder children of King John VI of Portugal
, persons uncontestedly in line of Portuguese succession existed among issue of John VI's youngest daughter, Infanta Ana de Jesus Maria
, who had married the Duke of Loulé
. Infanta Ana's senior representative in 1910 was her granddaughter:
After the 1640 rebellion against the Spanish Habsburgs and the accession of the Braganza dynasty
, the relevant customary law in Portugal (which is regarded as part of fundamental law
of the Portuguese monarchy) excluded kings of other countries from Portuguese succession. However, the customary law did not exclude persons born outside Portugal, nor persons holding positions in other countries (as attested by the fact that during the reign of king Pedro II of Portugal, his second cousin's son Manuel Joaquim Garcia de Braganca, Marquess of Flexilla and Xarandilla (1642–1707), who happened to be Prime Minister of the neighboring Spain, was recognized as the First Prince of the Blood in Portugal, and heir to the Portuguese throne after the (then precarious) issue of king Pedro.
The desire to avoid union with a more dominant country was displayed in some constitutional stipulations, such as article 100 of the 1838 constitution: "No foreigner may succeed the Crown of Portugal" ("Nenhum Estrangeiro pode suceder na Coroa de Portugal").
The 1838 constitution was replaced in 1842 by reviving the 1826 Constitutional Charter of Portugal. Among other things, the 1826 charter stipulated: "Extintas as linhas dos Descendentes legítimos da SENHORA DONA MARIA II, passará a Coroa à collateral".
Since the exile of the royal family, there have been disputes over who are foreigners and who are not.
Portuguese customary law, as well as all the written constitutions, required legitimate birth as prerequisite to be eligible as heir.
The treaty of 1834, decisions ratified by the Cortes and the monarch, and the Constitution of 1838 specifically excluded from succession Michael I and his descendants. It must be noted, however, that the Constitution of 1838 was revoked in 1848, by António Bernardo da Costa Cabral, 1st Marquess of Tomar
, restating the Constitution of 1826. This late one was the Constitution of Portugal until 1910, when the republicans made a coup d'état. In 1950, Oliveira Salazar officially revoked the Law of Banishment of 1834, imposed by Peter IV to Michael I.
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...
was deposed following a 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 present head of the House of Braganza
House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza , an important Portuguese noble family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial Empire, from 1640 to 1910...
the former ruling house is, 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:...
, Duke of Braganza
Duke of Braganza
The title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
a position he has held since the death of his father Duarte Nuno
Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza
Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza was a claimant to the throne of Portugal from 1920 until his death.-Birth:...
in 1976. The succession law used for the former Portuguese throne is primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
with male heirs taking precedence over female.
Current line of succession
- Head of the Royal House of Portugal: Duarte Pio, Duke of BraganzaDuarte Pio, Duke of BraganzaDom Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza , is the 24th Duke of Braganza and a pretender to the throne of Portugal.-Birth and education:...
, great-grandson of Miguel I de Portugal
- Prince Afonso de Santa Maria, Prince of Beira (b. 1996), son of above
- Infante Dinis, Duke of PortoInfante Dinis, Duke of PortoThe Infante Dinis, Duke of Porto is a Portuguese infante and the second son and youngest child of Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza and his wife Isabel de Herédia...
(b. 1999), son of Duarte Pio de Bragança - Infanta Maria Francisca (b. 1997), daughter of Duarte Pio de Bragança
- Infante Miguel, Duke of ViseuInfante Miguel, Duke of ViseuThe Infante Miguel, Duke of Viseu is the second son of Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza and his wife Princess Maria Francisca of Orleans-Braganza...
(b. 1946), son of Duarte Nuno de Bragança - Infante Henrique, Duke of CoimbraInfante Henrique, Duke of CoimbraThe Infante Henrique, Duke of Coimbra , born 6 November 1949, is the third son and youngest child of Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza and his wife Princess Francisca of Orléans-Braganza...
(b. 1949), son of Duarte Nuno de Bragança - Infanta Maria Adelaide de Bragança (b. 1912), daughter of Miguel II de Bragança
- Adriano Sérgio de Bragança van Uden (b. 1946), son of Infanta Maria Adelaide de Bragança
- Pedro Maria de Sousa e Menezes van Uden (b. 1985), son of above
- Mariana de Sousa e Meneses van Uden (b. 1978), daughter of Adriano Sérgio de Bragança van Uden
- Ana Rita de Sousa Menezes de Bragança van Uden (b. 1981), daughter of Adriano Sérgio de Bragança van Uden
- Nuno Miguel de Bragança van Uden (b. 1947), son of Infanta Maria Adelaide de Bragança
- Miguel Maria Bonneville van Uden (b. 1972), son of above
- Miguel Maria Lopes van Uden (b. 1997), son of above
- Maria Ana do Carmo Lopes van Uden (b. 2001), daughter of Nuno Miguel de Bragança van Uden
- Nuno de Santa Maria Bonneville van Uden (b. 1983), son of Nuno Miguel de Bragança van Uden
- Mafalda Maria Bonneville van Uden (b. 1970)), daughter of Nuno Miguel de Bragança van Uden
- Ana do Carmo Maria Bonneville van Uden (b. 1984), daughter of Nuno Miguel de Bragança van Uden
- Francisco Xavier Damiano de Bragança van Uden (b. 1949), son of Infanta Maria Adelaide de Bragança
- Afonso Miguel Maria Gil de Braganca van Uden (b. 1980), son of above
- Henrique Maria Gil de Bragança van Uden (b. 1987), son of Francisco Xavier Damiano de Bragança van Uden
- João Maria Gil de Bragança van Uden (b. 1989), son of Francisco Xavier Damiano de Bragança van Uden
- Maria Francisca Gil de Braganca van Uden (b. 1982), daughter of Francisco Xavier Damiano de Bragança van Uden
- Miguel Inácio de Bragança van Uden (b. 1953), son of Infanta Maria Adelaide de Bragança
- Sebastião Dentinho Van Uden, son of above
- Catarina Dentinho van Uden (b. 1978), daughter of Miguel Inácio de Bragança van Uden
- Francisco Corrêa de Sá (b. 2005), son of Catarina Dentinho van Uden
- Inês Dentinho van Uden (b. 1980), daughter of Miguel Inácio de Bragança van Uden
- Filipa Teodora de Bragança van Uden (b. 1951), daughter of Infanta Maria Adelaide de Bragança
- Nuno Gregório van Uden Fontes (b. 1976), son of above
- Francisco Maria van Uden Fontes (b. 1983), son of Filipa Teodora de Bragança van Uden
- Diana van Uden de Atouguia Fontes (b. 1985), daughter of Filipa Teodora de Bragança van Uden
- Maria Teresa de Bragança van Uden (b. 1956), daughter of Infanta Maria Adelaide de Bragança
- Francisco Maria de Bragança van Uden Chaves (b. 1983), son of above
- Xavier Maria de Bragança van Uden Chaves (b. 1985), son of Maria Teresa de Bragança van Uden
- Miguel de Bragança van Uden Chaves (b. 1986), son of Maria Teresa de Bragança van Uden
- Rodrigo de Bragança van Uden Chaves (b. 1993), son of Maria Teresa de Bragança van Uden
- Pedro José Folque de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto 6th Duke of LouléDuke of LouléDuke of Loulé is a Portuguese title that was originally granted to the family of Moura Barreto.The dukedom was created by a royal decree of King Luis I of Portugal, dated from October 3, 1862, to his grand-uncle Nuno José Severo de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, 2nd Marquis of Loulé and 9th Count...
(b. 1958), great-great-great-great-grandson of João VI de Portugal - Henrique Nuno Vaz Pinto de Mendoça (b. 1997), heir presumptive of the Dukedom of Loulé, son of above
- Helena Vaz Pinto de Mendoça (b. 2000), daughter of Pedro José Folque de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto
- Henrique Nuno Folque de Mendoça (b. 1964), brother of Pedro José Folque de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto
- Maria Cardoso de Menezes Folque de Mendoça (b. 1998), daughter of above
- Filipe Alberto Folque de Mendoça, Count of Rio Grande (b. 1967), brother of Pedro José Folque de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto
- Rita Mónica Folque de Mendoça (b. 1955), sister of Pedro José Folque de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto
- Rodrigo Folque Castanheiro Viana (b. 1995), son of Rita Mónica Folque de Mendoça
- Sara de Bettencourt Vasconcelos Correia e Ávila (b. 1977), daughter of Rita Mónica Folque de Mendoça
- Diogo Maria Bettencourt de Abreu Castelo Branco (b. 2008), son of above, twin brother of below
- João Maria Bettencourt de Abreu Castelo Branco (b. 2008), son of Sara de Bettencourt Vasconcelos Correia e Ávila, twin brother of above
- Teresa Bettencourt de Abreu Castelo Branco (b. 2003), daughter of Sara de Bettencourt Vasconcelos Correia e Ávila
- Francisca Bettencourt de Abreu Castelo Branco (b. 2005), daughter of Sara de Bettencourt Vasconcelos Correia e Ávila
- Teresa de Bettencourt Correia e Ávila (b. 1979), daughter of Rita Mónica Folque de Mendoça
- Matilde Bettencourt Ávila dos Santos Augusto (b. 2005), daughter of Teresa de Bettencourt Correia e Ávila
- Constança Bettencourt Ávila dos Santos Augusto (b. 2008), daughter of Teresa de Bettencourt Correia e Ávila
- Teresa de Jesus Maria Folque de Mendoça (b. 1957), sister of Pedro José Folque de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto
- Paula Maria Folque de Mendoça (b. 1959), sister of Pedro José Folque de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto
- Frederica Cardoso de Menezes de Mendoça Pimentel (b. 1979), daughter of above
- Francisco de Mendoça Teixeira (b. 1998), son of above
- Frederico de Mendoça Teixeira (b. 1999), son of Frederica Cardoso de Menezes de Mendoça Pimentel
- Helena Cardoso de Menezes de Mendoça Pimentel (b. 1981), daughter of Paula Maria Folque de Mendoça
- Joana Frederica Folque de Mendoça (b. 1961), sister of Pedro José Folque de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto
Line of succession as of 1910
At the time of the abolition of the monarchy, the uncontested heirs of king Manuel II were:- Infante Afonso, Duke of PortoInfante Afonso, Duke of PortoAfonso Henriques, Prince Royal of Portugal was a Portuguese prince of the House of Braganza, the son of King Luis I of Portugal and his wife, Maria Pia of Savoy.-Biography:...
, King Manuel's uncle (Afonso Henrique Maria Luís Pedro de Alcántara Carlos Humberto Amadeu Fernando António Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis João Augusto Júlio Volfando Inácio de Braganca e Saboya), born in Ajuda on 1 July 1865, unmarried - Infanta AntóniaInfanta Antónia of PortugalInfanta Antónia of Portugal , was a Portuguese infanta of the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, daughter of Queen Maria II of Portugal and her King...
, Dowager Princess of Hohenzollern, King Manuel's grandaunt (Antónia Maria Fernanda Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Francisca de Assis Ana Gonzaga Silvina Júlia Augusta de Saxónia-Coburgo-Gotha e Braganca), born in Lisbon on 17 February 1845, youngest surviving daughter of Maria II, queen regnant of Portugal and Algarves, etc., and her second husband Ferdinand II. Infanta Antónia had in 1861 married Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern and had become a widow in 1905. There is so far no evidence that Infanta Antónia had ever renounced her rights of Portuguese succession, particularly because her husband in 1861 or later was not reigning monarch of any other monarchy, sovereign or otherwise. Infanta Antónia's rights to the Portuguese succession were uncontested, but her children's rights have been contested on basis of them being foreigners; she was grandmother of Princess Augusta Victoria, who afterwards, in 1913, married her second cousin, the deposed king Manuel.
The line after Infanta Antónia was rather murky. Queen Maria II's father Pedro has been alleged to have renounced the succession on behalf of his children other than Maria, and many have theorized whether he actually was entitled to do so, if he ever actually did so. The Portuguese constitution of 1838 (which however had been replaced by reviving the 1826 Constitutional Charter), as well as decrees and treaties in 1834, had specifically excluded all rights of Pedro's younger brother, the Infante Miguel of Portugal
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....
, meaning that no one could be in line of succession on basis of descent from him.
Relatively uncontested is that the issue from Pedro's eldest sister, Infanta Teresa, Princess of Beira
Teresa, Princess of Beira
Infanta Maria Teresa of Portugal was the firstborn child of John VI of Portugal and Charlotte of Spain, and heir to the throne of Portugal between 1793 and 1795, until her short-lived brother António Pio was born.Maria Teresa Francisca de Assis Antónia Carlota Joana Josefa Xavier de Paula Micaela...
, were in line of succession (but several individuals from Pedro's lineage may have preceded them):
- Francisco Maria Isabel Gabriel Pedro de Alcantara Sebastiao Afonso, 1st Duke of Marchena, Infante of Spain and Portugal, born in MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
on 20 August 1861, was the eldest grandson of Princess Teresa (see House of Bourbon-BraganzaHouse of Bourbon-BraganzaThe House of Bourbon-Braganza has its origins in a royal marriage arranged by King Charles III of Spain and his niece Queen Maria I of Portugal: in 1785 the Spanish infante Gabriel of Bourbon , married the Portuguese infanta Mariana Victoria of Braganza...
). His position of Portuguese infante derived from the specific grant made by Maria I, Queen regnant of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves. He had children and several brothers, all infantes and infantas of Portugal.
After all eligible issue of elder children of King John VI of Portugal
John VI of Portugal
John 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...
, persons uncontestedly in line of Portuguese succession existed among issue of John VI's youngest daughter, Infanta Ana de Jesus Maria
Infanta Ana de Jesus Maria, Duchess of Loulé
Infanta Dona Ana de Jesus Maria of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta and youngest daughter of King John VI of Portugal and his wife Carlota Joaquina of Borbón....
, who had married the Duke of Loulé
Duke of Loulé
Duke of Loulé is a Portuguese title that was originally granted to the family of Moura Barreto.The dukedom was created by a royal decree of King Luis I of Portugal, dated from October 3, 1862, to his grand-uncle Nuno José Severo de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, 2nd Marquis of Loulé and 9th Count...
. Infanta Ana's senior representative in 1910 was her granddaughter:
- Maria Domingas José de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, 3rd Duchess of Loulé (born 1853)
Rules of succession
The 1822, 1826 and 1838 constitutions, as well as the 1842 revival of the 1826 constitutional charter, confirmed a feudal, cognatic primogeniture among issue of the then-reigning monarch and in case of its extinction, among collateral descendants of the Braganza dynasty. ("A sucessão da Coroa segue a ordem regular de primogenitura, e representação entre os legítimos descendentes; preferindo sempre a linha anterior às posteriores; na mesma linha, o grau mais próximo ao mais remoto; no mesmo grau, o sexo masculino ao feminino; e no mesmo sexo, a pessoa mais velha à mais nova.") That had been the succession also in earlier customs in Portugal.After the 1640 rebellion against the Spanish Habsburgs and the accession of the Braganza dynasty
House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza , an important Portuguese noble family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial Empire, from 1640 to 1910...
, the relevant customary law in Portugal (which is regarded as part of fundamental law
Fundamental law
Fundamental law may refer to:* Organic law, in particular,** Constitution, in particular,*** The Russian Constitution of 1906.*** The German Grundgesetz ....
of the Portuguese monarchy) excluded kings of other countries from Portuguese succession. However, the customary law did not exclude persons born outside Portugal, nor persons holding positions in other countries (as attested by the fact that during the reign of king Pedro II of Portugal, his second cousin's son Manuel Joaquim Garcia de Braganca, Marquess of Flexilla and Xarandilla (1642–1707), who happened to be Prime Minister of the neighboring Spain, was recognized as the First Prince of the Blood in Portugal, and heir to the Portuguese throne after the (then precarious) issue of king Pedro.
The desire to avoid union with a more dominant country was displayed in some constitutional stipulations, such as article 100 of the 1838 constitution: "No foreigner may succeed the Crown of Portugal" ("Nenhum Estrangeiro pode suceder na Coroa de Portugal").
The 1838 constitution was replaced in 1842 by reviving the 1826 Constitutional Charter of Portugal. Among other things, the 1826 charter stipulated: "Extintas as linhas dos Descendentes legítimos da SENHORA DONA MARIA II, passará a Coroa à collateral".
Since the exile of the royal family, there have been disputes over who are foreigners and who are not.
Portuguese customary law, as well as all the written constitutions, required legitimate birth as prerequisite to be eligible as heir.
The treaty of 1834, decisions ratified by the Cortes and the monarch, and the Constitution of 1838 specifically excluded from succession Michael I and his descendants. It must be noted, however, that the Constitution of 1838 was revoked in 1848, by António Bernardo da Costa Cabral, 1st Marquess of Tomar
António Bernardo da Costa Cabral, 1st Marquess of Tomar
António Bernardo da Costa Cabral, 1st Count and 1st Marquess of Tomar was a Portuguese 19th century statesman.Born in Fornos de Algodres he trained as a lawyer in Coimbra and was later appointed as a judge...
, restating the Constitution of 1826. This late one was the Constitution of Portugal until 1910, when the republicans made a coup d'état. In 1950, Oliveira Salazar officially revoked the Law of Banishment of 1834, imposed by Peter IV to Michael I.