The Duchy of Bragança or Braganza is one of the most important titles of the Portuguese Royal Family. Since the accession to the throne of the Dynasty of Bragança, in 1640, the heir of the Portuguese Crown was the Duke of Bragança together with or alternately to Prince of Beira. The tradition of the heir to the throne being titled Duke of Braganza is now revived by various pretenders after the foundation of the Republic in October 5, 1910, to signify their claims to the throne. Events December 1 - Portugal regains its independence from Spain and João IV of Portugal becomes king. ... This is a List of Portuguese monarchs from the independence of Portugal from Castile in 1139, to the beginning of the Republic in October 5, 1910. ... Prince of Beira is a title in Portugal, normally given to the heirs to the throne. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

History

The Duchy of Bragança was created in 1442 by king Afonso V of Portugal for his uncle Afonso, Count of Barcelos (natural son of John I of Portugal). Along with the duchies of Coimbra and Viseu created by João I for his sons Dom Pedro and Dom Henrique after their capture of Ceuta from the Moors in 1415, it is one of the first duchies of Portugal. Events The community of Rauma, Finland was granted its town rights. ... Afonso V of Portugal - Alfonso, Alphonso -, the African (Port. ... João I, tenth king of Portugal (in English, John I) (the Good or sometimes, the Great or even the One With Good Memory), was born in Lisbon in April 11, 1357 and died in the same city in August 14, 1433. ... João I, tenth king of Portugal (in English, John I) (the Good or sometimes, the Great or even the One With Good Memory), was born in Lisbon in April 11, 1357 and died in the same city in August 14, 1433. ... Ceuta is a Spanish exclave in North Africa, located on the northernmost tip of Maghreb, on the Mediterranean coast near the Straits of Gibraltar. ...

The Braganças soon became the most powerful house of the kingdom, due to the enrichment methods of Afonso, the first duke. He always sought royal favour with his father king João (John I) and his younger brother (King Duarte). When his six-year-old nephew became King Afonso V of Portugal, Afonso of Braganza was the king's most cherished councillor. This would provoke a short civil war against his brother Pedro, Duke of Coimbra that resulted in the latter's death in the Battle of Alfarrobeira in 1449. Edward of Portugal (Duarte, in Portuguese), the Philosopher, eleventh king of Portugal, was born in Viseu on October 31, 1391 and died in Tomar on September 13, 1438. ... Afonso V of Portugal - Alfonso, Alphonso -, the African (Port. ... The Battle of Alfarrobeira took place on May 20, 1449. ... Events January 6 - Constantine XI is crowned Byzantine Emperor. ...

The growing power of the Braganças was suppressed in the next generation. King João II was very strict on what royal power should be and not to keen on allowing the development of competing principalities within his own borders. He executed the third duke, Fernando II, for treason, based on letters written to the king of Castile, as well as executed the duke of Viseu. Later the king annexed the Bragança lands and riches to the crown and exiled the four-year-old heir, Jaime, to Castile. João II of Portugal (English: John II), the Perfect Prince (Port. ...

João II's successor, King Manuel I of Portugal was uncle of Jaime and, in 1500, he recalled his nephew to Portugal, returning to him the titles and (part of) the lands of Bragança. The house was once again one of the highest and mightiest in the country. Jaime of Bragança ordered the construction of a monumental Palace at Vila Viçosa, which would become one of the royal palaces in the 17th century. Manuel I of Portugal (Archaic Portuguese: Manoel I, English: Emanuel I), the Fortunate (Port. ... Events Europes population was ~60 million. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

The sixth duke, João, married Princess Catarina of Portugal and sired the courageous seventh duke Teodósio, who fought actively in the Battle of Alcacer Quibir (1578) when only ten years old. Teodósio II of Bragança, (1568, Vila Viçosa - 1630) was the 7th Duke of Bragança. ... Events January 31 - Battle of Gemblours - Spanish forces under Don John of Austria and Alexander Farnese defeat the Dutch. ...

Meanwhile, the Portuguese kingdom was in crisis. King Sebastian I of Portugal disappeared from the face of the earth in Africa in 1578. He was unmarried, childless and the crown passed to his great-uncle Cardinal Henry I of Portugal, an old man without children himself. On Henry I's death in 1580, King Philip II of Spain became Philip I of Portugal and the country lost its independence. Infanta dona Catarina, Duchess of Braganza, made claim to the throne but was denied, mostly due to her gender. Her late elder sister, the Duchess of Parma, had left a son, Rainuccio of Parma (Farnese) who would have been the senior heir of Portugal, but who was underage, lived in Italy, and whose family was Philip's allies and even subjects. Dona Catarina and her husband Duke Joao had the combined claim of Catarina herself and of Joao's great-grandmother, king Manoel's sister. Philip had the right of his mother Isabella, a daughter of Manoel I and sister of Catarina's father and sister of Henry. Sebastião I (January 20, 1554 - August 4, 1578) was a King of Portugal. ... Henry, the cardinal or Henrique (in Portuguese) (January 31, 1512 - January 31, 1580), was the seventeenth King of Portugal between 1578 and 1580. ... Events March 1 - Michel de Montaigne signs the preface to his most significant work, Essays. ... Philip II of Spain (Spanish: Felipe II) - (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598), the first King of Spain understood as the whole peninsula of Hispania (r. ...

By 1640 the wise policies of Philip II in respect of Portugal were long past. The country was overtaxed, Portuguese overseas possessions were left unprotected and the Spanish king, Philip IV of Spain (III of Portugal), no longer had the trust or support of the majority of the Portuguese nobility. He was especially loathed by the powerful Portuguese guild of merchants. Portugal was on the verge of rebellion and a new Portuguese king had to be found. The choice fell upon the eighth duke, João II of Bragança, who had a claim both through his grandmother, Princess Catarina, and through his great-great-grandfather, the 4th duke, nephew of King Manuel. The duke was a modest man without particular ambitions to the crown. Legend says that his wife, Leonor of Guzman, daughter of the duke of Medina-Sidónia, 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. Events December 1 - Portugal regains its independence from Spain and João IV of Portugal becomes king. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events December 1 - Portugal regains its independence from Spain and João IV of Portugal becomes king. ...

After the accession of the Braganças to the throne, the duchy was linked to the Crown and the Duke of Bragança became the traditional title of the heir to the Crown, together with or alternate to Prince of Beira, as Prince of Wales is in the United Kingdom. Beira can mean one of the following: In the Celtic mythology of Scotland, Beira (mythology) was mother to all the gods and goddesses. ... The eldest son of the reigning monarch ofEngland/Great Britain is traditionally invested with the title of Prince of Wales. ...

In February 1, 1908, king Carlos I of Portugal was murdered with his eldest son and heir, Luis Filipe, 21st duke of Bragança. He was succeeded by Manuel II of Portugal but for a short time: in October 5, 1910, a Republic was instituted and the king was exiled. He settled in England. After this, the duchy of Bragança allegedly passed to Miguel II, son of the exiled king Miguel I of Portugal, who was living in the Austrian Empire. His branch of the Bragança family became heir to the crown in 1932 when Manuel II died without children. The Braganças were officially allowed to return to the country in 1950 and have lived there ever since. February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Carlos, King of Portugal (Eng. ... King Manuel II (r: 1908–1910) Manuel II (English: Emanuel II), the Patriot Port. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Miguel II of Bragança, in English Michael II of Braganza (September 19, 1853- October 11, 1927) was the 22nd Duke of Bragança. ... King Miguel of Portugal (October 26, 1802 - November 14, 1866) was the second son of King John VI of Portugal. ... 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ...

Presently, the duke of Bragança and Portuguese heir is Duarte Pio of Bragança (born 1945). Unlike some European countries like Greece, which continues to forbid the presence of the heirs of former royal houses in their lands, republican Portugal and its claimants to the throne have long been reconciled, with the current duke highly regarded throughout Portugal, a fact shown when among the guests at his wedding was the Portuguese President of the Republic and the country's prime minister. The Duke of Bragança is sometimes described as the living representative of the country's history, with the birth of his children, the next generation of Portugeses ex-royals, becoming a focus of national celebration. Duarte Pio of Bragança Duarte Pio of Bragança (born May 15, 1945) is the 24th Duke of Bragança and the presumptive heir to the throne of Portugal. ...

Dukes of Bragança

Note: dates are birth and death; the intermediate date represents accession as duke

• 1º Afonso of Bragança (1370-1442-1461) Illegitimate son of King John I.
• 2º Fernando of Bragança (1403-1478), governor of Ceuta
• 3º Fernando II of Bragança (1430-e.1483), executed for treason by order of King João II of Portugal married Princess Isabella, sister of King Manuel I and daughter of the Infante Duke of Viseu, thus having rights of succession to the throne.
• 4º Jaime of Bragança (1479-1500-1532), builder of the Palace of Vila Viçosa, as heir of his mother a potential heir of crown of Portugal
• 5º Teodósio of Bragança (1520-1563), a man of the arts, wrote books on sculpture
• 6º João of Bragança (1543-1583), married to princess Catherine of Portugal, one of potential heiresses to King Henry's throne.
• 7º Teodósio II of Bragança (1568-1630), who fought a battle when only 10 years-old
• 8º João II of Bragança (1604-1656), crowned King João IV of Portugal in December 1, 1640
• 9º Teodósio of Bragança, Prince of Portugal (1634-1645-1653) Eldest son of King John IV.
• 10º King Afonso VI of Portugal (1643-1653-1683)
• 11º King João V of Portugal (1689-1750)
• 12º King José I of Portugal (1714-1777)
• 13ª Queen Maria I of Portugal (1734-1816)
• 14º José of Bragança, Prince of Portugal (1761-1788) Eldest son of Queen Maria I.
• 15º King João VI of Portugal (1767-1826)
• 16º King Pedro IV of Portugal (1798-1834)
• 17º King Miguel of Portugal (1802-1866) (in exile after 1834)
• 18ª Queen Maria II of Portugal (1819-1853)
• 19º King Pedro V of Portugal (1837-1861)
• 20º King Carlos of Portugal (1863-k.1908), killed with his son, the 21st duke
• 21° Luis Filipe of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prince of Portugal (1887-k.1908)
• 22º Miguel II of Bragança (1853-1910-1927), son of King Miguel I, general of the Austrian Empire
• 23º Duarte Nuno of Bragança (1907-1920-1976)
• 24º Duarte II Pio of Bragança (born 1945, present heir to the throne of Portugal)

Ceuta is a Spanish exclave in North Africa, located on the northernmost tip of Maghreb, on the Mediterranean coast near the Straits of Gibraltar. ... João II of Portugal (English: John II), the Perfect Prince (Port. ... Teodósio II of Bragança, (1568, Vila Viçosa - 1630) was the 7th Duke of Bragança. ... John IV of Portugal (Portuguese João IV) (March 1603 - November 6, 1656), the Restoring King (Port. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events December 1 - Portugal regains its independence from Spain and João IV of Portugal becomes king. ... Afonso VI (August 21, 1643 - September 12, 1675) was king of Portugal, the second king of the House of Braganza. ... John V (Portuguese João) (1689-1750), king of Portugal, was born at Lisbon on October 22 1689, and succeeded his father Peter II of Portugal in December 1706, being proclaimed on January 1, 1707. ... Maria I Francisca, (English: Mary I), the Piteous (Port. ... John VI (Portuguese João), the Clement (Port. ... Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil; Pedro IV of Portugal Pedro I of Brazil, known as Dom Pedro (October 12, 1798 - September 24, 1834), proclaimed Brazil independent from Portugal and became Brazils first Emperor. ... Miguel of Portugal (English: Michael), the Traditionalist (Port. ... Maria II, Queen of Portugal (April 4, 1819 - November 15, 1853). ... Pedro V of Portugal (September 16, 1837 - November 11, 1861) was King of Portugal from 1853 to 1861. ... Carlos, King of Portugal (Eng. ... Prince Luís Filipe of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (in English Louis-Philip) was born in Lisbon, on March 21, 1887. ... Miguel II of Bragança, in English Michael II of Braganza (September 19, 1853- October 11, 1927) was the 22nd Duke of Bragança. ... Duarte Nuno, Duke of Bragança (1907-1976) was the son of Miguel II, Duke of Braganza and his second wife, Marie Therese Princess zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. ... Duarte Pio of Bragança Duarte Pio of Bragança (born May 15, 1945) is the 24th Duke of Bragança and the presumptive heir to the throne of Portugal. ...

Claimants of the Duchy of Braganza

• Claimants of the Duchy of Braganza (about Maria Pia of Braganza,Dom Rosario and the Duke of Loulé)

The majority of Portuguese monarchists maintain Manuel II of Portugal, the last king of the Country, recognized Duarte Pios father as his successor. ... Dona Maria Pia of Bragança Maria Pia of Bragança also known as Hilda Toledano (March 13, 1907 - 1995) began claiming, in the 1930s, to be an illegitimate child of King Carlos of Portugal, by Amelia Laredo e Murca. ...

External link

• The Royal Family of Portugal - House Bragança