Portuguese monarchy

This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy and creation of the Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution.

Through the nearly 800 years in which Portugal was a monarchy, the kings held various other titles and pretensions. Two kings of Portugal, Ferdinand I and Afonso V, claimed the crown of Castile and waged wars in order to enforce their respective claims. Ferdinand I managed to be recognized as King of Galiza in 1369, although his dominance of the region was short-lived. When the House of Habsburg came into power, the kings of Spain, Naples, and Sicily also became kings of Portugal. The House of Braganza brought numerous titles to the Portuguese Crown some honorary, such as the attribution of the title of '' Rex Fidelissimus (His Most Faithful Majesty),'' and royal titles, such as King of Brazil and then ''de jure'' Emperor of Brazil.

After the demise of the Portuguese monarchy, in 1910, Portuguese monarchists launched a counter-revolution known as the Monarchy of the North, though the attempted restoration only lasted a month before destruction. With Manuel II's death, the Miguelist branch of the house of Braganza became the pretenders to the throne of Portugal, and have all been acclaimed king of Portugal by monarchist groups.

Throughout Portugal's history as an independent kingdom, it was ruled by a total of 4 royal houses:

# House of Burgundy (1139–1383)
# House of Aviz (1385–1580)
# House of Habsburg (1581–1640)
# House of Braganza (1640–1910)
The House of Burgundy actually held the title of Count of Portugal beginning in 1096. However, all but the most comprehensive lists of Portuguese monarchs exclude such pre-independence figures.

Afonsine Dynasty (1139–1383)

The Portuguese House of Burgundy () was established in 1093 under Henry, Count of Portugal ruled the feudal County of Portugal, of the Kingdom of Galicia. When Afonso Henriques was proclaimed King of Portugal by his troops in 1139, he turned the family from a comital house to a royal house which would rule Portugal for over two centuries, establishing the Afonsine Dynasty (). During the Reconquista, the Afonsine Dynasty expanded the country southwards until the definitive conquest of Algarve with Sancho II and the establishment of the Kingdom of Algarve, in 1249, under Afonso III. When Ferdinand I died, a succession crisis occurred between 1383 and 1385. Ferdinand's daughter Beatrice of Portugal was proclaimed queen and her husband John I of Castile proclaimed king by the right of his wife. Her legitimacy as a monarch is disputed.García de Cortázar, Fernando (1999), ''Breve historia de España'', Alianza Editorial, page 712
Armindo de Sousa, in História de Portugal coordinated by José Mattoso, Editorial Estampa, vol. II, , pages 494/95

Johanine Dynasty (1385–1580)

The House of Aviz (), succeeded the House of Burgundy as the reigning house of the Kingdom of Portugal. The house was founded by John, Master of Aviz, thus establishing the Johanine Dynasty (). When King John II of Portugal died without an heir, the throne of Portugal passed to his cousin, Manuel, Duke of Beja. When King Sebastian of Portugal died, the throne passed to his Grand-uncle, Henry of Portugal (he might be called Henry II because Henry, Count of Portugal, father of Alphonso I of Portugal, was the first of that name to rule Portugal). When Henry died, a succession crisis occurred and António, Prior of Crato, was proclaimed António of Portugal.

Philippine Dynasty (1581–1640)

The House of Habsburg (, ) ruled Portugal from 1581 to 1640. The dynasty began with the acclamation of Philip II of Spain as Philip I of Portugal in 1580, officially recognized in 1581 by the Portuguese Cortes of Tomar. Philip I swore to rule Portugal as a kingdom separate from his Spanish domains, under a personal union known historiographically as the Iberian Union. Following the convention of Portuguese dynasties being named after their founders, this dynasty is named the Philippine Dynasty (), an especially apt name, as all Habsburg monarchs of Portugal would bear the name "Philip".

Brigantine Dynasty (1640–1910)

The House of Braganza () came to power in 1640, when John II, Duke of Braganza, claimed to be the rightful heir of the defunct House of Aviz, as he was the great-great-grandson of King Manuel I. John was proclaimed King John IV, and he deposed the House of Habsburg in 1640 during the Portuguese Restoration War. The Habsburgs continued to claim the throne of Portugal until the end of the war in the Treaty of Lisbon (1668). Unlike other dynasties, it is not dubbed after its founder (as John IV shares a first name with John I), instead being named called the Brigantine Dynasty (, “Brigantine” meaning “from Braganza”).

The descendants of Queen Maria II and her consort, King Ferdinand II (a German prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), came to rule in 1853. Portuguese law and custom treated them as members of the House of Braganza, though they were still Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasts. This has led some to classify these last four monarchs of Portugal as members of a new royal family, called the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (), though this view is not widely held.

Length of reign

See also

* List of Portuguese royal consorts
*List of viceroys of Portugal
* List of titles and honours of the Portuguese Crown
* Style of the Portuguese sovereign
* Families
** Family tree of Portuguese monarchs
** Descendants of John VI of Portugal
** Descendants of Manuel I of Portugal
** Descendants of Miguel I of Portugal

References

Bibliography

*
* Jiří Louda & Michael Maclagan (1981), "Portugal", in ''Lines of Succession. Heraldry of the Royal families of Europe'', London, Orbis Publishing, pp. 228–237. . (revised and updated edition by Prentice Hall College Div – November 1991. .)
* Luís Amaral & Marcos Soromenho Santos (2002), ''Costados do Duque de Bragança'', Lisboa, Guarda-Mor Edições.
* Afonso Eduardo Martins Zuquete (dir.)(1989), ''Nobreza de Portugal e Brasil'', vol. I, Lisboa, Editorial Enciclopédia.
* (reprint)

External links

History of titles of the kings of Portugal with bibliography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monarchs, List of Portuguese
Portugal
Lists of Portuguese people
Portuguese history timelines

Portugal politics-related lists