'' Dom'' Teodósio, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza (''Teodósio de Bragança''; ; 8 February 1634 – 15 May 1653) was the eldest son of

John IV of Portugal ''Dom (honorific), Dom'' John IV (; 19 March 1604 – 6 November 1656), also known by the Portuguese as John the Restorer (), was the List of Portuguese monarchs, King of Portugal from 1640 until his death in 1656. He Portuguese Restoration War, ...

and

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to the Portuguese throne from 1640 until his death. In 1645, he was created

Prince of Brazil Prince of Brazil () was the title held by the heir-apparent to the Kingdom of Portugal, from 1645 to 1815. Tied with the title of Prince of Brazil was the title Duke of Braganza and the various subsidiary titles of the Dukedom of Braganza. The ...

and 9th

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. Starting in 1640, when the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown were ...

Biography

Born on 8 February 1634 in

Vila Viçosa Vila Viçosa () is a town and a municipality in the Évora (district), District of Évora, Alentejo in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 8,319, in an area of 194.86 km². The municipal holiday is August 16. Parishes Administratively, th ...

, Teodósio was the first child of

and Luisa de Guzmán, then the Duke and Duchess of Braganza. Shortly after birth, he was granted the title Duke of Barcelos. In December 1640, John was proclaimed King John IV of Portugal by the Portuguese nobility, marking the end of the 60-year-old

Iberian Union The Iberian Union is a historiographical term used to describe the period in which the Habsburg Spain, Monarchy of Spain under Habsburg dynasty, until then the personal union of the crowns of Crown of Castile, Castile and Crown of Aragon, Aragon ...

and establishing the

House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza (), also known as the Brigantine dynasty (''dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas. The hous ...

on the Portuguese throne. A month later, on 28 January 1641, Teodósio was sworn in as heir apparent by the

Portuguese Cortes In the medieval Kingdom of Portugal, the Cortes was an assembly of representatives of the estates of the realm – the nobility, clergy and bourgeoisie. It was called and dismissed by the King of Portugal at will, at a place of his choosing.O' ...

. Seeking to grant a more prestigious title that would reflect the grandeur of the new dynasty, John IV created the title

and bestowed it, alongside the title of Duke of Braganza, upon Teodósio in a royal decree issued 27 October 1645. In 1646, John IV attempted to secure a dynastic alliance with France by proposing Teodósio marry Louis XIII's niece,

La Grande Mademoiselle LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...

. Desperate to solidify the match, John secretly proposed abdicating his throne in favor of Teodósio. Later,

António Vieira António (or Antônio) Vieira (; 6 February 160818 July 1697) was a Portuguese Jesuit Priesthood in the Catholic Church, priest, diplomat, orator, preacher, philosopher, writer, and member of the Royal Council to the King of Portugal. Biogr ...

suggested to fellow Jesuits that the prince marry a Spanish princess. Both schemes amounted to nothing. Teodósio received a comprehensive education aimed at preparing him for governance. He was interested in philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, and watchmaking. In addition to his native Portuguese, Teodósio mastered Greek, Latin, Italian, and Castilian. He began participating in State Council meetings in 1649. The focus on a humanist curriculum drew criticism from nobles who advocated for Teodósio's engagement in military service as befitting his role as

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

. Against his father's wishes, Teodósio ran away from court to join an army in

Alentejo Alentejo ( , , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond the Tagus" (). Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo Province, Alto Alentejo and Bai ...

at seventeen years old. After being persuaded to return, he was given the title Captain-General of Arms in January 1652.

Death

Afflicted with tuberculosis in late 1652, Teodósio died on 15 May 1653. His death, deemed a "major disaster for the regime", deeply impacted his parents.. His younger sister,

Catherine Katherine (), also spelled Catherine and Catherina, other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Ch ...

, would remember him throughout her life and request to be buried beside him when drafting her will more than forty years later. Teodósio's brother, the medically and mentally problem-ridden Afonso, succeeded him as Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza and heir apparent of the kingdom.

Ancestry

References

Citations

Sources

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External links

Dom Theodosio the Astrologer Prince

Genealogy of Prince Teodósio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Teodosio Of Brazil, Prince House of Braganza 1634 births People from Vila Viçosa 1653 deaths Teodosio 3 Princes of Brazil Portuguese Baroque composers Princes of Portugal 17th-century Portuguese people 17th-century astrologers Burials at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora Portuguese heirs apparent who never acceded 17th-century classical composers Portuguese male classical composers 17th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Portugal Sons of kings