The
1580 Portuguese succession crisis came about as a result of the 1578 death of young King Sebastian I of Portugal in the
Battle of Alcácer QuibirThe Battle of Alcácer Quibir , also known as Battle of Three Kings , also known as "Battle of Oued El Makhazeen" in Morocco, was a major battle fought in northern Morocco, near the town of Ksar-el-Kebir between Tangier and Fez, on 4...
. As Sebastian had no immediate heirs, this event prompted a dynastic crisis, with internal and external battles between several pretenders to the Portugese throne; in addition, because Sebastian's body was never found, several impostors emerged over the next several years claiming to be the young king, further confusing the situation. Ultimately, Phillip II of Spain gained control of the country, uniting Portugal and Spain in the
Iberian UnionIberian Union is a modern day term that refers to the historical political unit that governed all of the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580–1640, through a personal union....
, a
personal unionA personal union is the combination by which two or more different states are governed by the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
that would last for 60 years, during which time the
Portuguese EmpireThe Portuguese Empire was the first global empire in history, with territories in South America, Africa, India and South East Asia...
declined.
The Cardinal-King
The Cardinal Henry, Sebastian's great-uncle, became ruler in the immediate wake of Sebastian's death. Henry had served as regent for Sebastian after 1557, and succeeded him as king after the disastrous Battle of Alcácer-Quibir in 1578. Henry renounced his clerical offices and sought to take a bride for the continuation of the Aviz dynasty, but
Pope Gregory XIIIPope Gregory XIII , born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585.-Youth:He was born in the city of Bologna, where he studied law and graduated
in 1530...
, affiliated with the Habsburgs, did not release him from his vows. The Cardinal-King died two years later, without having appointed a Council of
RegencyA regent, from the Latin regens "reigning", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Thus, the common use is for an acting deputy governor....
to choose a successor.
Claimants to the throne
Portuguese nobility was worried about the maintenance of their independence and sought help to find a new king. By this time the Portuguese throne was disputed by several claimants; among them were
Catherine, Duchess of BraganzaInfanta Catarina of Guimarães, Duchess of Braganza by mariage , was a Portuguese infanta claimant to the throne following the death of King Henry I of Portugal in 1580....
(1540–1614), her nephew
Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of ParmaRanuccio I Farnese was the fourth Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1592 until his death. He was the son of Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, and Maria of Portugal....
,
Philip II of SpainPhilip II was King of Spain and Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, during his wife Mary Tudor's reign, King of England and Ireland...
and Anthony, Prior of Crato. The Duchess was later acknowledged as the legitimate heir, after her descendants obtained the throne in 1640 (in the person of
John IV of PortugalJohn 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...
), but at that time, she was only one of several possible heirs. According to the
feudalFeudalism is a decentralized sociopolitical structure in which a weak monarchy attempts to control the lands of the realm through reciprocal agreements with regional leaders...
custom, her late older sister's son Rainuccio, an Italian, was the closest heir, then the Duchess herself, and only after them, King Philip. Philip II was a foreigner (although his mother was Portuguese) and descended from Manuel I by a female line; as for Anthony, although he was Manuel I's grandson in the male line, he was an illegitimate grandson.
Ranuccio Farnese (1569–1622), the hereditary duke of Parma and Piacenza, was the son of the late elder daughter of Duarte of Portugal, Duke of Guimarães, the only son of Manuel I whose legitimate descendants survived at that time, Ranuccio was according to the feudal custom the first heir to the throne of Portugal. He was the son of Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, and of
Maria of PortugalInfanta Maria of Guimarães was a Portuguese infanta daughter of Infante Duarte, Duke of Guimarães , and Isabel of Braganza. She married Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza on November 11, 1565.-Issue:...
. His great-uncle Henry I of Portugal's death triggered the struggle for the throne of Portugal when Ranuccio was 11 years old. However, his father was an ally and even a subject of the Spanish king, another contender, so Ranuccio's rights were not very forcibly claimed at that time. Ranuccio became reigning duke of Parma in 1592.
Instead, Ranuccio's mother's younger sister Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, claimed the throne, very ambitiously, but failed. Catherine, Duchess of Braganza was married to Duke John I of Braganza (descendant in male line from
Afonso, 1st Duke of BraganzaAfonso I, Duke of Braganza was the eighth Count of Barcelos and the first Duke of Braganza. Historians believe he was born in Veiros, Alentejo, as a natural son of Portuguese King John I and Inês Peres Esteves . He married Beatriz Pereira de Alvim, daughter of Nuno Álvares Pereira, general of the...
, an illegitimate son of
John I of PortugalJohn I , called the Good or of Happy Memory, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
), who himself was grandson of the late Duke
James 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 both executed for...
, also a legitimate heir of Portugal, being the son of infanta Isabella of Portugal, sister of Manuel I and daughter of infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, second son of king Duarte I. The duchess also had a son, dom Teodosio de Braganza, who would be her royal heir and successor to the throne. The duchess's claim was relatively strong, as it was reinforced by her husband's position as one of the legitimate heirs; thus they would both be entitled to hold the kingship. Moreover, the Duchess was living in Portugal, not abroad, and was not underage, but 40 years old. Her weaknesses were her gender (Portugal had not had a generally recognized reigning queen) and her being the second daughter, there thus existed a genealogically senior claimant.
According to the old feudal custom, the line of succession of the Portuguese throne would have been:
- Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma
Ranuccio I Farnese was the fourth Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1592 until his death. He was the son of Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, and Maria of Portugal....
and his siblings (son of Infanta Maria of GuimarãesInfanta Maria of Guimarães was a Portuguese infanta daughter of Infante Duarte, Duke of Guimarães , and Isabel of Braganza. She married Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza on November 11, 1565.-Issue:...
, eldest daughter of Infante Duarte, Duke of Guimarães.The Infante Duarte, 4th Duke of Guimarães was a Portuguese infante ; the sixth son of King Manuel I of Portugal and his wife Maria of Aragon....
, the youngest son of Manuel IManuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatriz of Portugal.His mother was the granddaughter of King John I of...
and the only one who had living descendants)
- Catherine, Duchess of Braganza
Infanta Catarina of Guimarães, Duchess of Braganza by mariage , was a Portuguese infanta claimant to the throne following the death of King Henry I of Portugal in 1580....
and her children (youngest daughter of Duarte of Portugal, Maria's younger sister)
- Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain and Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, during his wife Mary Tudor's reign, King of England and Ireland...
and his children (son of Isabella of Portugal, the eldest daughter of Manuel I)
- Maria of Spain
Maria of Spain was the first daughter of Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. She was Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia as the wife of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor...
, Holy Roman Empress, and her children (daughter of Isabella of Portugal, Philip's sister)
- Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy
Emmanuel Philibert was Duke of Savoy from 1553 to 1580....
and his children (son of Beatrice of PortugalThe Infanta Beatriz ; or ) was a Portuguese infanta during the 16th century and a member of the House of Aviz dynasty.-Family:...
, the youngest daughter of Manuel IManuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatriz of Portugal.His mother was the granddaughter of King John I of...
)
- John I of Braganza and children (great-grandson of Isabella of Portugal
Isabella of Viseu She was a daughter of Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu and his wife and cousin Beatrice of Portugal. She was a member of the House of Aviz and later, House of Braganza.-Family:...
, Manuel I's younger sister and married to Catherine)
Genealogical summary
Claimants following King Henry I's death (1580)
__________________________________
| |
MANUEL IManuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatriz of Portugal.His mother was the granddaughter of King John I of...
IsabelIsabella of Viseu She was a daughter of Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu and his wife and cousin Beatrice of Portugal. She was a member of the House of Aviz and later, House of Braganza.-Family:...
<-------------------------->
Ferdinand IIFerdinand II was the older son of Fernando I, 2nd Duke of Braganza and of his wife, Doña Joana de Castro....
14th K.Portugal of Viseu | 3rd D.Braganza
| |
|
JamesJames 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 both executed for...
______________________________________|____________________________________ 4th D.Braganza
| | | | | | ____|_________
| | | | | | | |
JOHN IIIJohn III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves....
Isabel
BeatriceThe Infanta Beatriz ; or ) was a Portuguese infanta during the 16th century and a member of the House of Aviz dynasty.-Family:...
LouisThe Infante Luís, 5th Duke of Beja was the second son of King Manuel I of Portugal and his second wife Maria of Aragon, princess of Spain , and therefore a Portuguese infante .Luís succeeded his father as the 5th Duke of Beja and was also made 9th Constable of...
HENRY I
Duarte I.The Infante Duarte, 4th Duke of Guimarães was a Portuguese infante ; the sixth son of King Manuel I of Portugal and his wife Maria of Aragon....
<------->
IsabelIsabel of Braganza was a daughter of Jaime, Duke of Braganza and Eleanor of Mendoza, she married her cousin Infante Duarte, Duke of Guimarães a son of Manuel I and Maria of Aragon in 1537, Isabella was dowried with the Dukedom of Guimarães in her own right...
of
Teodósio ITeodósio 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....
15th K.Portugal m.
Charles VCharles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556...
m.
Charles IIICharles III of Savoy , often called Charles the Good, was Duke of Savoy from 1504 to 1553, although most of his lands were ruled by the French between 1536 and his death....
5th D.Beja Cardinal, dwi 4th D.Guimarães| Braganza 5th D.Braganza
| Emp.& K.Spain D.Savoy : 17th K.Portugal | 3rd D.Guimarães
| _____|____ | : ______________________|_______ |
| | | | : | | | |
John<----->Joan
Philipp II/IPhilip II was King of Spain and Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, during his wife Mary Tudor's reign, King of England and Ireland...
EmanueleEmmanuel Philibert was Duke of Savoy from 1553 to 1580....
Anthony I
MariaInfanta Maria of Guimarães was a Portuguese infanta daughter of Infante Duarte, Duke of Guimarães , and Isabel of Braganza. She married Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza on November 11, 1565.-Issue:...
Duarte IIThe Infante Duarte II, 5th Duke of Guimarães was a Portuguese infante , son of Duarte I, 4th Duke of Guimarães and his wife, Isabel of Braganza....
CatherineInfanta Catarina of Guimarães, Duchess of Braganza by mariage , was a Portuguese infanta claimant to the throne following the death of King Henry I of Portugal in 1580....
<---->
John IJohn I, 6th Duke of Braganza
KGF , was the eldest son of Teodósio I, 5th Duke of Braganza.In 1563 he married his 1st cousin Infanta Catherine, daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Guimarães and Isabel of Braganza ....
Prince | K.Spain Filiberto Prior of Crato m.
AlexanderAlexander Farnese Alexander Farnese Alexander Farnese (Italian: Alessandro Farnese, Spanish: Alejandro Farnesio, (August 27 1545 – December 3 1592), was Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1586 to 1592, and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592.-Biography:...
5th D.Guimarães
Candidate | 6th D.Braganza
|
Candidate D.Savoy
Candidate D.Parma dwi |
Candidate
| 19th K.Portugal
Candidate 18th K.Portugal | |
| | |
| | |
SEBASTIAN I
Ranuccio FarneseRanuccio I Farnese was the fourth Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1592 until his death. He was the son of Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, and Maria of Portugal....
Teodósio IITeodósio 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 ....
16th K.Portugal D.Parma 7th D.Braganza
dwi
Candidate |
|
John II/IVJohn 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 D.Braganza
__________________________________________________________________ 6th D.Guimarães
Emp.=Emperor, K.=King, D.=Duke, m.=married, dwi=died without issue 22nd K.Portugal
Anthony and Philip
Anthony of Portugal (1531–1595), Prior of Crato, was a claimant of the Portuguese throne during the 1580 crisis and, according to some historians,
King of Portugal (during a short time in 1580, in the continent, and since then until 1583, in the
AzoresThe Azores is a Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about from Lisbon and about from the east coast of North America. The two westernmost Azorean islands actually lie on the North American plate...
). Anthony was the illegitimate son of Prince Louis (1506–1555), and therefore grandson of King
Manuel IManuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatriz of Portugal.His mother was the granddaughter of King John I of...
. It was precisely because of his illegitimacy that his claim to the throne was weak and considered invalid. Following the death of King Sebastian, Anthony had put forward his own claim, but his pretensions were overlooked in favour of Cardinal Henry. In January 1580, when the Cortes Gerais were assembled in
AlmeirimAlmeirim is a city and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 222.0 km² and a total population of 22,434 inhabitants. The city proper has a population of 10,520.The municipality is composed of 4 parishes, and is located in Santarém District....
to decide upon an heir, the old Cardinal-King Henry died and the Regency of the Kingdom was assumed by a Junta of five members.
Philip II of Spain managed to bring the aristocracy of the kingdom as support to his side. For the aristocracy, a
personal unionA personal union is the combination by which two or more different states are governed by the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
with
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
would prove highly profitable for Portugal at a time when the state finances were suffering. Anthony tried to seduce the people for his cause, comparing the present situation to that of the Crisis of 1385. Then—just as in 1580—the king of
CastileThe Crown of Castile, as a historic entity, is usually considered to have begun in 1230 with the third and almost definitive union of the monarchies of kingdoms Castile and Toledo in one hand, and the kingdoms of Leon and Galicia in other hand, and with the union of their parliaments a few decades...
had invoked blood descent to inherit the Portuguese throne; and the Master of Aviz (
John IJohn I , called the Good or of Happy Memory, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
), illegitimate son of King
Peter IPeter I , called the Just , was the eighth King of Portugal and the Algarve from 1357 until his death...
, asserted his right to the throne at the
Battle of AljubarrotaThe Battle of Aljubarrota took place on 14 August 1385, between the forces commanded by King John I of Portugal and his general Nuno Álvares Pereira, and the army of King John I of Castile. The place was São Jorge, between the towns of Leiria and Alcobaça in central Portugal...
, which ended in a victory for John's troops, and in the Cortes of
CoimbraCoimbra is a city in Coimbra Municipality in Portugal. It served as the country's capital during the First Dynasty and remains home to the University of Coimbra, the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world and one of the oldest in Europe.According to the INE's census of 2001,...
in 1385.
On July 24 1580, Anthony proclaimed himself
King of Portugal in
SantarémSantarém is a city in the Santarém Municipality in Portugal. The city itself has a population of 28,760 and the entire municipality has 64,124 inhabitants.It is the capital of Santarém District....
, followed by acclamation in several locations throughout the country; his domestic government lasted for 20 days, until he was defeated in the
Battle of AlcântaraThe Battle of Alcântara took place on August 25, 1580, near the brook of Alcântara, in the vicinity of Lisbon, Portugal, and was a decisive victory of the Spanish Habsburg King Philip II over the Portuguese pretender to the Portuguese throne, António, Prior of Crato.In Portugal, the death of King...
by Habsburg armies led by the
Duke of AlbaFernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba, was a Spanish general and governor of the Spanish Netherlands , nicknamed "the Iron Duke" by the Protestants of the Low Countries because of his harsh rule and cruelty...
. After the fall of Lisbon, he purported to rule the country from
Terceira IslandTerceira Island is an island in the Azores, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, with an area of 396.75 km². The island's length is 29 km and the width is 18 km; the perimeter is 90 km. Population is 54,996, down from a peak of 59,000...
, in the Azores, where he established a government in exile until 1583; Anthony even had coins minted—a typical assertion of sovereignty and royalty. Some authors consider him the last monarch of the
House 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 Pedro I and Dona Teresa Lourenço as king. The descendants of king John I were still nominal masters of...
(instead of Cardinal-King Henry) and the 18th King of Portugal. His government in Terceira island was only recognized in the Azores, whereas on the continent and in the Madeira Islands power was exercised by Philip II, who was acclaimed king in 1580 as Philip I of Portugal and recognized as official king by the Cortes of
TomarTomar Municipality has a total area of 351.0 km² and a total population of 43,007 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 16 parishes, and is located in Santarém District...
in 1581. The new king's election was carried on condition that the kingdom and its overseas territories should keep their own laws and Cortes.
After his defeat in the Azores, Anthony went into exile in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
—traditional enemy of the Habsburgs—and courted the support of
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. An invasion was attempted in 1589 under Sir
Francis DrakeSir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral , was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, a renowned pirate, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Queen Elizabeth I awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588, subordinate...
—leading the so-called
English ArmadaThe English Armada was a fleet of warships sent to the Iberian coast by Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1589, during the Anglo-Spanish War...
—but ended in failure. Anthony continued to fight until the end of his life for his rights to the throne.
Consequences
The matter of whether Portugal was actually invaded by Spain is contested. It cannot be doubted that Philip II did have a legitimately arguable claim to the throne, but as with many other dynastic struggles of the age, it was shrouded in controversy. In any case, life was calm and serene under the first two Hapsburg kings; they maintained Portugal's status, gave excellent positions to Portuguese nobles in the Spanish
CourtRoyal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court*Royal Court Theatre, in London, England...
and Portugal maintained an independent law, currency and government. It was even proposed to move the Imperial capital to Lisbon. However, Portugal saw its wealth gradually decreasing. Even though it was an autonomous state, it was used by the Hapsburg as a puppet, and
Portuguese coloniesThe Portuguese Empire was the first global empire in history, with territories in South America, Africa, India and South East Asia...
came under sustained attack from their enemies, especially the Dutch and English.
Sixty years after these events, John, Duke of Braganza, (1603–1656) accepted the throne offered by the Portuguese nobility, who had become frustrated under Hapsburg rule, becoming
John IV of PortugalJohn 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...
. He was the grandson of Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, who had in 1580 claimed the Portuguese crown, and son of
Teodósio IITeodósio 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 ....
,
Duke of BraganzaThe title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal, as the ancient Duchy of Braganza , is one of the oldest and most important dukedoms in Portugal...
(who died insane in 1630). John was raised to the throne of Portugal (of which he was then held to be the legitimate heir) during the
coup d'etatA coup d'état , or coup for short, is the sudden unconstitutional deposition of a legitimate government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another, either civil or military...
effected on December 1, 1640 against king
Philip IVPhilip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640. On the eve of his death in 1665, the Spanish empire reached its territorial zenith spanning almost 3 billion acres...
.
There have been many
ImpostorAn impostor or imposter is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but just as often for purposes of espionage or law enforcement....
s who claimed to be King Sebastian, variously in 1584, 1585, 1595, and 1598. "
SebastianismSebastianism is part of the Portuguese and Brazilian mythology and culture. It means waiting for a hero that will save Portugal and lead it to the Fifth Empire, and known as Eu nacional . There are possible mentions of this hero in The Prophecies of Nostradamus when it mentions the "great one of...
", the legend that the young king would return to Portugal on a foggy day persisted for years, and was even strong into the nineteenth century.