Braganza Encyclopedia > History > Biographies > Spanish and Portuguese History: Biographies Braganza Braganza (brəgänˈzä) [ key ], royal house that ruled Portugal from 1640 to 1910 and Brazil from 1822 to 1889. It took its name from the castle of Braganza or Bragança. The line was descended from Alfonso, the natural son of John I of Portugal, who became the duke of Braganza in 1442. Although Alfonso's grandson, Ferdinand, was executed (1483) for alleged treason by John II, the family steadily increased its possessions. John, 6th duke of Braganza, married a niece of King John III, and when the Portuguese threw off Spanish rule in 1640, their grandson became king as John IV. The house of Braganza ruled Portugal until the establishment of a republic in 1910. After Brazil declared (1822) its independence, it was ruled as an empire under Pedro I, son of John VI of Portugal, and Pedro II until a revolution made it a republic in 1889.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. Braganza | Article about Braganza by The Free Dictionary Braganza | Article about Braganza by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Wikipedia . Braganza (brəgän`zä), royal house that ruled Portugal from 1640 to 1910 and Brazil from 1822 to 1889. It took its name from the castle of Braganza or Bragança. The line was descended from Alfonso, the natural son of John I of Portugal, who became the duke of Braganza in 1442. Although Alfonso's grandson, Ferdinand, was executed (1483) for alleged treason by John II, the family steadily increased its possessions. John, 6th duke of Braganza, married a niece of King John III, and when the Portuguese threw off Spanish rule in 1640, their grandson became king as John IV. The house of Braganza ruled Portugal until the establishment of a republic in 1910.

After Brazil declared (1822) its independence, it was ruled as an empire under Pedro I, son of John VI of Portugal, and Pedro II until a revolution made it a republic in 1889. Braganza a dynasty of kings of Portugal from 1640 to 1853 and emperors of Brazil from 1822 to 1889. The Braganza dynasty began in Portugal with Duke Juan Braganza, who was proclaimed King Juan IV in 1640 after the division of Portugal and Spain. Upon the death of Maria II da Gloria (queen from 1834 to 1853), the Braganza dynasty died out in Portugal. The descendants of Maria II, who married the prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Braganza-Coburg dynasty), ruled Portugal from 1853 until the Portuguese Revolution of 1910. The Braganza dynasty ruled in Brazil from its separation from Portugal until the establishment of a republic.

Kingdom of Portugal - House of Braganza Kingdom of Portugal House of Braganza The Kingdom of Portugal (Portuguese: Reino de Portugal, Latin: Regnum Portugalliae), or the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves (Portuguese: Reino de Portugal e dos Algarves, Latin: Regnum Portugalliae et Algarbia), was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910. It was replaced by the Portuguese First Republic after the 5 October 1910 revolution. The Kingdom of Portugal finds its origins in the County of Portugal (1093-1139). The Portuguese County was a semi-autonomous county of the Kingdom of Leon. Independence from Leon took place in three stages: The first on July 26, 1139 when Afonso Henriques was acclaimed King of the Portuguese internally. The second was on October 5 of 1143, when the Kingdom of Leon and the Kingdom of Castile recognized Afonso Henriques as king through the Treaty of Zamora.

The third, on 1179, was the Papal Bull Manifestis Probatum, where Portugal's independence is recognized by the Pope. Once Portugal was independent, D. Afonso I's descendants, members of the Portuguese House of Burgundy, would rule Portugal until 1383. Even after the change in royal houses, all the monarchs of Portugal were descended from Afonso I, one way or another, through both legitimate and illegitimate links. Fall of the Monarchy - 5 October 1910 revolution With the turn of the twentieth century, republicanism would grow in numbers and support in Lisbon among progressive politians and the influential press. However a minority with regard to the rest of the country, this height of republicanism would benefit politically from the Lisbon Regicide on February 1, 1908. When returning from the Ducal Palace at Vila Viçosa, King Carlos I and the Prince Royal Luis Filipe were killed in the Terreiro do Paço, in Lisbon. With the death of the king and his heir, Carlos I's second son would become king as King Manuel II of Portugal.

Manuel's reign, however, would be shortlived, ending by force with the 5 October 1910 revolution, sending Manuel into exile in England and giving way to the Portuguese First Republic. The List of the Monarchs of Portugal The Monarchs of Portugal ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1128, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Through the nearly 800 years which Portugal was a monarchy, the kings have held various other titles and pretensions. Two Kings of Portugal, Ferdinand I and Afonso V, were also Kings of Galicia. When the Portuguese House of Habsburg came into power, the Kings of Portugal also became the Kings of Spain, Kings of Naples, and various dukes around Europe. The House of Braganza brought numerous titles to the Portuguese Crown, including King of Brazil and then Emperor of Brazil. After the demise of the Portuguese monarchy, in 1910, the Miguelist branch of the House of Braganza became the pretenders to the throne of Portugal. They have all been acclaimed King of Portugal by their monarchist groups.

This is purely symbolic and no one can have a place among the Kings of Portugal unless they were acclaimed by the Portuguese state and parliament. The Portuguese states that the current representative of the House of Braganza, Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, is the legitimate successor to the Kings of Portugal, but only recognizes him as Duke of Braganza and not King. The monarchs of Portugal all came from a single ancestor, Afonso I Henriques, but direct lines have sometimes ended. This has led to a variety of royal houses coming to rule Portugal, though all having Portuguese royal lineage.

These houses are: The Portuguese House of Burgundy (1143-1383) The House of Aviz (1385 - 1495) The House of Aviz-Beja (1495-1640) The Portuguese House of Habsburg (1580-1640) The House of Braganza (1640-1910) The House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1853-1910) Portuguese House of Burgundy (1143-1383) Name 1109 - 6 December 1185 (aged 76) 25 July 1139 Founder of the Kingdom of Portugal Borgonha 11 November 1154 - 26 March 1212 (aged 57) 6 December 1185 23 April 1185 - 25 March 1223 (aged 37) 26 March 1212 8 September 1209 - 4 January 1248

 (aged 38) 26 March 1223 5 May 1210 - 16 February 1279 (aged 68) 4 January 1248 9 October 1261 - 7 January 1325 (aged 63) 6 February 1279 8 February 1291 - 28 May 1357 (aged 66) 7 January 1325 19 April 1320 - 18 January 1367 (aged 46) 8 May 1357 31 October 1345 - 22 October 1383 (aged 37) 18 January 1367 House of Aviz (1385-1495) The House of Aviz, known as the Joanine Dynasty, succeded the Portuguese House of Burgundy as the reiging house of the Kingdom of Portugal.

The house was founded by John I of Portugal, who was the Grand Master of the Order of Aviz. Name 11 April 1358 - 14 August 1433 (aged 75) 6 April 1385 Illegitamate son of Peter I Aviz 31 October 1391 - 9 September 1438 (aged 46) 14 August 1433 15 January 1432 - 28 August 1481 (aged 49) 13 September 1438 3 March 1455 - 25 October 1495 (aged 40) 11 November 1477 Aviz House of Aviz-Beja (1495-1580) The House of Aviz-Beja, also known as the House of Beja, was the dynasty that ruled Portugal from 1495 to 1580. It was founded when King John II of Portugal died without an heir and the throne of Portugal passed to his cousin, Manuel, Duke of Beja.

Name 31 May 1469 - 13 December 1521 (aged 52) 22 April 1500 7 June 1502 - 11 June 1557 (aged 55) 13 December 1521 20 January 1554 - c. 4 August 1578 (aged 24) 11 June 1557 31 January 1512 - 31 January 1580 (aged 68) 4 August 1578 Aviz-Beja House of Habsburg (1580-1640) The Portuguese House of Habsburg, known as the Philippine Dynasty, is the house that ruled Portugal from 1580 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 the personal union known as the Iberian Union. Name 21 May 1527 - 13 September 1598 (aged 71) 1581 14 April 1578 - 31 March 1621 (aged 42) 13 September 1598 8 April 1605 - 17 September 1665 (aged 60) 31 March 1621 Habsburgo House of Braganza (1640-1910) The House of Braganza, known as the Brigantine Dynasty, came to power, in 1640, when John II of Braganza became the reigning house of Portugal and depose the Portuguese House of Habsburg in the Portuguese Restoration War.

Name 18 March 1603 - 6 November 1656 (aged 53) 1 December 1640 21 August 1643 - 12 September 1683 (aged 40) 6 November 1656 April 26, 1648 - December 9, 1706 (aged 58) 6 November 1683 October 22, 1689 - July 31, 1750 (aged 60) 9 December 1706 6 June 1714 - 24 February 1777 (age 62) 31 July 1750 July 5, 1717 - May 25, 1786 (aged 68) 24 February 1777 17 December 1734 - 20 March 1816 (aged 81) 24 February 1777 13 May 1767 - 10 March 1826

 (aged 58) 20 March 1816 12 October 1798 - 24 September 1834 (aged 35) 10 March 1826 4 April 1819 - 15 November 1853 (aged 34) 2 May 1826 26 October 1802 - 14 November 1866 (aged 64) 26 February 1828 29 October 1816 - 15 December 1885 (aged 69) 16 September 1837 House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1853-1910) The House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is the designation given to the house of the last four Kings of Portugal.

The house's existance as is debated, as Portuguese historians and the monarchs themselves styled themselves as members of the House of Braganza and not members of a Saxe-Coburg branch. Name 16 September 1837 - 11 November 1861 (aged 24) 15 November 1853 31 October 1838 - 19 October 1889 (aged 50) 11 November 1861 28 September 1863 - 1 February 1908 (aged 44) 19 October 1889 15 November 1889 - 2 July 1932 (aged 42) 1 February 1908 Family Titles and Styles of the Royal House The present members of this family bear the title Infant or Infanta of Portugal together with the formal appellation of His or Her Royal Highness.

The Genealogy of The Royal House JOÃO V Francisco Antonio José Bento Bernardo, King of Portugal and the Algarves 9 Dec 1706 (Lisbon 22 Oct 1689-Lisbon 31 Jul 1750); m.by proxy Neuburg 9 Jul 1708 and in person Lisbon 27 Oct 1708 Maria Anna, Archdss of Austria (Linz 7 Sep 1683-Lisbon 14 Aug 1754) 1a) Maria Madalena Josefa Teresa Barbara (Lisbon 4 Dec 1711-Aranjuez 27 Aug 1758); m.Badajoz 20 Jan 1729 King Fernando VI of Spain (Madrid 23 Sep 1713-Villaviciosa 10 Aug 1759) 2a) Pedro, Pr of Brazil (Lisbon 19 Oct 1712-Lisbon 29 Oct 1714) 3a) JOSÉ I Francisco António Inácio Norberto Ag

ostinho, King of Portugal and the Algarves (Lisbon 6 Jun 1714-Lisbon 24 Feb 1777); m.by proxy at Madrid 27 Dec 1727 and in person at Lisbon 31 Mar 1732 Mariana Vitoria, Infanta of Spain (Madrid 31 Jan 1718-Lisbon 15 Jan 1781) 1b) MARIA I da Glória Francisca Isabel Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana, Queen of Portugal and the Algarves (Lisbon 17 Dec 1734-Rio de Janeiro 20 Mar 1816); m.Ajuda nr Lisbon 6 Jun 1760 her uncle, King Pedro III (see below) 2b) Maria Ana Francisca Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana (Lisbon 7 Oct 1736-Rio de Janeiro 16 May 1813) 3b) Maria Francisca Dorotea Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana Efigénia (Lis

bon 21 Nov 1739-Lisbon 14 Jan 1771) 4b) Maria Francisca Benedita Ana Isabel Joana Antónia Laura Inácia Gertrudes Rita Rosa (Lisbon 25 Jul 1746-Lisbon 10 Aug 1829); m.Lisbon 7 Feb 1777 her nephew (and first cousin) José, Pr of Brazil (below) 4a) Carlos (Lisbon 2 May 1716-Cascais 29 Mar 1736) 5a) PEDRO III Clemente Francisco José António, jure uxoris King of Portugal and the Algarves (Lisbon 5 Jul 1717-Lisbon 5 Mar 1786); m.Ajuda nr Lisbon 6 Jun 1760 Queen Maria I of Portugal (see above) 1b) José Francisco Xavier de Paula Domingos António Agostinho Anastácio, Pr of Beira, Pr of Brazil (Lisbon 20 Aug 1761-Lisbon 11 Sep 

1788); m.Lisbon 7 Feb 1777 his aunt, Maria Francisca, Infanta of Portugal (see above) 2b) José João Francisco de Paula Domingos António Carlos Cipriano (Lisbon 16 Sep 1763-Lisbon 10 Oct 1763) 3b) JOÃO VI Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael, King of Portugal and the Algarves, assumed the title Emperor of Brazil, though he gave Brazil to his son, Emperor Pedro I; (Lisbon 13 May 1767-Lisbon 10 Mar 1826); m.by proxy at Madrid 27 Mar 1785 and in person at Lisbon 9 Jun 1785 Carlota Joaquina, Infanta of Spain (Madrid 25 Apr 1775-Queluz 7 Jan 1830) 1c) Maria Teresa Francisca de Assis Antónia Carlota Joana Josefa Xavier de Paula Micaela Rafaela Isabel Gonzaga, Pss of Beira (Queluz

 29 Apr 1793-Trieste 17 Jan 1874); m.1st Rio de Janeiro 13 May 1810 Pedro Carlos, Infant of Spain (Aranjuez 18 Jun 1786-Rio de Janeiro 4 Jul 1812); m.2d by proxy at Salzburg 2 Feb 1838 and in person at Azcoitia 20 Oct 1838 Carlos, Infant of Spain (29 Mar 1788-Trieste 10 Mar 1855) 2c) Francisco António, Pr of Beira (Queluz 21 Mar 1795-Lisbon 11 Jun 1801) 3c) Maria Isabel Francisca (Queluz 19 May 1797-Madrid 26 Dec 1818); m.by proxy at Cadiz 4 Sep 1816 and in person at Madrid 29 Sep 1816 her uncle, King Fernando VII of Spain (San Ildefonso 13 Oct 1784-Mad

rid 29 Sep 1833) 4c) PEDRO IV de Alcántara Francisco António João Carlos Xavier de Paula Miguel Rafael Joaquim José Gonzaga Pascual Cipriano Serafim, King of Portugal and the Algarves from the death of his father until his abdication in favor of his daughter Maria 29 Apr 1826, proclaimed Emperor Pedro I of Brazil 12 Oct 1822 (Queluz 12 Oct 1798-Queluz 24 Sep 1834); m.1st Rio de Janeiro 5 Nov 1817 Marie Leopoldine Archdss of Austria (Vienna 22 Jan 1797-Rio de Janeiro 11 Dec 1826); m.2d Rio de Janeiro 17 Oct 1829 Amelia de Beauharnais (Milan 31 Jul 1812-Lisbon 26 Jan 1873); for all his children except Queen Maria II, see Brazil 1d) MARIA II da Glória Joana Carlota Leopoldina

 Isidora da Cruz Francisca Xavier de Paula Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Luisa Gonzaga, Queen of Portugal and the Algarves on the abdication of her father 29 Apr 1826, but her uncle Miguel was proclaimed king 11 Aug 1828, and a bloody civil war ensued; Maria's armies, led by her father, were victorious and in 1834 Miguel agreed to permanent exile and Maria became again Queen de facto; b.Rio de Janeiro 4 Apr 1819, d.Lisbon 15 Nov 1853; m.1st Lisbon 26 Jan 1835 August Duke of Leuchtenberg, cr Pr of Portugal (Milan 9 Dec 1810-Lisbon 28 Mar 1835); m.2d Lisbon 9 Apr 1836 Ferdinand Pr of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, cr King Consort Fernando II of Portugal 16 Sep 1837 (Vienna 29 Oct 1816-Lisbon 15 Dec 1885) 1e) PEDRO V de Al

cántara Maria Fernando Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier João António Leopoldo Victor Francisco de Assis Júlio Amélio, King of Portugal and the Algarves (Lisbon 16 Sep 1837-Lisbon 11 Nov 1861); m.Lisbon 18 May 1858 Stephanie Pss von Hohenzollern (Dresden 15 Jul 1837-Lisbon 17 Jul 1859) 2e) LUIZ Filipe Maria Fernando Pedro de Alcántara António Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis João Augusto Júlio Volfando, King of Portugal and the Algarves (Lisbon 31 Oct 1838-Cascais 19 Oct 1889); m.Lisbon 6 Oct 1862 Maria Pia Pss of Savoy (Turin 16 Oct 1847-Stupinigi 5 Jul 1911) 1f) CARLOS Fernando Luís Maria Victor Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis José Simão,

 King of Portugal and the Algarves (Lisbon 28 Sep 1863-assassinated Lisbon 1 Feb 1908); m.Lisbon 22 May 1886 Amélie Pss d'Orléans (Twickenham 28 Sep 1865-Château de Bellevue 25 Oct 1951) 1g) Luiz Filipe Maria Carlos Amélio Fernando Victor Manoel António Lourenço Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis Bento, Crown Pr of Portugal (Lisbon 21 Mar 1887, assassinated with his father 1 Feb 1908) 2g) Maria Ana (b.and d.Villa Vicosa 14 Dec 1887) 3g) MANOEL II Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugénio, King of Portugal and the Algarves, lost his thrown by revolution 5 Oct 1910 (Lisbon 15 Nov 1889-Fullwell Park 2 Jul 1932

); m.Sigmaringen 4 Sep 1913 Auguste Viktoria Pss von Hohenzollern (Potsdam 19 Aug 1890-Münchhöf 29 Aug 1966) 2f) 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, Duque de Oporto (Ajuda 1 Jul 1865-Naples 21 Feb 1920); m.Madrid 23 Nov 1917 Nevada Hayes Stoody (Ohio 21 Oct 1885-11 Jan 1941) 3e) Maria, b.and d.Lisbon 4 Oct 1840 4e) João Maria Fernando Pedro de Alcántara Miguel Rafael Gabriel Leopoldo Carlos António Gregorio Francisco de Assis Borja Gonzaga Félix, Duque de Beja (Lisbon 16 Mar 1842-Belem 27 Dec 

1861) 5e) Maria Ana Fernanda Leopoldina Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Carlota Antónia Júlia Vitória Praxedes Francisca de Assis Gonzaga (Lisbon 21 Jul 1843-Dresden 5 Feb 1884); m.Lisbon 11 May 1859 King Georg of Saxony (Pillnitz 8 Aug 1832-Pillnitz 15 Oct 1904) 6e) Antónia Maria Fernanda Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Francisca de Assis Ana Gonzaga Silvina Júlia Augusta (Lisbon 17 Feb 1845-Sigmaringen 27 Dec 1913); m.Lisbon 12 Sep 1861 Leopold Fst von Hohenzollern (Krauchenwies 27 Sep 1835-Berlin 8 Jun 1905) 7e) Fernando Maria Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis António Apollinário (Lisbon 23 Jul 

1846-Lisbon 6 Nov 1861) 8e) Augusto Maria Fernando Carlos Miguel Gabriel Rafael Agrícola Francisco de Assis Gonzaga Pedro de Alcántara Loyola, Duque de Coimbra (Lisbon 4 Nov 1847-Lisbon 26 Sep 1889) 9e) Leopoldo (b.and d.Lisbon 7 May 1849) 10e) Maria da Glória (b.and d.Lisbon 3 Feb 1851) 11e) Eugénio Maria (b.and d.Lisbon 15 Nov 1853) 5c) Maria Francisca de Assis de Maternidade Xavier de Paula de Alcántara Antónia Joaquina Gonzaga Carlota Mónica Senhorinha Soter e Caia (Queluz 22 Apr 1800-Alverstoke Rectory, Hants 4 Sep 1834); m.by proxy at Cadiz 4 Sep 1816 and in person at Madrid 22 Sep 1816 her uncle,

 Carlos, Infant of Spain (29 Mar 1788-Trieste 10 Mar 1855) 6c) Isabel Maria da Conceição Joana Gualberta Ana Francisca de Assis Xavier de Paula e de Alcántara Antónia Rafaela Micaela Gabriela Gonzaga (Lisbon 4 Jul 1801-Benfica, Lisbon 22 Apr 1876) 7c) Miguel Maria do Patrocinio João Carlos Francisco de Assis Xavier Paula Pedro de Alcántara António Rafael Gabriel Joaquim José Gonzaga Evaristo, de facto King of Portugal 1828-1834 (Lisbon 26 Oct 1802-Jagdschloß Karlshöhe bei Bronnbach 14 Nov 1866); m.Kleinheubach 14 Sep 1851 Adelheid Pss zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (Kleinheubach 3 Apr 1831-Abbaye Ste.

Cécile, Apley, Isle of Wight 16 Dec 1909) 1d) Maria das Neves Isabel Eulália Carlota Adelaide Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Paula de Assis Inès Sofia Romana (Kleinheubach 5 Aug 1852-Vienna 14 Feb 1941); m.Kleinheubach 26 Apr 1871 Alfonso, Infant of Spain, Duque de Saint-Jaime (London 12 Sep 1849-Vienna 29 Sep 1936) 2d) Miguel Maria Carlos Egídio Constantino Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga Francisco de Paula e de Assis Januário, Duque de Bragança (Kleinheubach 19 Sep 1853-Seebenstein 11 Oct 1927); m.1st Regensburg 17 Oct 1877 Elisabeth Pss von Thurn und Taxis (Dresden 28 May 1860-Ödenburg 17 Feb 1881); m.2d Kleinhe

ubach 8 Nov 1893 Marie Therese Pss zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (Rome 4 Jan 1870-Vienna 17 Jan 1935) 1e) Miguel Maximiliano Sebastão Maria, Duque de Viseu; renounced his rights to the throne 21 Jul 1920 (Reichenau 22 Sep 1878-New York 21 Feb 1923); m.Tulloch Castle 15 Sep 1909 Anita Stewart (Elberson, New Jersey 7 Aug 1886-New York 15 Sep 1977) 1f) Isabel (Elisabeth) Maria Teresa Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Nadejda (Nada) de Braganza (London 28 Jun 1910-London 13 Jun 1946); m.1st Capri 16 Aug 1930 (div 1932) Wlodzimierz Dorozynski (b.Libava, Russia 27 Apr 1906); m

.2d London 29 Jan 1942 René Millet (London 15 Aug 1910-Paris 9 Apr 1978) 2f) John Miguel Guilherme Aloísio Maria José Rafael Gabriel Francisco de Assis Carlos Henrique António Sebastião Huberto de Braganza (Pippingford, Sussex 7 Sep 1912-West Palm Beach, Florida 12 Mar 1991); m.1st New York 21 May 1948 (div 1953) Winifred Dodge Seyburn (Detroit 1 Apr 1917-Philadelphia 1 Nov 2010); m.2d 15 May 1971 Katherine King (28 Mar 1921-16 Sep 2007) 1g) Michael William de Braganza (b.Long Island 25 Sep 1951); m.Boston, Mass.

27 Sep 1980 Barbara Haliburton Fales (b.Miami 1955) 1h) Miguel Samuel de Braganza (b.Boston 3 Feb 1986) 2h) Annabel Barbara de Braganza (b.Boston 6 May 1989) 3h) Camilla Fales de Braganza (b.Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts 21 Oct 1990) 3f) Michael Luís Guilherme Maria de Braganza (Berlin 7 Sep 1915-West Palm Beach 19 Feb 1996); m.Miami 18 Nov 1946 Anne Hughson (b.Roanoke, Virginia 16 Nov 1921) 1g) Anita de Braganza (b.Stamford, Connecticut 24 Oct 1947); m.1st Bedford, New York 28 Mar 1968 George Alfred Wardman (b.New York 30 Jan 1946); m.2d 17 Sep 1982 John Jason Stockbridge (b.Kingston,

 New York 28 Feb 1943) 2g) Michael de Braganza (b.Stamford 5 Oct 1953) 2e) Francisco José Gerardo Maria (Meran 7 Sep 1879-Isle of Ischia, nr Naples 15 Jun 1919) 3e) Maria Teresa Carolina Micaela Ana Josefina Antónia Francisca de Assis e de Paula Brígida Pia Gerardina Severina Inácia Luisa Estanislau Joana Policarpa (Ödenburg 26 Jan 1881-Steinach 17 Jan 1945); m.Regensburg 22 May 1900 Karl Ludwig Pr von Thurn und Taxis (Augsburg 19 Oct 1863-Vienna 15 Jan 1942) 4e) Isabel Maria Alberta Josefa Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Francisca de Paula e de Assis Teresa Adelaide Eulália Sofia Carolina (Kleinheubach 19 Nov 1894-Regensburg 12 Jan 1970); m.B

ronnbach 23 Nov 1920 Franz Joseph Fst von Thurn und Taxis (Regensburg 21 Dec 1893-Regensburg 13 Jul 1971) 5e) Maria Benedita Clara Sofia Aloísia Micaela Gabriela Rafaela (Kleinheubach 12 Aug 1896-Seebenstein 6 Apr 1971) 6e) Mafalda Maria Aldegundes Henriqueta (Schloß Ankenstein 14 Oct 1898-Vienna 17 Oct 1918) 7e) Maria Ana Rafaela Micaela Gabriela Lourença (Schloß Fischhorn 3 Sep 1899-Feldafing 23 Jun 1971); m.Schloß Taxis 18 Aug 1921 Karl August Fst von Thurn und Taxis (Garatshausen 23 Jul 1898-Regensburg 26 Apr 1982) 8e) Maria Antónia Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Adelaide Xavier Jose

fa Expedita Gregória (Viareggio 12 Mar 1903-Watermill, Long Island 6 Feb 1973); m.Seebenstein 13 Jun 1934 (annulled 1954) Ashley Chanler (New York 16 Nov 1905-New York 14 Nov 1994) 9e) Filippa Maria Ana Joana Micaela Rafaela (Schloß Fischhorn 27 Jul 1905-Ferragudo, Portugal 6 Jul 1990) 10e) DUARTE Nuño Fernando Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael Francisco Xavier Raimundo António, Duque de Bragança (Seebenstein 23 Sep 1907-Lisbon 24 Dec 1976); m.Petrópolis 15 Oct 1942 Maria Francisca Pss of Orleans-Bragança (Château d'Eu 8 Sep 1914-Lisbon 15 Jan 1968) 1f) DUARTE Pio Nuño João Miguel Henrique

 Pedro Gabriel Rafael, Duque de Bragança (b.Bern 15 May 1945); m.13 May 1995 Isabel Ines de Castro Curvello de Heredia (b.22 Nov 1966) 1g) Afonso de Santa Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael, Pr de Beira (b.Lisbon 25 Mar 1996) 2g) Maria Francisca Isabel Michaela Gabriella Raphaela Paula (b.3 Mar 1997) 3g) Dinis de Santa Maria Miguel Rafael Gabriel Francisco João, Duque de Oporto (b.25 Nov 1999) 2f) Miguel Rafael Gabriel Xavier Teresa Maria Felix, Duque de Viseu (b.Bern 3 Dec 1946) 3f) Henrique Nuño João Miguel, Duque de Coimbra (b.Bern 6 Nov 1949) 11e) Maria Adelaide Manoela Amélia Micaela Rafaela (b.St.Jean de Luz 31 Jan 1912); m.Vienna 13 Oct 1945

 Nicolaas van Uden (Venlo, Netherlands 5 Mar 1921-Lisbon 5 Feb 1991) 3d) Maria Teresa de Imaculada Conceição Fernanda Eulália Leopoldina Adelaide Isabel Carolina Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Francisca de Assis e de Paula Gonzaga Inès Sofie Bartolomea dos Anjos (Kleinheubach 24 Aug 1855-Vienna 12 Feb 1944); m.Kleinheubach 23 Jul 1873 Karl Ludwig, Archduke of Austria (Schönbrunn 30 Jul 1833-Vienna 19 May 1896) 4d) Maria José Beatriz Joana Eulália Leopoldina Adelaide Isabel Carolina Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Francisca de Assis e de Paula Inès Sofia Joaquina Teresa Benedita Bernardina (Bronnbach 19 Mar 1857-Vienna 11 Mar 1943); m.Kleinheubach 29 Apr 1874 Karl Theodor, Duke

 in Bavaria (Possenhofen 9 Aug 1839-Kreuth 29 Nov 1909) 5d) Adelgundes de Jesus Maria Francisca de Assis e de Paula Adelaide Eulália Leopoldina Carlota Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Gonzaga Inès Isabel Avelina Ana Estanislau Sofia Bernardina, Duquesa de Guimarães (Bronnbach 10 Nov 1858-Gunten 15 Apr 1946); m.Salzburg 15 Oct 1876 Enrico Pr of Bourbon-Parma, Cte di Bardi (Parma 12 Feb 1851-Menton 14 Apr 1905) 6d) Maria Ana do Carmo Henrique Adelaide Joana Carolina Inès Sofia Eulália Leopoldina Isabel Francisca de Assis e de Paula Inácia Gonzaga (Bronnbach 13 Jul 1861-New York 31 Jul 1942); m.Schloß Fischhorn 21 Jun 1893 Guillaume IV, Grand

 Duke of Luxembourg (Biebrich 2 Apr 1852-Colmar-Berg 25 Feb 1912) 7d) Maria Antónia Adelaide Camila Carolina Eulália Leopoldina Sofia Inès Francisca de Assis e de Paula Micaela Rafaela Gabriela Gonzaga Gregória Bernardina Benedita Andrea (Bronnbach 28 Nov 1862-Schloß Colmar-Berg 14 May 1959); m.Schloß Fischhorn 15 Oct 1884 Roberto, Duke of Parma (Florence 9 Jul 1848-Pianore 16 Nov 1907) 8d) [illegitimate] Maria da Assunçao de Bragança (12 Mar 1831-Rome Jul 1897) 8c) Maria da Assunção Ana Joana Josefa Luisa Gonzaga Francisca de Assis Xavier de Paula Joaquina Antónia de Santiago (Queluz 25 Jun 1805-Santarem 7 Jan 1834) 9c)

 Ana de Jesus Maria Luisa Joaquina Micaela Rafaela Sérvula Antónia Xavier de Paula (Mafra 23 Oct 1806-Rome 22 Jun 1857); m.Queluz 5 Dec 1827 Nuño Jose Severo de Mendoça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Duque de Loulé (Lisbon 6 Nov 1804-Lisbon 22 May 1875) 10c) [illegitimate by Eugenia de Menezes] Eugenia Maria de Menezes (Cadiz 1803-Lisbon 1863); m.Lisbon 1839 William Smith [allegedly an illegitimate son of King George IV of Great Britain] (b.1788) 4b) Maria Ana Vitória Josefa Francisca Xavier de Paula Antonieta Joana Domingas Gabriela (Queluz 15 Dec 1768-Escorial 2 Nov 1788); m.by proxy at Lisbon 12 Apr 1785 and in person at Aranjuez 2

3 May 1785 Gabriel, Infant of Spain (Naples 12 May 1752-Escorial 23 Nov 1788) 5b) Maria Clementina Francisca Xavier de Paula Ana Josefa Antónia Domingas Feliciana Joana Micaela Julia (Queluz 9 Jun 1774-Lisbon 27 Jun 1776) 6b) Maria Isabel (Queluz 12 Dec 1776-Lisbon 14 Jan 1777) 6a) Alexandre (24 Sep 1723-2 Aug 1728) 7a) [illegitimate] Antonio de Bragança, Grand Inquisitor of Portugal (Lisbon 1 Aug 1714-Lisbon 14 Aug 1800) 8a) [illegitimate] Gasparo de Bragança, Archbishop of Braga, Primate of Spain and Portugal (Lisbon 8 Oct 1716-Braga 18 Jan 1789) 9a) [illegitimate] José

 de Bragança, Grand Inquisitor of Portugal (Lisbon 8 Sep 1720-Lisbon 31 Aug 1801) Portugal: History >> globalEDGE: Your source for Global Business Knowledge Portugal becomes a republic after King Manuel II steps down amid a revolution.

1916 Portugal fights on the Allied side in World War I. 1949 Portugal becomes a founding member of the North American Treaty Organization (NATO). 1955 Portugal joins the United Nations. 1961 India takes Portuguese Goa. 1986 Portugal joins the European Economic Community (EEC), which later is incorporated into the European Union (EU) . 2003 A massive forest fire sweeps across woodland in Portugal, causing the country an estimated loss of one billion euros. 2007 Massive demonstrations against the government's economic reforms spread across the country. 2010 The Portuguese government announces a package of austerity measure s in an attempt to reduce its budget deficit. 2011 Portugal becomes the third EU country to apply for EU financial assistance to help deal with its budget deficit. Portugal is granted a 78 billion euro bailout from the EU and International Monetary Fund. The government plans for further spending cuts in order to be able to repay the massive loan.

2012 Map of House of Braganza - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki Wikipedia article: Map showing all locations mentioned on Wikipedia article: The Most Serene House of Braganza (Sereníssima Casa de Bragança; ) was the dynasty which ruled Portugal from 1640 to 1853 or until 1910 (as House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), and the Empire of Brazil from 1822 to 1889. It is a collateral line of the House of Aviz , which ruled Portugal from 1385 until 1580. Therefore, it is also a branch of the French House of Burgundy , and of the French House of Capet . In 1853, due to the marriage of Queen Maria II to Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , the House of Braganza became the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , a branch of the German House of Wettin .

The use of the designation Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, or just Braganza-Coburg, however, is prevalent mainly in the writings of non-Portuguese historians and genealogists, or in writings that are not contemporary to the rule of the Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha monarchs in Portugal, since they still continued to style themselves as members of the House of Braganza, as opposed to Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. History Dukes Afonso , count of Barcelos , was an illegitimate son of King João I of Portugal by Inês Pires . In 1442, Afonso's nephew, King Afonso V created the Duchy of Braganza, a royal dukedom , for his uncle. The Duchy included the important town of Braganza in northeastern Portugal, which gave the house its name. It is the third-oldest dukedom in Portugal, after Viseu and Coimbra . Count Afonso was an expert intriguer, who was favored by his father King João I, his brother King Duarte I , and his nephew King Afonso V.

In 1442, King Afonso gave him the dukedom, and in 1445, when the King came of age, Duke Afonso was the wealthiest and most powerful man in the kingdom. The third Duke, Fernando II , married Isabella, granddaughter of Duarte I, thus bringing the House of Braganza into the legitimate succession to the throne. However, his power and intrigues led to the suppression of the Braganzas by King João II . In 1483, João had Fernando executed in Évora for treason. Later João seized the Braganza lands and exiled the four-year-old heir, Jaime , to Castile . João II's successor, King Manuel I was Jaime's uncle. In 1500, he recalled his nephew to Portugal, returning to him the titles and (part of) the lands of Braganza. The house was once again one of the highest and mightiest in the country. Jaime ordered the construction of a monumental palace at Vila Viçosa , which would become one of the royal palaces in the 17th century.

The sixth Duke, John I of Braganza , married Infanta Catarina of Portugal, daughter of Infant Duarte , sixth son of king Manuel I , again linking with the royal line. Their son was the courageous seventh Duke Teodósio II , who allegedly fought in the Battle of Alcacer Quibir (1578) when only ten years old. Meanwhile, the Portuguese kingdom had a succession crisis. King Sebastian I was lost in battle in Morocco in 1578. He was a childless bachelor and the crown passed to his elderly great-uncle, Cardinal Henry I , who of course was also childless. On Henry I's death in 1580, there were several claimants to the throne, all in some way weak. The Duchess of Braganza had a claim, through her father, but was denied, mostly due to her gender. Her husband had a claim descending from the third Duke. Other claimants included Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma and King Philip II of Spain . Philip was the most powerful contender, and became King Philip I of Portugal, establishing a union of crowns.

Portugal was thereafter ruled by Habsburg governors appointed by Philip and his successors. The Duke Teodosius II did not press his claim; he supported Philip II, from whom the Braganzas gained more land and titles. Kings By 1640, the wise policies of Philip II in respect of Portugal were long past. The country was overtaxed, Portuguese colonies were left unprotected, and the Habsburg king, Philip IV of Spain (III of Portugal), no longer had the trust or support of most Portuguese nobles. He was especially loathed by the powerful Portuguese guild of merchants. Portugal, like the rest of Philip's kingdoms, was on the verge of rebellion. The eighth Duke of Bragança, João II , had inherited the claim of his grandmother, Infanta Catarina, and the remoter claim through of his grandfather João I. The rebels asked him to lead their uprising. According to court historians, João II was a modest man without particular ambitions to the crown.

Legend says that his wife, Leonor of Guzman, daughter of the duke of Medina-Sidonia, 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 . After the accession of the Braganzas to the throne, the duchy was linked to the Crown. "Duke of Braganza" became the traditional title of the heir to the throne, together with or alternate to Prince of Beira , much as Prince of Wales is in the United Kingdom or Prince of Asturias in Spain . Under João's sons Afonso VI and Pedro II , the Portuguese colonial empire , part of which was lost during the Spanish occupation, was restored and expanded, bringing new wealth to Portugal. The zenith of the Braganza dynasty was reached under the long reign of João V (1706–1750), who ruled with grandeur and piety. The reign of José I , son of João V, was marked by the great earthquake , which struck Lisbon in 1755.

The political genius of his reign was the Marquis of Pombal . The end of the 18th century was characterized by stability, under the rule of Maria I (1777–1816), who discharged Pombal at her accession. Unfortunately Maria became psychologically unstable, displaying similar symptoms to George III of the United Kingdom in his later years. In 1807 the Braganzas fled to Brazil , Portugal's largest colony, as the mother country was involved in the Napoleonic Wars . Some time after their arrival, the status of this country was changed by a royal decree, from a Portuguese colony into the capital of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarve . In 1821, João VI , who succeeded in 1816, returned to Portugal. He demoted Brazil to a colony again, sparking rebellion there. His eldest son Pedro I , who was regent in Brazil, sided with the rebels. He proclaimed himself Emperor of Brazil as an independent country. Manuel II of Portugal, the last king of Portugal.

Pedro ruled Brazil until 1831, when he abdicated in favor of his young son Pedro II , and went off to Portugal to aid his daughter (see below). Pedro II ruled until 1889, when the Brazilian monarchy was toppled by angry landed aristocrats disagreeing with the abolition of slavery. In Portugal, Pedro I of Brazil became King as Pedro IV (1826), but no one wanted to re-establish the union of Portugal and Brazil. Pedro abdicated the Portuguese throne in favor of his daughter Maria II da Gloria , then seven years old. Pedro's brother Miguel was to act as Regent, and marry Maria when she came of age. Miguel instead proclaimed himself king and repudiated the liberal constitution granted by João VI. Maria was forced into exile. Her father Pedro returned from Brazil, and from the Azores waged a successful campaign against Miguel, who was defeated and exiled in 1834. She married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha . Maria II was succeeded in 1853 by her son Pedro V , a hard-working reformer who died prematurely young in 1861 due to cholera.

Pedro V was succeeded by his brother Luis , a dedicated scientist. Luis was succeeded in 1889 by his son Carlos I . Carlos was assassinated in 1908 together with his eldest son , Luis Filipe by republicans. His younger son, Manuel II , survived the attack on his father and elder brother, but was toppled in the 1910 republican revolution . Manuel was forced to go into exile by the Portuguese First Republic . Pretenders After the revolution of 1910, King Manuel II settled in England until his death in 1932. He was childless, and there were descendants of Miguel, the usurper of 1826, who claimed the throne. In 1920–22, the two branches of theHouse of Braganza negotiated a pact under which Manuel named as heir Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza , grandson of Miguel. Duarte Nuno remained the Braganza pretender until his death in 1976. In 1942, he married a great-granddaughter of Pedro II of Brazil, uniting the two lines of the House.

In 1950, Portugal repealed the law of exile against the Braganzas, and Duarte Nuno moved to the country in 1952. Duarte Nuno was succeeded as pretender by his son, Duarte Pio (born 1945). Duarte Pio served in the Portuguese Army, and took the customary oath of allegiance to the Republic, but is still recognized as the pretender to the Portuguese throne by Portuguese monarchists. In 1995, he married Isabel de Herédia , a Portuguese businesswoman. He has been active in support of the independence of East Timor from Indonesia . Maria Pia de Saxe-Coburgo e Bragança , who claimed she was an illegitimate daughter of Carlos I, started claiming she was the heir to the throne from 1957. Footnotes There is some controversy regarding the ancestry of Inês Pires (born in Borba , circa 1350).

She was the daughther of Pedro Esteves (for that she is sometimes called Inês Pires Esteves) and Maria Anes ("Grande Enciclopédia Portuguesa e Brasileira", Editorial Enciclopédia, Lisboa, vol. 4, pp. 172; António Caetano de Sousa, "História Genealógica da Casa Real Portuguesa", Atlântida Ed., Coimbra, 1946, vol. 2, pp. 25). Some historians and genealogist claim that her father was a converso - a Jew converted to Catholicism (Augusto Soares d' Azevedo Barbosa de Pinho Leal, "Portugal Antigo e Moderno", Cota d' Armas, Lisboa, 1990; Isabel Violante Pereira, "De Mendo da Guarda a D.

Manuel I", Livros Horizonte, Lisboa, 2001), while the majority of sources give her a long and attested Christian ancestry (Felgueiras Gayo, "Nobiliário das Famílias de Portugal", Carvalhos de Basto, Braga, 1989), going back to Ferdinand I of León and Castile and Charlemagne ( Ancestry of Inês Pires at Genea ). List of Braganza sovereigns House of Braganza - 必应 Sign in House of Braganza The House of Braganza (Portuguese: Casa de Bragança; Portuguese pronunciation: [bɾɐˈɣɐ̃sɐ]), officially the Most Serene House of Braganza (Portuguese: Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), is an important imperial, royal, and noble house of Portuguese origin, a branch of the House of Aviz, and thus a descendant house of the Portuguese House of Burgundy.

The House evolved from being powerful dukes of Portuguese nobility, to ruling as the monarchs of Portugal and the Algarves, from 1640 to 1910, and as monarchs of Brazil, from 1815 ... (展开) to 1889. The House of Braganza was founded in 1442, when Afonso, 8th Count of Barcelos, illegitimate son of King João I of Portugal, of the House of Aviz, was made Duke of Braganza, as Duke Afonso I of Braganza, by his nephew, King Afonso V. The feudal Brigantine dukes quickly amassed a fortune in properties, titles, and power and by the time of Duke Fernando II, the House was the most powerful in all of Portugal and of the greatest houses of Iberia. The House of Braganza became the reigning house of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves in 1640, when João II, Duke of Braganza, was acclaimed King João IV by the Portuguese nobility and subsequently waged the Portuguese Restoration War.

The House of Braganza was only recognized as the legitimate ruling house of Portugal by the House of Habsburg during the reign of King Afonso VI, though effective and official control of the kingdom was seized and established in the 1640s. The Braganzas were deposed from the Portuguese throne in 1910, when the Portuguese Republic was proclaimed. The House of Braganza became the reigning house of Brazil, first, when the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves was created in 1815. The United Kingdom lasted until 1822, when the Brazilian Empire became independent from Portugal. The new Brazilian nation was led by Prince Pedro of Braganza, heir to the Portuguese throne, who ruled as Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, as well as King Pedro IV of Portugal. Until 1835, the Portuguese Braganzas were still in the line of succession to the Brazilian throne. The House was deposed from the Brazilian throne in 1889 when Brazil was proclaimed a republic.

In 1834, with the end of the Liberal Wars, won by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil and Queen Maria II of Portugal against King Miguel I of Portugal, the House of Braganza was split into three branches. The first branch was the Legitimist House of Braganza, headed by Queen Maria II of Portugal, daughter of King Pedro IV, and her descendants, who ruled the Kingdom of Portugal. The second branch was the Brazilian House of Braganza, headed by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, and his descendants, who ruled the Brazilian Empire. The third branch was the Miguelist House of Braganza, headed by King Miguel I of Portugal, and his descendants, who claimed the Portuguese throne after King Manuel II's death, in 1932. In 1835, Queen Maria II of Portugal married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, later King Fernando II of Portugal.

Despite the tradition of following the custom of patrilineal descent of royal houses, common throughout Europe, the children of the marriage between Queen Maria II and King Fernando II were members of the House of Braganza and ruled Portugal as Brigantine monarchs, not as Saxe-Coburg-Gotha monarchs. Some foreign genealogists have classified the descendants of Queen Maria II and Fernando II into a separate house, usually named the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha however, the Portuguese constitution of 1838 clearly states that "the Most Serene House of Braganza is the reigning house of Portugal and continues through the Person of the Lady Queen Maria II". After the proclamation of the republic in Brazil, the House continued to be the claimant house to the Brazilian throne until 1921, when Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, daughter of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, died and her claim passed to her son, Prince Pedro Henrique of Orléans-Braganza, and thus the House of Orléans-Braganza became the claimant house to the former monarchy of Brazil.

The renunciation of dynastic rights, by Princess Isabel's eldest son, Pedro de Alcântara, Prince of Grão-Pará, later led to a dispute between the members of the Imperial House, and thus the leadership of the House of Orléans-Braganza is disputed by two branches of the House: the Vassouras branch, headed by Prince Luís Gastão of Orléans-Braganza, and the Petrópolis branch, headed by Prince Pedro Carlos of Orléans-Braganza. When the Portuguese Republic was established, in 1910, King Manuel II and the rest of the Legitimist Braganzas went into exile. In 1932, when King Manuel II died, the Legitimist House went extinct and the claim to the Portuguese throne passed to the descendants of King Miguel I, the Migueslist Braganzas, by way of Prince Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza.

The claim to the crown of Portugal, and thus to the leadership of the House of Braganza, passed to Prince Duarte Nuno's son, Prince Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, when he died in 1976. Most Serene House of Braganza Sereníssima Casa de Bragança; Country: Kingdom of Portugal Empire of Brazil: Parent house: Portuguese House of Burgundy Portugal royal says monarchy still tops republic | Reuters Mon Jul 9, 2007 | 7:17 AM EDT Portugal royal says monarchy still tops republic By Henrique Almeida | LISBON, July 9 LISBON, July 9 (Reuters Life!) - Dom Duarte, the Duke of Braganza and a relic of the Portuguese aristocracy, may not enjoy the riches or influence of the former kings of Portugal, but he'd be happy to take the throne if it was on offer. Although Portugal has been a republic since 1910, Duarte told Reuters he'd like to see a referendum on whether the constitution can be changed to bring back the monarchy and allow him to regain the family throne.

"If it ever became possible it would not be a choice but my obligation to do it," the 62-year old former air force pilot said as he glanced around at the portraits of his ancestors which cover the walls of his small office in Lisbon. "Kings are always better heads of state than presidents," he told Reuters in an interview. "We rule for life and don't represent particular interest groups." Portugal's constitution forbids changes to its republican way of government and according to the latest available poll, only 15.6 percent of Portuguese would be willing to change their form of government to a monarchy anyway. The poll, published in daily Correio da Manha in 2004, said 68.6 percent of Portuguese prefer a republican government. However, Duarte remains adamant that he could do a better job than a president, if only he was given the chance. "Our influence as kings is evident. People normally don't know who the president of Italy is but everyone knows the name of the princes of Monaco and Lichtenstein, two of Europe's smallest nations," he said.

Duarte, who lives in a mansion surrounded by the castles of former Portuguese kings in the hills of Sintra near Lisbon, is the head of the Royal House of Braganza, which ruled Portugal from 1640 to 1910. He is the closest male relative to Dom Manuel II, the last king of Portugal, but his family lineage can be traced back to the illegitimate son of King Dom Joao I - a direct descendant of the first king of Portugal - and to a king of France. His family was forced to flee the country after the Republican Revolution in 1910 and later lost most of their land and belongings under Antonio Salazar's dictatorship years. In 1950 the Braganzas were finally allowed to return to Portuguese soil without the right to lay claim to any of their lost lands or properties. Today, Duarte is officially recognized by the government as the representative of the Portuguese monarchy, but has little political influence in the small Iberian country. Abroad, Duarte is often given the royal treatment and is admired for a campaign that helped pave the way for the independence of East Timor, a former Portuguese colony that was occupied by Indonesia in 1975.

He says he leads a comfortable life, but must watch his spending. A far cry from the lavish days of the monarchy. "I travel economy when I fly , but I take first class on the train because I like to travel peacefully and do some work." He also said the republican style of government holds Portugal back from its potential as other EU countries, many with royal heads of state, surge ahead. "Today we are part of a moving train that travels forward while we slip towards the last carriages," Duarte said. The one small monarchist political party in Portugal does not support Duarte, nor does he support the party. But his desire to become head of state isn't likely to outstrip his fundamental antipathy towards republicanism. He said that former U.S. President Ronald Reagan suggested some years ago that he run for president, but he declined. "I don't think people would take me seriously If I ran for president because I have always been a critic of this type of political regime." ADVERTISEMENT

Question: The House of Braganza ruled which country from 1640 to 1910?
Answer: PORTUGAL