All the Kings of Portugal
Afonso Henriques 1143-1185
Sancho I 1185-1211
Afonso II 1211-1223
Sancho II 1223-1248
Afonso III 1248-1279
Dinis I 1279-1325
Afonso IV 1325-1357
Pedro I 1357-1367
Fernando I 1367-1383
Joao I 1385-1433
Duarte 1433-1438
Afonso V 1438-1481
Joao II 1481-1495
Manuel I 1495-1521
Joao III 1521-1557
Sebastiao 1557-1578
Henrique 1578-1580
Antonio 1580
Filipe I 1581-1598
Filipe II 1598-1621
Filipe III 1621-1640
Joao IV 1640-1656
Afonso VI 1656-1683
Pedro II 1683-1706
Joao V 1706-1750
José 1750-1777
Maria I 1777-1816
Joao VI 1816-1826
Pedro IV 1826
Maria II 1826-1853
Miguel 1828-1834
Pedro V 1853-1861
Luis I 1861-1889
Carlos 1889-1908
Manuel II 1908-1910
Afonso Henriques
King 1143-1185
- He was born on July 25, 1111. Son of Count Henrique (who had been donated
the county of Portugal in 1095 whose ducal dynasty had been abolished)
and Countess Teresa (who tookover
- her husband's county upon his death in 1111).
- He deposed his mother in the battle of São Mamede (1128) and
succeeded her as Count of Portugal.
- He was crowned King by his soldiers after the battle of Ourique (1138
or 1139) and was recognised as a vassal-king by the king of Leon (his suzerain)
in 1140.
- On October 1143 in the conference of Zamora the suzerainty was transferred
to the Pope, becoming then pratically independent.
- Although he ruled as an independent king the Pope only recognised his
title (as well as its total independence) in 1179 (until then the pope
addressed Afonso Henriques as Dux Portucalensis).
- Energetic soldier-king he was responsible for the conquering of vast
areas south of the original county, including Lisbon (1147).
- He died in Coimbra in 6.12.1185 and was succeeded by his son, Sancho I.
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Sancho I
King 1185-1211
- He was born on November 11, 1154. Son of Afonso
Henriques.
- He succeeded his father in all his qualities. He distinguished in the
colonization of the new conquered lands.
- He died in Coimbra in 26.3.1211 and was succeeded by his son, Afonso II.
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Afonso II
King 1211-1223
- He was born on April 23, 1185. Son of Sancho
I.
- He had not inherited the warrior qualities of his father and grandfather
but he was a good statesman. He interrupted the south expantion and reorganized
the Portuguese political system.
- He died in Coimbra in 25.3.1223 and was succeeded by his son Sancho II.
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Sancho II
King 1223-1248
- He was born on September 8, 1202. Son of Afonso
II.
- He conquered Alentejo. Concerning internal affairs he was weak and
indecisive. He was replaced by his younger brother Afonso III who became
regent (1247-1249) after a civil war (1245-1247) and later became king
since Sancho II had no children.
- He died in exile in Toledo, Castile (Spain) in 4.1.1248 and was succeeded
by his brother Afonso III.
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Afonso III
King 1248-1279
- He was born on May 5, 1210. Son of Afonso II,
brother of Sancho II.
- He was called from Bologna (where he was married to the local sovereign)
by the nobles to rule Portugal and upon his brother's death without offspring
he inherited the throne.
- He completed the Portuguese part of the christian Reconquest of Iberian
Peninsula by conquering the Algarve in 1149. He was the first "King
of Portugal and the Algarves".
- He died in Lisbon in 16.2.1279 and was succeeded by his son Dinis.
-
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Dinis
King 1279-1325
- He was born on October 9, 1261. Son of Afonso
III.
- He was by far the best King Portugal ever had. He incentivated culture
(founded the University of Coimbra), commerce and agriculture.
- He died in Santarém in 7.1.1325 and was succeeded by his son
Afonso IV.
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Afonso IV
King 1325-1357
- He was born on February 8, 1291. Son of Dinis.
- He was an austere though good ruler of Portugal.
- He died in Lisbon in 28.5.1357 and was succeeded by his son Pedro I.
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Pedro I
King 1357-1367
- He was born on April 18, 1320. Son of Afonso
IV.
- He was the protagonist of one of the most famous love stories ever.
While he was prince his lover Inês de Castro (or wife, as he claimed
to have had a non-religious marriage with her) was assassinated under the
orders of his father. When he became the king he ordered the exhumation
of the body of Inês de Castro and made the whole court recognize
her body as the Queen of
- Portugal. He persecuted the murderers of Inês and executed them
savagely. He reigned obcessed with justice and was harsh on those who didn't
follow the law.
- He died in Estremoz in 18.1.1367 and was succeeded by his son Fernando I.
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Fernando I
King 1367-1383
- He was born on October 31, 1345. Son of Pedro
I.
- He published important laws, rebuilt several city walls, developed
foreign trade and the navy but got involved in many wars that devastated
the country.
- He married his only daughter with the king of Castile.
- He died in Lisbon in 22.10.1383.
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Joao I
King 1385-1433
- He was born on April 11, 1357. Illegitim son of Pedro
I.
- He was elected King following an uprising. Fearing Castilian control
the people refused Beatriz (only daughter of Fernando I) as their Queen
and elected the Master of Avis (João I) as their regent and later
king.
- Following the death of Beatriz with no offspring, his legitimacy was
strenghtened.
- His reign marked the starting of the process of the Discoveries, the
apogee of the Portuguese History. He conquered Ceuta in North Africa. He
supported his son Henry's exploring adventures.
- He died in Lisbon in 14.8.1433 and was succeeded by his son Duarte.
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Duarte
King 1433-1438
- He was born on October 31, 1391. Son of João
I.
- Eloquent writer.
- He died in Tomar in 1438 and was succeeded by his son Afonso
V.
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Afonso V
King 1438-1481
- He was born on January 15, 1432. Son of Duarte.
- Following the early death of his father he was subjected to a tremendous
influence from the nobility. He focused more in wars in Northern Africa
than in the Discoveries process itself.
- He died in Sintra in 28.8.1481 and was succeeded by his son Joao II.
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Joao II
King 1481-1495
- He was born on May 3, 1455. Son of Afonso V.
- He was the opposit of his father. He contributed a lot to the Discoveries
- process and was a Machiavelic kind of king. He conquered Tanger in
North Africa. He signed a treaty with Spain settling the boarders between
the two countries's colonies.
- He died on Alvor in 25.10.1495 and was succeeded by his first cousin
Manuel I.
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Manuel I
King 1495-1521
- He was born on May 31, 1469. Grandson of Duarte.
- Since João II died without descendents, he succeeded to the
throne since he was the closest relative of João II.
- He inherited the kingdom at his apogee and wasted its money on vanities.
- He died on Lisbon in 13.12.1521 and was succeeded by his son Joao III.
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Joao III
King 1521-1557
- He was born June 6, 1502. Son of Manuel I.
- He installed the Inquisition in Portugal.
- He died on Lisbon in 11.6.1557 and was succeeded by Sebastiao.
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Sebastiao
King 1557-1578
- He was born on January 20, 1554. Grandson of Joao
III.
- His father died some months before his birth.
- He believed Portugal was the saviour of Christianity and (even against
the advice of all his counsellors) confronted a gigantic Morish army in
Alcácer-Quibir. Despite the massive losses of the enemy side, the
battle was lost and he died on the battlefield.
- Since his body was never recovered and noone testified his death, later
during the Spanish dynasty the people created a myth that's apart of the
essence of being Portuguese: the Sebastianism. According to the believers,
Sebastião would return in a day of fog in a white horse to reclaim
his
- throne.
- He died with no descendents in Alcácer-Quibir in 4.8.1578 and
was succeeded by Henrique.
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Henrique
King 1578-1580
- He was born on January 31, 1512. Son of Manuel
I.
- He inherited the kingdom very old and since he was a cardinal he couldn't
have children. He failed to resolve the succession problem.
- He died in Almeirim in 30.1.1580 adn was succeeded by Antonio.
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Antonio
King 1580
- He was born in 1531. Illegitimate son of a natural son of Manuel I.
- Ellected king by the people, he was soon crushed by the Spanish forces.
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Filipe I
King 1581-1598
- He was born on March 21, 1527. Felipe II of Spain.
- Grandson of Manuel I by his mother. He was the second-in-line after
the Duchess of Bragança (who was descendent of Manuel I in a male
line).
- During the succession crisis of 1580 he got the support of the higher
classes who were coveting the commerce in the Spanish America.
- He promised (and accomplished) to rule Spain and Portugal as two separate
kingdoms.
- He died in Escorial, Spain in 13.9.1598 and was succeeded by his son,
Filipe II.
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Filipe II
King 1598-1621
- He was born on April 14, 1578. Felipe III of Spain.
- Son of Filipe I.
- He started to disrespect the commitment of his father.
- He died in Madrid, Spain in 31.3.1621 and was succeeded by his son
Filipe III.
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Filipe III
King 1621-1640
- He was born on April 8, 1605. Felipe IV of Spain.
- Son of Filipe II.
- He fully disrepected the commitment of his grandfather. He fell under
a revolution in the 1.12.1640 that restored the rightful line.
- He died in Madrid, Spain in 17.9.1665.
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Joao IV
King 1640-1656
- He was born on March 19, 1604. He became King in 1640 after liberating
the country from Spain. Joao IV was a descendant of Afonso, Duke of Bragança,
who was an illegitimate son of Joao I. He was
also the great grandson of Catarina (granddaughter of Manuel
I; married to Teodósio, Duke of Bragança) who was the
legitimate heiress when Filipe I who was second
in line took over with the help from the nobilty.
- With him, the House of Bragança became rulers of Portugal.
- He died in Lissabon on November 6, 1656 and was succeeded by his son
Afonso VI.
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Afonso VI
King 1656-1683
- He was born on August 21, 1643. Son of João
IV.
- Due to his mental incapacity he transferred the power to his brother
Pedro II (1667), who later inherited the throne.
- He died in Sintra in 12.9.1683.
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Pedro II
1683-1706
- He was born on April 26, 1648. Son of João
IV, brother of Afonso VI.
- He took over power (1667) due to his brother's mental incapacity and
later
- inherited the throne upon his death with no offspring.
- He died in 1706 and was succeeded by his son João
V.
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Joao V
1706-1750
- He was born on October 22, 1689. Son of Pedro
II.
- Enriched by the gold from Brazil he ruled as an absolute king following
the style of Louis XIV of France. He wasted much of the gold on personal
vanity.
- He died in Lisbon in 31.7.1750 and was succeeded by his son José I.
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José I
1750-1777
- He was born on June 6, 1714. Son of João
V.
- His reign was marked by the power of the head of government: Sebastião
José de Carvalho e Melo (later Marquis of Pombal).
- He died in 1777 and was succeeded by his daughter Maria
I.
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Maria I
1777-1816
- She was born on December 17, 1734. Daughter of José
I.
- Following the French revolution she started to become mentally unstable
and was often replaced by her son (the future João VI) after 1792.
In 1799 she was definitely replaced by her son after totally losing reason.
- She was married to her uncle, who was titular King as Pedro III.
- She died in Brazil in 20.3.1816 and was succeeded by her son João VI.
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Joao VI
1816-1826
- He was born on May 13, 1767. Son of Maria I.
- He took over the reigning responsibilities from his mother in 1792
and ruled as prince-regent from 1799 until he inherited the throne.
- Following French invasions he fled to Brazil in 1808 and estabilished
the capital of the country there until his return to Portugal in 1821.
- He was a permissive king, conscient of the events of his time. His
actions avoided several blood sheds. He promoted Brazil to kingdom in 1815.
- He died in Lisbon in 10.3.1826 and was succeeded by his son Pedro IV.
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Pedro IV
1826
- He was born on October 12, 1798. Son of João
VI.
- He was the successor to the throne of Portugal and Brazil but he embraced
the national cause of Brazil and declared its independence in 1822, proclaiming
himself Emperor of Brazil.
- Following the death of João VI he rapidly abdicated towards
his daughter (Maria II) leaving later the throne
of Brazil to his only son (Pedro II of Brazil).
- He fought in the Portuguese civil war heading the liberal side to secure
his daughter's throne.
- He died in Queluz in 24.9.1834.
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Maria II
1826-1853
- She was born on April 4, 1819. Daughter of Pedro
IV.
- She was proclaimed queen in 1826 at 7 and saw her throne usurped by
her uncle and first husband in 1828.
- After having his throne restored in 1834 she had an unstable reign
withconfrontations from the right wing with the left wing.
- She married a German prince, who became titular King as Fernando II.
- She died in Lisbon in 15.11.1853.
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Miguel
1828-1834
- He was born on October 26, 1802. Son of João
VI, brother of Pedro IV.
- Head of the absolutist cause he married Maria II and was recognized
as regent during her childhood. He usurped the throne under the argument
that no foreign could be considered king of Portugal, and Pedro IV as Brazilian
was a foreign. After a civil war he fled to exile.
- He died on Bronnbach Castle, Austria in 14.11.1866.
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Pedro V
1853-1861
- He was born on September 16, 1837. Son of Maria
II and Fernando II.
- He rivals Dinis as the best king of Portugal ever. He incentivated
progress, defended human rights and was definitely a king who cared. During
a plague in Lisbon he was brave enough to visit the victims risking his
life and became popular.
- His early death by disease in Lisbon in 11.11.1861 shocked the whole
kingdom. He was succeeded by his brother Luis I.
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Luis I
1861-1889
- He was born on October 31, 1838. Son of Maria
II and Fernando II, brother of Pedro V.
- Also a human king, he tried to follow in his brother's steps.
- He died in Cascais in 19.10.1889 and was succeeded by his son Carlos
I.
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Carlos I
1889-1908
- He was born on September 28, 1863. Son of Luís
I.
- Though he was a very cultured king he was not very popular due to the
episode of the British Ultimatum in 1890, which strenghtened the Republican
cause.
- He was murdered with his elder son on their arrival to Lisbon in 1.2.1908
after a failed Republican coup and was succeeded by his second son Manuel II.
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Manuel II
1908-1910
- He was born on November 15, 1889. Son of Carlos
I.
- He was removed after a Republican coup in the 5.10.1910.
- He died in exile in Twickenham, England in 2.7.1932 without offspring,
extincting then the line of Maria II. Portugal is now a Republic but the
head of the Royal House of Portugal is Duarte Pio de Bragança, a
great grandson of Miguel.
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