Afonso, Prince of Beira

Dom Afonso de Santa Maria, Prince of Beira (born 25 March 1996) is a Portuguese prince and eldest son of Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, Head of the Portuguese Royal Family. As heir to his father, Afonso is styled as Prince of Beira and Duke of Barcelos and is first in the line of succession to the defunct Portuguese throne.

Prince Afonso
Prince of Beira (more...)
Born (1996-03-25) 25 March 1996
Lisbon, Portugal
Full name
Afonso de Santa Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael
HouseBraganza
FatherDuarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
MotherIsabel, Duchess of Braganza
ReligionRoman Catholic

Early life

Afonso de Santa Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael was born in Lisbon, the eldest child of Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, and Dª. Isabel Inês Castro Curvello de Herédia.[1] His full name ends with Miguel Gabriel Rafael, a naming tradition of the House of Braganza that honors the three archangels in the Catholic Church.

On 1 June 1996, in the Cathedral of Braga, Afonso was baptised by Eurico Dias Nogueira, Archbishop of Braga, Primate of all the Spains.

His godparents are Princess Helene of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and his maternal uncle, Afonso Miguel de Herédia.[2]

Immediately after his baptism at the Sé Cathedral of Braga, the young prince was consecrated in nearby Guimarães to Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, (Our Lady of the Olive Tree), where his ancestor John I (founder of the House of Aviz), along with his illegitimate son Afonso, Duke of Braganza (founder of the House of Braganza), had been to thank her for his victory at the battle of Aljubarrota, in 1385, against his niece Queen Beatrice of Portugal and her husband John I of Castile.

Education

Afonso's education included has included St. Julian's School on the Portuguese Riviera, Colégio Planalto in Lisbon, and The Oratory School, a Catholic Public School in England.

He is currently studying Political Science and International Relations at the Catholic University of Portugal at the Institute for Political Studies in Lisbon.

Succession

Afonso is first in the line of succession to the Portuguese Crown, as heir to his father, the Duke of Braganza.

Public role

In August 2018 Afonso joined[3] as an intern in the Social and Pre-Hospitalar Emergency Department, the Voluntary Fire Brigade of Lisbon, following in the foot steps of Afonso, Duke of Porto, who was Honorary Commander of the same brigade. The decision to join the fire brigade came after discussing Portugal's summer fires with his family and friends.

In recognition of his family's connections to Timor, Afonso was made an honorary Liurai in September 2014,[4] when he and his family visited the country to attend the second Senate session of the Liurais Association, which represents the descendants of the island's tribal kings.

Honours
Foreign
Dynastic

Ancestry

References
  1. "L'infant du Portugal est né", Point de Vue (3 au 10 avril, 1996): 9.
  2. "Le Portugal baptise l'héritier de la couronne", Point de Vue (5 au 11 juin, 1996): 12–15.
  3. Ferreira, Marta Leite. "D. Afonso de Bragança está a estagiar num quartel, mas para já não pode combater fogos". Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  4. "Afonso, filho dos duques de Bragança, investido 'liurai' numa visita a Timor". Caras. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  5. "ORDEM DE MALTA: Dom Duarte de Bragança consagra filho Dom Afonso a Nossa Senhora da Lapa". ORDEM DE MALTA. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  6. Menezes, Maria. "Família Real Portuguesa: DEZANOVE ANOS DE CASAMENTO DOS DUQUES DE BRAGANÇA". Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  7. Constantinian
Afonso, Prince of Beira
Cadet branch of the House of Aviz
Born: 25 March 1996
Titles in pretence
Preceded by
Duarte Pio		 Prince of Beira
Duke of Barcelos
25 March 1996		 Incumbent
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