Descendants of Manuel I of Portugal
The Descendants of Manuel I of Portugal, of the House of Aviz, left a lasting mark on Portuguese history and royalty, and European history and royalty as a whole. Manuel married three times, each time providing children. He first married Isabel of Aragon and Castille, followed by Maria of Aragon and Castille and lastly Eleanor of Austria.
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His descendants can be found in both reigning and non-reigning royal families all over Europe.
This article deals with the children of Manuel I and in turn their senior heirs.
Background on Manuel I
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Manuel, born on 31 May 1469 at the Royal Palace at Alcochete, was the second son of Duke Ferdinand I of Viseu and Beja and Infanta Beatriz of Reguengos.
Throne of Portugal
During Manuel's youth, his cousin John II of Portugal was King. John II went through a large process trying to eliminate the powers and wealth of the Portuguese nobility, of which Manuel was a prominent part of. John II had both Duke Diogo I of Viseu and Beja and Duke Fernando II of Braganza put on trial and executed. After Diogo's death, the Dukedoms of Viseu and Beja passed to Manuel, causing Manuel to fear for his own being.
In 1491, Afonso, Prince of Portugal was killed in a horse riding accident. John II only had one other child, Jorge, Duke of Coimbra, but he was illegitimate. After countless failed efforts by John II to legitimize Jorge, he finally sent a royal order to Manuel in 1493.
Once Manuel heard a royal order was on its way to him, he initially thought it to be a summons for a trial, and likely execution, and Manuel worried. However, when the order reached Manuel, he was greatly relieved as the order made Manuel the heir to John II's throne.
John II died on 25 October 1495 and Manuel became monarch of Portugal. During his reign, Manuel expanded the Portuguese Empire, making it the most formidable power in all of Europe at the time.
From his countless riches from India, after Vasco da Gama discovered the maritime passage to there, Manuel created the most luxurious court in all Europe and founded countless architectonic wonders throughout Portugal in the Manueline style, named for the king. It is this wealth, power, and prestige that made Manuel's children prime candidates for royal marriages throughout Europe.
After King Manuel's death, his descendants would hold a great importance to Portuguese sovereignty and European history. Almost all of Manuel's descendants would become crucial beings in the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580, the Iberian Union, and later the Portuguese Restoration War, as all the claims to the Portuguese throne during these events originated from descendancy from Manuel I.
Descendants by Isabel of Aragon and Castile
On 13 September 1497, Manuel I married Isabel of Aragon and Castile, Princess of Asturias. The couple had 1 child:
Miguel, Prince of Asturias and Portugal
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miguel da Paz, Prince of Asturias and Portugal 1498–1500 | .png.webp) | 23 August 1498 Zaragoza son of Manuel I and Isabella of Aragon and Castile | never married | 19 July 1500 Granada aged 1 |
Descendants by Maria of Aragon and Castile
On 30 October 1501, Manuel I married Maria of Aragon and Castile. The couple had 8 children:
John III of Portugal
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John III of Portugal 1502–1557 |  | 7 June 1502 São Jorge Castle son of Manuel I and Maria of Aragon and Castile | Catherine of Austria 10 February 1525 7 children | 14 February 1557 Ribeira Palace aged 55 |
| Afonso, Prince of Portugal 1526 | | 24 February 1526 Lisbon son of John III and Catherine of Austria | never married | 12 April 1526 Lisbon aged 2 months |
| João Manuel, Prince of Portugal 1537–1554 | _-_Anthonis_Mor.png.webp) | 3 June 1537 Lisbon son of John III and Catherine of Austria | Joanna of Austria 11 January 1552, 1 child | 2 January 1554 Lisbon aged 16 |
| Sebastian I of Portugal 1554–1578 |  | 20 January 1554 Ribeira Palace son of João Manuel, Prince of Portugal and Joanna of Austria | never married | 4 August 1578 Alcácer-Quibir aged 24 |
Infanta Isabel of Portugal
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Infanta Beatriz of Portugal
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Infante Luís, Duke of Beja
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infante Luís, Duke of Beja 1506–1555 |  | 3 March 1506 Abrantes son of Manuel I and Maria of Aragon and Castile | Violante Gomes March 3, 1531 3 children | 27 November 1555 Lisbon aged 49 |
| António, Prior of Crato (António I of Portugal) 1531–1595 |  | 1531 Lisbon son of Infante Louis, Duke of Beja and Violante Gomes | Ana Barbosa 10 children | 26 August 1595 Paris aged 64 |
| Manuel, Prince of Portugal 1568–1638 |  | 1568 Tangiers son of António, Prior of Crato and Ana Barbosa | Countess Emilia of Nassau 17 November 1597 9 children Luisa Osorio 3 April 1630 no issue | 22 June 1638 Brussels aged 70 |
| Manuel António of Portugal 1600–1666 | .png.webp) | 11 February 1600 Delft son of Manuel, Prince of Portugal and Emilia of Nassau | Countess Johanna of Hanau-Münzenberg 11 July 1646 4 children | 27 October 1666 Schagen aged 66 |
| Isabel Maria of Portugal 1648–1717 | | 20 November 1648 Delft daughter of Manuel António of Portugal and Johanna of Hanau-Münzenberg | Baron Adrian van Gendt 11 April 1678 9 children | 15 October 1717 Vianen aged 69 |
Infante Fernando, Duke of Guarda and Trancoso
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infante Fernando, Duke of Guarda and Trancoso 1507–1534 |  | 5 June 1507 Abrantes son of Manuel I and Maria of Aragon and Castile | Guiomar, Countess of Loulé and Marialva 1530 2 children | 7 November 1534 Abrantes aged 27 |
Cardinal-Infante Afonso of Portugal
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal-Infante Afonso of Portugal 1509–1544 |  | April 23, 1509 Évora son of Manuel I and Maria of Aragon and Castile | never married | April 21, 1540 Lisbon aged 35 |
Henrique I of Portugal
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henrique I of Portugal 1512–1580 |  | 31 January 1512 Lisbon son of Manuel I and Maria of Aragon and Castile | never married | 31 January 1580 Almeirim aged 68 |
Infante Duarte I, Duke of Guimarães
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Descendants by Eleanor of Austria
On 16 July 1518, Manuel I married Eleanor of Austria. The couple had 2 children:
Infante Carlos
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infante Carlos 1520–1521 | | 18 February 1520 Lisbon son of Manuel I and Eleanor of Austria | never married | 14 April 1521 Lisbon aged 1 |
Infanta Maria, Duchess of Viseu
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infanta Maria, Duchess of Viseu 1521–1577 |  | 6 June 1521 Lisbon daughter of Manuel I and Eleanor of Austria | never married | 10 October 1577 Lisbon aged 58 |
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