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.
* also an infante of Castile and León, Aragon, Sicily and Naples,§ also an infante of Spain and an archduke of Austria,# also an infante of Spain,‡ also an imperial prince of Brazil,¶ also a prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke in Saxony,◙ also a prince of Braganza,¤ title removed in 1920 as their parents' marriage was deemed undynastic,ƒ claimant infante
* also an infanta of Spain and an archduchess of Austria,** also an imperial princess of Brazil,*** also a princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duchess in Saxony,◙ Also a princess of Braganza,¤ title removed in 1920 as her parents' marriage was deemed undynastic, ƒ claimant infanta
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Manuel I, known as the Fortunate, was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, as monarch. Manuel ruled over a period of intensive expansion of the Portuguese Empire owing to the numerous Portuguese discoveries made during his reign. His sponsorship of Vasco da Gama led to the Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India in 1498, resulting in the creation of the Portuguese India Armadas, which guaranteed Portugal's monopoly on the spice trade. Manuel began the Portuguese colonization of the Americas and Portuguese India, and oversaw the establishment of a vast trade empire across Africa and Asia.
John II, called the Perfect Prince, was King of Portugal from 1481 until his death in 1495, and also for a brief time in 1477. He is known for re-establishing the power of the Portuguese monarchy, reinvigorating the Portuguese economy, and renewing his country's exploration of Africa and Asia.
Afonso, Hereditary Prince of Portugal was the heir apparent to the throne of Portugal. He was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and died in a horse-riding accident on the banks of the river Tagus.
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