Dukedoms in Portugal

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Noble Titles of Portugal
  Coronet of a Duke - Kingdom of Portugal.svg Dukedoms of Portugal
  Coronet of a Marquess - Kingdom of Portugal.svg Marquisates of Portugal
  Coronet of Count - Portugal.svg Countships of Portugal
  Coronet of a Viscount - Kingdom of Portugal.svg Viscountcies of Portugal
  Coronet of Baron - Portugal.svg Baronies of Portugal

The highest hereditary title in the Portuguese nobility. By tradition, there are a total of five royal and seven non-royal dukes in Portugal, out of 28 dukedoms that have ever been created. In the majority of cases, the title of duke was attributed to members of the high nobility, usually relatives of the Portuguese royal family, such as the second son of a monarch.

Contents

There are exceptions, like António José de Ávila, who, although not having any relation to the royal family, was given the title of duke of Ávila and Bolama.

Royal dukedoms

Hereditary royal dukedoms

Courtesy royal dukedoms

These titles were occasionally given to other infantes of the royal family, but did not automatically descend to their heirs:

Noble dukedoms

All of these dukedoms are inherited, but only some of them are titles de juro e herdade – this meant that the reigning monarch was obliged to renew the title for its rightful heir whenever a titleholder died. Only Aveiro, Lafões, Terceira, Palmela, Saldanha and Loulé were dukedoms de juro e herdade. Some of these dukes (Cadaval, Terceira and Saldanha) enjoyed Honras de Parente, i.e. certain honours (of style and/or precedence) associated with being an officially recognised relative of the king.

Non-hereditary dukedoms

These titles were traditionally granted to the Lady Chamberlain (Camareira-Mor), the highest royal court office for a woman, only during her life:

List

Coat of ArmsTitleDate of creationSurnameFirst titular
Armas duques abrantes.png Duke of Abrantes December 9, 1753Lorena Ana Maria Catarina Henriqueta de Lorena
Duque de Albuquerque.gif Duke of Albuquerque May 19, 1886Costa de Sousa de Macedo João Afonso da Costa de Sousa de Macedo
Armas duques aveiro.png Duke of Aveiro b. 1535Lencastre
Mascarenhas da Silva e Lencastre
John of Lencastre, 1st Marquis of Torres Novas
Armas duques avila.png Duke of Ávila and Bolama May 14, 1878Ávila António José de Ávila
Armas duques braganca.png Duke of Barcelos August 5, 1562Bragança John, 6th Duke of Braganza
Armas duques beja.png Duke of Beja 1453Portugal-Aviz
Bragança
Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu
Armas duques braganca.png Duke of Braganza 1442Bragança Afonso, Count of Barcelos
Armas duques cadaval.png Duke of Cadaval April 26, 1648Álvares Pereira de Melo Nuno Álvares Pereira de Melo
Armas duques vila real.png Duke of Caminha December 14, 1620Menezes Miguel Luís de Menezes
Armas infante dom pedro.png Duke of Coimbra 1415Portugal-Aviz
Lencastre
Bragança
Pedro, Prince of Portugal
Armas sousa arronches.png Duke of Faial April 4, 1833Sousa Holstein Pedro de Sousa Holstein
Armas duques ficalho.png Duke of Ficalho May 14, 1836Almeida Eugénia Maurícia Tomásia de Almeida Portugal
Armas duques albuquerque.png Duke of Goa 1515Albuquerque Afonso de Albuquerque
Armas duques guarda trancoso.png Duke of Guarda October 5, 1530Portugal-Aviz Ferdinand, Prince of Portugal
Armas duques braganca.png Duke of Guimarães 1475Bragança Fernando II, Duke of Braganza
Armas duques lafoes.png Duke of Lafões February 17, 1718Bragança
Bragança e Ligne de Sousa Tavares Mascarenhas da Silva
Pedro Henrique de Bragança
Armas duques linhares.png Duke of Linhares ?Noronha Fernando de Noronha
Armas duques loule.png Duke of Loulé October 3, 1852Mendonça Rolim de Moura Barreto Nuno José Severo de Mendonça Rolim de Moura Barreto
Armas duques lafoes.png Duke of Miranda do Corvo May 13, 1796Bragança e Ligne de Sousa Tavares Mascarenhas da Silva José Sousa Tavares Mascaranhas da Silva
Armas sousa arronches.png Duke of Palmela October 10, 1850Sousa Holstein Pedro de Sousa Holstein
Armas infante dinis braganca.png Duke of Porto 1833Bragança Maria, Princess of Portugal
(future Queen Maria II)
Armas duques saldanha.png Duke of Saldanha November 4, 1846Saldanha Oliveira e Daun João Francisco de Saldanha Oliveira e Daun
Duques tancos.png Duke of Tancos April 22, 1790Manoel Constança Manoel
Armas duques terceira.png Duke of Terceira November 8, 1832Manoel e Meneses Severim de Noronha António José de Sousa Manoel e Meneses Severim de Noronha
Armas duques aveiro.png Duke of Torres Novas September 26, 1619Lencastre George of Lencastre
Armas duques guarda trancoso.png Duke of Trancoso 1530Portugal-Aviz Ferdinand, Prince of Portugal
Armas duques vila real.png Duke of Vila Real February 28, 1585Menezes Manuel de Menezes
Armas infante dom henrique.png Duke of Viseu 1415Portugal-Aviz Henry, the Navigator, Prince of Portugal
Armas duques vitoria.png Duke of Vitória December 12, 1812Wellesley Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

See also