Life
João was born to the second surviving son of King Pedro II, the Duke of Beja, and Mariana da Silveira, a nun. The popular name "da Bemposta" comes from his assuming residence at Bemposta Palace, the seat of the House of the Infantado, of which his father was the lord of.
João was legitimized, by royal decree, by his uncle, King João V, on 26 May 1749. His uncle also issued a decree, on 19 May 1750, placing João in the order of precedence lower than the Portuguese Royal Family, but above all other nobles. He served as a counselor of state and mordomo-mor (chamberlain of the royal household) for both his uncle King João V and his cousin Queen Maria I. He also served as Captain-General of the Royal Armada, the highest-ranking official of the Portuguese Navy, during the reign of Queen Maria.
During the baptism of King João VI, he represented the baby's godfather, King Louis XV of France.
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.
Dom John V, known as the Magnanimous and the Portuguese Sun King, was King of Portugal from 9 December 1706 until his death in 1750. His reign saw the rise of Portugal and its monarchy to new levels of prosperity, wealth, and prestige among European courts.
Dona Maria I was Queen of Portugal from 24 February 1777 until her death in 1816. Known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and Maria the Mad in Brazil, she was the first undisputed queen regnant of Portugal and the first monarch of Brazil.
The Most Serene House of Braganza, also known as the Brigantine dynasty, is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas.
Prince of Beira is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the throne of Portugal. The title's original use that it be granted on the eldest daughter of the reigning monarch of Portugal. Tied with the title of Prince of Beira, is Duke of Barcelos, as heir to the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil. The title's name has its origins in the Beira province in central Portugal.
DomDuarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza was the claimant to the defunct Portuguese throne, as both the Miguelist successor of his father, Miguel Januário, Duke of Braganza, and later as the head of the only Brigantine house, after the death of the last ruling Braganza, King Manuel II of Portugal. In 1952, when the Portuguese Laws of Banishment were repealed, the Duke moved his family to Portugal, thus returning the Miguelist Braganzas to their homeland and becoming the first of the former Portuguese royal dynasty to live in Portugal since the abolition of the monarchy in 1910.
Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu and Beja was the third son of Edward, King of Portugal and his wife Eleanor of Aragon.
Jorge de Lencastre was a Portuguese prince, illegitimate son of King John II of Portugal and Ana de Mendonça, a lady-in-waiting to Joanna la Beltraneja. He was created the second Duke of Coimbra in 1509. He was also master of the Order of Santiago and administrator of the Order of Aviz from 1492 to 1550.
Infante Francisco, Duke of Beja was a Portuguese infante (prince) son of Peter II, King of Portugal, and his second wife, Maria Sofia of the Palatinate.
Infante João, Duke of Beja was a Portuguese infante (prince) and member of the House of Braganza.
Infante Augusto, Duke of Coimbra was a Portuguese infante (prince) of the House of Braganza.
The House of the Infantado was an appanage for the second eldest son of the Portuguese monarch.
Infanta Beatriz of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta, daughter of John, Constable of Portugal, and Isabella of Barcelos, a daughter of Afonso I, Duke of Braganza.
Count of Abrantes was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from June 13, 1476, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to his 4th cousin, Lopo de Almeida.
Infante Fernando of Portugal was the fourth son of Queen Maria II of Portugal and King-consort Fernando II and a member of the House of Braganza.
Marquess of Abrantes was a Portuguese title of nobility, granted by a decree issued by King John V of Portugal on 24 June 1718, to Rodrigo Anes de Sá Almeida e Menezes, 3rd Marquess of Fontes and 7th Count of Penaguião.
Maria Margarida de Lorena, Duchess of Abrantes was the daughter of Dom Rodrigo de Mello (1688–1713), second child of Nuno Álvares Pereira de Melo, 1st Duke of Cadaval and of Ana Maria Catarina Henriqueta de Lorena, 1st Duchess of Abrantes.
The Bemposta Palace, also known as the Paço da Rainha, is a neoclassical palace in the area of Bemposta, now the civil parish of Pena, in Lisbon. It was originally built for Queen Dowager Catherine of Braganza on her return from London to Lisbon and served for many years as her residence. It was then transferred to the Casa do Infantado, before becoming the residence of John VI of Portugal until his death. After Queen Maria II of Portugal transferred its title to the Army, it became the Portuguese Military Academy.
The Pantheon of the House of Braganza, also known as the Pantheon of the Braganzas, is the final resting place for many of the members of the House of Braganza, located in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in the Alfama district of Lisbon, Portugal. The pantheon's burials have included Portuguese monarchs, Brazilian monarchs, a Romanian monarch, queen consorts of Portugal, and notable Infantes of Portugal, among others.
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 Castile, followed by Maria of Aragon and Castile and lastly Eleanor of Austria.
