Portugal had only two queens regnant: Maria I and Maria II (and, arguably, two more: Beatriz[1] for a short period of time in the 14th century; and Teresa, in the 12th century, which technically makes her the first ruler and first queen of Portugal[2]).
The other queens were queens consort, wives of the Portuguese kings. Many of them were highly influential in the country's history, either ruling as regents for their minor children or having a great influence over their spouses.
Elizabeth of Aragon, who was married to Denis, was made a saint after there were said to have been miracles performed after her death.
The husband of a Portuguese queen regnant could only be titled king after the birth of any child from that marriage. Portugal had two princes consort – Auguste de Beauharnais, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg and Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – both consorts to Maria II. The first one died leaving his wife childless, and therefore never became king. Maria II's second husband was a prince until the birth of their first child, Pedro V. At that point he became jure uxoris king. Maria I's husband, Pedro III, was king automatically after his wife's accession because the couple already had children.
↑ Although she is usually not listed as de facto queen of Portugal, Beatriz was de jure queen, acclaimed in several cities in Portugal. Her pretensions to the throne were defeated after the Battle of Aljubarrota.
↑ Amaral; Barroca, Luís Carlos; Mário Jorge. A Condessa-Rainha. Circulo de Leitores.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ According to tradition, Pedro I proclaimed Inês as his legitimate wife and queen after her death and his accession to the throne. His second wife, Constance Manuel of Castile, who died 12 years before Pedro became king, is therefore not listed. Neither is the first wife, Blanche of Castille, to whom he was married briefly as a teenager. This union was annulled.
↑ Between 1668 and 1683, Marie-Françoise was married to then Regent Infante Pedro, Duke of Beja, therefore she used the title of Duchess of Beja for a short period; she returned to the style of queen after Afonso VI's death, remaining in that position for three months until her own death in December 1683.
Afonso VI, known as "the Victorious", was the second king of Portugal of the House of Braganza from 1656 until his death. He was initially under the regency of his mother, Luisa de Guzmán, until 1662, when he removed her to a convent and took power with the help of his favourite, the Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 3rd Count of Castelo Melhor.
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but historically she does not formally share the king's political and military powers, unless on occasion acting as regent.
A prince consort is the husband of a monarch who is not a monarch in his own right. In recognition of his status, a prince consort may be given a formal title, such as prince. Most monarchies do not allow the husband of a queen regnant to be titled as a king because it is perceived as a higher title than queen, however, some monarchies use the title of king consort for the role.
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.
Beatrice was the only surviving legitimate child of King Ferdinand I of Portugal and his wife, Leonor Teles. She became Queen consort of Castile by marriage to King John I of Castile. Following her father's death without a legitimate male heir, she claimed the Portuguese throne, but lost her claim to her uncle, who became King John I of Portugal, founder of the House of Aviz.
A queen dowager or dowager queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a king. In the case of the widow of an emperor, the title of empress dowager is used. Its full meaning is clear from the two words from which it is composed: queen indicates someone who served as queen consort, while dowager indicates a woman who continues to hold the title from her deceased husband. A queen mother is a former queen consort, often a dowager queen, who is the mother of the reigning monarch.
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.
A queen regnant is a female monarch, equivalent in rank and title to a king, who reigns suo jure over a realm known as a "kingdom"; as opposed to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king; or a queen regent, who is the guardian of a child monarch and rules pro tempore in the child's stead, be it de jure in sharing power or de facto in ruling alone. She is sometimes called a woman king. A princess regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over a "principality"; an empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over an "empire".
Mariana Victoria of Spain was an Infanta of Spain by birth and was later the Queen of Portugal as wife of King Joseph I. She acted as regent of Portugal in 1776–1777, during the last months of her husband's life and as advisor to her daughter, Maria I of Portugal, in her reign.
Princess consort is an official title or an informal designation that is normally accorded to the wife of a sovereign prince. The title may be used for the wife of a king if the more usual designation of queen consort is not used.
Luisa María Francisca de Guzmán y Sandoval was Queen of Portugal as the spouse of King John IV, the first Braganza ruler. She was the mother of two kings of Portugal and a queen of England. She served as regent of Portugal de jure from 1656 until 1662, and de facto until her death in 1666.
Dona Maria Francisca Isabel of Savoy was Queen of Portugal during her marriage to King Dom Afonso VI from 2 August 1666 to 24 March 1668 and, as the wife of Afonso's brother King Dom Peter II, from 12 September 1683 until her death in December that year. She married Afonso VI at the age of 20; because the marriage was never consummated, she was able to obtain an annulment. On 28 March 1668, she married the King's brother Infante Dom Peter, Duke of Beja, who was appointed prince regent the same year due to Afonso's perceived incompetence. She became queen a second time when Afonso died and Peter succeeded his brother, but she herself died three months later.
Eleanor of Castile was Queen of Navarre by marriage to King Charles III of Navarre. She acted as regent of Navarre during the absence of her spouse in France in 1397–1398, 1403–1406 and 1409–1411.
Maria Anna of Austria was Queen of Portugal as the wife of King John V of Portugal. She served as the regent of Portugal from 1742 until 1750 during the illness of her husband. She was born an Archduchess of Austria as the daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg.
Jure uxoris describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title suo jure. Similarly, the husband of an heiress could become the legal possessor of her lands. For example, married women in England and Wales were legally incapable of owning real estate until the Married Women's Property Act 1882.
A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also used to describe a number of similar yet distinct monarchical concepts in non-European cultures around the world. The rank does not go to all mothers of monarchs though. A mother of a ruling monarch may only be referred to as Queen Mother if she was a Queen Consort as opposed to a Princess Consort.
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.
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