D. Domingos António de Sousa Coutinho, 1st Marquis of Funchal (20 February 1762 – 1 December 1833) was a Portuguese diplomat and author of several works on politics and diplomacy. He read Law in the University of Coimbra shortly after the Pombaline Reform, where he earned his degree in 1781. At first his family considered an ecclesiastical career for him, but he instead joined the diplomatic service, filling the posts of envoy in Denmark (1790-1795), Portuguese representative in Turin (1796-1803), ambassador in London (1803-1814) and in Rome (1814-1828). His period as ambassador to the

Court of St James's The Court of St James's is the royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. All ambassadors to the United Kingdom are formally received by the court. All ambassadors from the United Kingdom are formally accredited from the court – & ...

coincided with the height of international conflict during the Napoleonic Wars. He was intensely involved in secret diplomatic negotiations at this time as Portugal openly sided with Britain and refused to join the Continental System; Sousa Coutinho was of significant importance in arranging the details of the transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil with British Foreign Secretary

George Canning George Canning (11 April 17708 August 1827) was a British Tory statesman. He held various senior cabinet positions under numerous prime ministers, including two important terms as Foreign Secretary, finally becoming Prime Minister of the Unit ...

, thus guaranteeing British military protection to the Royal Family. D. Domingos de Sousa Coutinho was born in 1762 to diplomat and colonial administrator D. Francisco Inocêncio de Sousa Coutinho (1726–1780), the son of a second-born of the 10th

Count of Redondo Count of Redondo (Portuguese: ''Conde de Redondo'') was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, in 1481, by King Manuel I of Portugal, and granted to D. Vasco Coutinho, the son of Fernando Coutinho, Marshall of Portugal. List ...

, and his wife D. Ana Luísa Joaquina Teixeira de Andrade e Meneses (1731–1778); D. Domingos was the sixth of eight siblings: Mariana (born 1752), Luísa Margarida (born 1753), Rodrigo (1755–1812), José António (1757–1817), Fernando (born 1760; died young), Domingos himself (1762–1833), Maria Balbina (1763–1831), and Francisco Maurício (1764–1823). He was baptised on 27 February 1762; his godparents were the

Count of Oeiras Count of Oeiras () was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated July 15, 1759, by King Joseph I of Portugal, and granted to Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, head of the Portuguese government. Later, through another roya ...

(who would later become more commonly known by the title of Marquis of Pombal) and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, both represented by proxy. He was graced with the title of Count of Funchal on 17 December 1808; shortly before his death, in June 1833, he was made Marquis of Funchal.

Distinctions

National orders

Knight of the Order of Christ (7 October 1788)

References

1762 births 1833 deaths 18th-century Portuguese people 19th-century Portuguese people Counts of Portugal Margraves of Portugal Portuguese diplomats University of Coimbra alumni Knights of the Order of Christ (Portugal) {{Portugal-diplomat-stub