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The title of Duke of
Guarda (in Portuguese, ''Duque da Guarda'') was granted by a royal decree dated from October 5, 1530, by
King John III to his younger brother,
Infante Ferdinand.
Some authors say the
Infante was also made Duke of
Trancoso (in Portuguese, ''Duque de Trancoso'') at the same date (according to ''Arquivo do Conselho Nobiliárquico de Portugal'', Vol I, 78).
However, the majority of historians maintain that the Dukedom of Trancoso did not exist, and that the confusion comes from the fact that Infante Ferdinand (''Fernando'', in Portuguese) was also Lord of
Trancoso.
Finally, others say he was Duke of Guarda and Trancoso (a joint dukedom).
Whatever the truth of this, it is certain that
Infante Ferdinand was the sole bearer of the title of Duke of Guarda.
According to the will of his father,
King Manuel I
Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), 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 ...
, Infante Ferdinand was intended to marry the rich and prestigious heiress ''Dona'' Guiomar Coutinho, 5th
Countess of Marialva and 3rd
Countess of Loulé.
But when the Infante's marriage was announced, the
Marquis of Torres Novas (who later became the 1st
Duke of Aveiro) declared that he had already secretly married the rich heiress. The scandal in the
Court
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...
ended when
King John III ordered the imprisonment of the marquis for several years, allowing the celebration of the Infante Ferdinand's marriage.
The marriage was short but apparently happy: the couple had two children (a boy and a girl), who died at a very young age, before their parents.
List of the Dukes of Guarda
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Infante Fernando, Duke of Guarda (1507–1534),
King Manuel I
Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), 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 ...
's third son from his second marriage.
See also
*
Count of Marialva
The Count of Marialva ( pt, Conde de Marialva) was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, issued in 1440, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to Vasco Fernandes Coutinho (from a family descendency dating to the old Portugue ...
*
Count of Loulé
Count of Loulé (in Portuguese ''Conde de Loulé'') was a Portuguese title of nobility granted to Henrique de Menezes by royal decree issued on November 12, 1471, by King Afonso V of Portugal.
Henrique de Menezes was the son of Duarte de Mene ...
*
List of Portuguese Dukedoms
External links
Genealogy of the Duke of Guarda
Bibliography
”Nobreza de Portugal e do Brasil” – Vol. I, page 385. Published by Zairol Lda., Lisbon 1989.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guarda
Dukedoms of Portugal
Guarda
1530 establishments in Portugal