Dom José, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza (; 20 August 1761 – 11 September 1788) was the

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to the

Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal ( la, Regnum Portugalliae, pt, Reino de Portugal) was a monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also kn ...

until his death in 1788, as the eldest child of Queen Dona Maria I of Portugal and King Dom Pedro III of Portugal, members of the House of Braganza. José died of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

at the age of 27, causing his younger and ill-prepared brother, Infante João, to become heir-apparent, Prince Regent to their mentally ill mother and eventually King. João's regency and reign would be a turbulent one, seeing the Napoleonic invasion of Portugal and the loss of the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the ...

's largest and wealthiest colony,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Early life

José was born at the ''Real Barraca'' where the Palace of

Ajuda Ajuda () is a ''freguesia'' (civil parish) and district of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Ajuda is located in western Lisbon, northeast of Belém and west of Alcântara. The population in 2011 was 15,617.Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...

stands today. He was named after his grandfather who was the ruling King of Portugal at the time of his birth. His grandfather created him Prince of Beira, this being the first time when the title was given to a male. At the time of his birth, his parents were the Prince and Princess of Brazil, his mother the

Heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

of the king.

Marriage

On 21 February 1777, when he was 15 years old, he married his 30-year-old aunt the

Infanta Benedita of Portugal Maria Benedita of Braganza (''Maria Francisca Benedita Ana Isabel Antónia Lourença Inácia Teresa Gertrudes Rita Rosa''; 25 July 1746 – 18 August 1829) was a Portuguese ''infanta'' and the youngest daughter of King Joseph I of Portugal and ...

. Benedita was an attractive woman and the main candidate for the wife of José. The marriage was the express wish of the dying king, Dom José. They had no children, however she miscarried twice: in 1781 and in 1786. Three days after their wedding, José's grandfather and Benedita's father the old King José died, and his mother succeeded as queen regnant. Infante José became the new crown prince, being accorded the titles Prince of Brazil and 14th Duke of Braganza.

Death and legacy

José died at the age of 27 of

. Upon José's death, his younger brother Infante John became heir-apparent to the throne and thus the new Prince of Brazil. José died on the Ajuda Royal Complex in Lisbon. His mother and wife were very badly affected by his death. His wife would be known as the "Dowager Princess of Brazil" till her death in 1829. José is buried in the

Pantheon of the House of Braganza The Pantheon of the House of Braganza (Portuguese: ''Panteão da Casa de Bragança''), also known as the Pantheon of the Braganzas (''Panteão dos Bragança''), is the final resting place for many of the members of the House of Braganza, located ...

in Lisbon, the resting place for most of the members of the House of Braganza.

Honours

: Grand Commander of the Three Military Orders of

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

, Aviz and St. James * : Knight of the Golden Fleece, ''10 May 1785''

Ancestors

Endnotes

Footnotes

References

*
(Portuguese) A Prince that was almost a King

Carlota Joaquina, Queen of Portugal

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jose, Prince Of Brazil 1761 births 1788 deaths Deaths from smallpox Heirs apparent who never acceded Infectious disease deaths in Portugal 18th-century Portuguese people Burials at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora House of Braganza Princes of Brazil Dukes of Braganza Princes of Beira Dukes of Barcelos Portuguese infantes People from Lisbon 3 3 3 Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain Sons of kings