Catherine, Duchess Of Braganza
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Infanta Catherine of Portugal, Duchess of Braganza by marriage (; , 18 January 1540 – 15 November 1614) was a Portuguese '' infanta'' (princess) claimant to the throne during the
Portuguese succession crisis of 1580 The Portuguese succession crisis of 1580 () emerged as a result of the disappearance of young King Sebastian I of Portugal in the Battle of Alcácer Quibir in 1578 and the death without issue of his successor and great-uncle Henry I in 1580. A ...
.


Biography


Background

Catherine was the second daughter of Duarte, Duke of Guimarães (sixth son of
Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), 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. Manu ...
) and Isabel of Braganza. On 6 December 1563, she married João I, Duke of Braganza, head of the most powerful
aristocratic Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense economic, political, and social influence. In Western Christian co ...
house in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
. The two were first cousins.


Succession crisis

Following the death of young King of Sebastian of Portugal in the Battle of Alcácer Quibir, his great-uncle
Henry I of Portugal Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...
succeeded to the throne. Elderly and bound to ecclesiastical vows, Henry could not produce a direct heir, leading to much deliberation over his successor during his short reign. Catherine was Henry's preferred successor, but because of her sex, the powerful influence of Philip II, and the unpopularity of her husband, she failed to garner popular support. Her main rivals were António, Prior of Crato, the male-line but illegitimate grandson of Manuel I, and
Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...
, the son of Manuel's eldest daughter. In February 1579, King Henry summoned the candidates to submit their claims to a panel of jurists. António's swift dismissal as a result of illegitimacy left only Philip II and Catherine in formal contention. Catherine’s descent through a male line, as the daughter of Manuel's youngest son, Duarte, offered her precedence over Philip. The heir by primogeniture was Catherine’s nephew Ranuccio Farnese, being the son of her late older sister Maria, followed by his siblings; then the Duchess herself and her children; and only after them, King Philip. Although Philip lacked legal arguments, he wielded immense power and influence over the Portuguese aristocracy, securing their support through bribery and coercion. Philip even tried to bribe Catherine's husband, the Duke of Braganza, to abandon his wife's pretensions, offering him the Vice-Kingdom of
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, the post of Grand-Master of the Order of Christ, a license to send a personal ship to
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
every year, and the marriage of one of his daughters to Diego, Prince of Asturias, Philip's heir at that time. The Duke of Braganza, influenced by Catherine, refused the proposal. Despite António being formally eliminated, his popularity overshadowed Catherine's. Portugal had not yet seen an undisputed queen regnant and there were doubts about a woman's ability to effectively rule. In this regard, her prospects should have been bolstered by having a husband with direct royal lineage with whom she could share sovereignty and a son, Teodósio, that would serve as heir and successor to the throne. However, the Duke of Braganza's perceived weak leadership and widespread unpopularity compounded by Teodósio's absence only weakened Catherine's candidacy further. King Henry died in January 1580 without having appointed a successor, leaving a regency of five governors to assume power while the panel continued to deliberate. António promptly sought to claim the throne through popular acclamation in Lisbon, while Catherine and her husband adopted a more cautious stance, awaiting the findings of Henry's panel of jurists. In the interim, Philip, growing impatient, initiated military preparations, dispatching the Duke of Alba to assert Portugal by force. Eventually, the Braganzas succumbed to Philip's military pressure. After defeating António in the brief
War of the Portuguese Succession The War of the Portuguese Succession, a result of the extinction of the Portuguese royal line after the Battle of Alcácer Quibir and the ensuing Portuguese succession crisis of 1580, was fought from 1580 to 1583 between the two main claimant ...
, Philip was recognized as King of Portugal by the Cortes of
Tomar Tomar (), also known in English as Thomar (the ancient name of Tomar), is a Portugal, Portuguese city and a municipality in the historical Ribatejo Portuguese Provinces of Portugal, province, and in Santarém District, Santarém district. The to ...
in 1581.


Legacy

In 1640, Catherine's grandson and direct heir, the then 8th Duke of Braganza, was proclaimed King John IV of Portugal by the Portuguese nobility, marking the end of the 60-year-old
Iberian Union The Iberian Union is a historiographical term used to describe the period in which the Habsburg Spain, Monarchy of Spain under Habsburg dynasty, until then the personal union of the crowns of Crown of Castile, Castile and Crown of Aragon, Aragon ...
and establishing the
House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza (), also known as the Brigantine dynasty (''dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas. The hous ...
on the Portuguese throne. The 'laws of Lamego' were used to justify his accession and designate the Spanish Habsburg king, Philip III of Portugal, a usurper. These laws, purportedly enacted by the Cortes of
Lamego Lamego (; ) is a city and municipality in the Viseu District, in the Norte Region, Portugal, Norte Region of the Douro Subregion, Douro in northern Portugal. Located on the shores of the Balsemão River, the municipality has a population of 26,691 ...
in 1143 but now widely accepted to be fictitious, asserted that no woman that married a foreign prince could inherit the Portuguese crown or transfer succession rights. This excluded both Philip II and Ranuccio Farnese from the succession, rendering Catherine the legitimate heiress.


Issue

Catherine and her husband had the following children: * Maria of Braganza (1565–1592). * Seraphina of Braganza (1566–1604), married Juan Fernandez Pacheco, 5th Duke of Escalona, and had issue. * Teodósio of Braganza (1568–1630), succeeded his father as
Duke of Braganza The title Duke of Braganza () in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Starting in 1640, when the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown were ...
; father of King
John IV of Portugal ''Dom (honorific), Dom'' John IV (; 19 March 1604 – 6 November 1656), also known by the Portuguese as John the Restorer (), was the List of Portuguese monarchs, King of Portugal from 1640 until his death in 1656. He Portuguese Restoration War, ...
. * Edward of Braganza, 1st Marquis of Frechilla. * Alexander of Braganza, Archbishop of Évora. * Cherubina of Braganza (1572–1580). * Angelica of Braganza (1573–1576). * Isabella of Braganza (1578–1582). * Philip of Braganza (1581–1608).


Ancestry


Notes


References


Citations


Sources

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Catarina of Portugal, Duchess Of Braganza 1540 births 1614 deaths Duchesses of Braganza Portuguese infantas House of Aviz House of Braganza Nobility from Lisbon