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 The University of Coimbra (UC; , ) is a Public university, public research university in Coimbra, Portugal. First established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a number of relocations until moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537. The university ...

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 Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtain diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to o ...

, filling the posts of envoy in

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

(1790-1795), Portuguese representative in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

(1796-1803), ambassador in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

(1803-1814) and in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

(1814-1828). His period as ambassador to the

Court of St James's The Court of St James's serves as the official royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The court formally receives all ambassadors accredited to the United Kingdom. Likewise, ambassadors representing the United Kingdom are formally ...

coincided with the height of international conflict during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. He was intensely involved in secret diplomatic negotiations at this time as Portugal openly sided with Britain and refused to join the

Continental System The Continental System or Continental Blockade () was a large-scale embargo by French emperor Napoleon I against the British Empire from 21 November 1806 until 11 April 1814, during the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree on 21 No ...

; Sousa Coutinho was of significant importance in arranging the details of the

transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil The Portuguese royal court transferred from Lisbon to the Portuguese colony of Brazil in a strategic retreat of Queen Maria I of Portugal, prince regent John, the Braganza royal family, its court, and senior officials, totaling nearly 10,000 ...

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 U ...

, 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 Rodrigo () is a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian name derived from the Germanic name ''Roderick'' ( Gothic ''*Hroþareiks'', via Latinized ''Rodericus'' or ''Rudericus''), given specifically in reference to either King Roderic (d. 712), the la ...

(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 (who would later become more commonly known by the title of

Marquis of Pombal A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or widow) ...

) and

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not defined as a ...

, both represented by proxy. He was graced with the title of Count of

Funchal Funchal () officially Funchal City (), is the capital, largest city and a Municipality (Portugal), municipality in Portugal's Madeira, Autonomous Region of Madeira, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 105,795, making it ...

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 writers Counts of Portugal Margraves of Portugal Portuguese diplomats University of Coimbra alumni Knights of the Order of Christ (Portugal) {{Portugal-diplomat-stub