Dom José, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza (; 20 August 1761 – 11 September 1788) was the heir apparent to the Kingdom of Portugal until his death in 1788, as the eldest child of Queen Dona Maria I of Portugal and King Dom

Pedro III of Portugal '' Dom'' Peter III (, ; 5 July 1717 – 25 May 1786), nicknamed the Builder, was King of Portugal from 24 February 1777 to his death in 1786, by marriage to his niece Queen Dona Maria I. Early life Peter was born at 12:00 noon on 5 July 17 ...

, 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 (W ...

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 was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...

's largest and wealthiest colony,

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 ...

Early life

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

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

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

Honours

* Kingdom of Portugal: Grand Commander of the Three Military Orders of Christ, 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 Portuguese 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 Nobility from Lisbon 3 3 3 Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain Sons of kings Sons of queens regnant