Teodósio II, 7th Duke of Braganza (28 April 1568 – 29 November 1630) was a Portuguese nobleman and father of João IV of Portugal. He is known for his allegiance to King Philip I of Portugal.

Biography

As a child, Teodósio was brought to the court and made page to the king Sebastian I of Portugal. The king was very fond of him and in 1578 insisted on taking him to

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in the expedition against the king of

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

. This military campaign was doomed. During the ill-fated battle of Alcácer Quibir, Teodósio remained at the side of his king until the situation become extremely dangerous. Then, Sebastian ordered servants to take the ten-year-old child to safety behind the lines. The young man was not happy to be set aside and ran away at the first opportunity. Teodósio mounted a horse and went to the front lines of the battle, pursued by very scared servants. Eventually, like many others, he was wounded and taken prisoner. Back in Portugal, his father João went mad with grief and offered a fortune for the ransom of his heir. He also asked king

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 ...

to write to the king of Morocco in order to spare young Teodósio's life. There was no need for such alarm. Impressed by the tale of his courage in battle, the king of Morocco let the child go, safely and without ransom, in August 1579. Meanwhile, in Portugal, the situation was one of unrest. With the disappearance of King Sebastian in the battle, the new king was Cardinal Henry I of Portugal, an old childless man. Teodósio was the son of Infanta Catarina, an ambitious woman who, with her husband the Duke of Bragança, aspired to the throne. Philip II of Spain also aspired to the Portuguese throne and used every means to keep young Teodósio (great-grandson of King Manuel I and a possible threat) out of the country. Only when he had safely secured the crown did Philip II of Spain, now Philip I of Portugal, allow the child's return. Teodósio became a duke in 1583 at his father's death and grew up to be a faithful servant of the Spanish king of Portugal. He defended

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 ...

from the attacks of another candidate ( António of Crato) and was responsible for the kingdom's security for many years. Acknowledging this fidelity, Philip I granted the Braganças more lands and titles.

Marriage and Children

* By his wife, the Spanish Lady Ana de Velasco y Girón ** John II, 8th Duke of Bragança (1604–1656), crowned King John IV of Portugal in December 1, 1640 ** Duarte of Bragança (1605–1649), Lord of Vila do Conde ** Catarina of Bragança (1606–1610) ** Alexandre of Bragança (1607–1637)

Ancestry

Bibliography

*"Nobreza de Portugal e Brazil", Vol. II, page 448. Published by Zairol Lda., Lisbon, 1989.
Genealogy of Teodósio II, 7th Duke of Braganza

External links

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Teodosio 02 Of Braganza, Duke Portuguese royalty House of Braganza 1568 births 1630 deaths Dukes of Braganza 102 Constables of Portugal People from Vila Viçosa 16th-century Portuguese people 17th-century Portuguese nobility