Portuguese nobility

Kingdom of Portugal
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Portuguese nobility was the social class of privileged and titled persons of Portugal and the empire while it was the Kingdom of Portugal. During the absolute monarchy, nobles received a very privileged status and had important places. However, with the introduction of the constitutional monarchy in 1834, the power of nobles decreased, though the process of the diminishment of the power of the nobility been in process since the time of the Portuguese prime minister Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo.

Portugal today is Republic, however some descendants of the nobles still bear their titles and these titles are governed by the Portuguese Institute of Nobility (Portuguese:Instituto da Nobreza Portuguesa), which is headed by the current Duke of Braganza, D. Duarte Pio of Braganza.

Noble Ranks

Noble Titles of Portugal

Titles

Dukedoms of Portugal

Marquessates of Portugal

Counties of Portugal

Viscountcies of Portugal

Baronies of Portugal

In Portuguese Nobility the levels of nobility are as follows:

1. Royal Dukedoms
2. Hereditery Dukedoms
3. Marquessates
4. Counties
5. Viscountcies
6. Baronies
7. Lordships
8. Majorats

History

Henrique, last Count of Portugal. His son, Afonso Henriques, granted independence to the county and upgraded it to a kingdom.

Portuguese nobility has its roots from the reign of Alfonso VI of Leon, whose reign saw the sons of Leonese nobility become established as gentry in the north of Portugal, between the Minho River and the Douro River.

During the reign of Manuel I of Portugal, the Portuguese nobility was already recorded and registered, with records as old as the twelfth century.

For the nobility to have risen through the levels, they would have needed to confirm their devote and ever-loving service to the king.

It was also during the reign of King Manuel I, that rules establishing the use of degrees of nobility, as well as the use of heraldic arms, preventing the adoption of both abuse and establishing the rights of the nobility.

All nobles were considered vassals of the King of Portugal.

Actuality

The Marquesa of Pombal, an example of a noble by marriage.

The Duke of Saldanha, an example of a powerful post-constitution noble.

The Marquesa of Alorna, a noble woman in her own right.

Since the Proclamation of the Portuguese Republic, the nobility in Portugal has been disbanned officially by the laws of the Portuguese Constitution.

Duarte Nuno of Braganza, Duke of Braganza and head of the Royal House of Portugal, would eventually creat the Portuguese Council of Nobility, an organization that would regulate the nobility of Portugal, during the republic, by studying genealogical trees and noble titles. During this time, no new titles were bestowed.

The main activity of the council was the recreation of old titles with legitimate pretenders.

After Duarte Nuno's death, his son, Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, declared the Council of Nobility disbanded and was criticized by many for it. He eventually created what is now called the Institute of the Portuguese Nobility, which seeks to perpetrate the offices of the initial Council of Nobility.

Royaly-held noble titles

Besides holding the royal titles, the reigning house of Portugal has, at times, held other noble titles, either through acquisition before gaining the throne or by grant for the monarch. The following are titles that have been held at various times by the Portuguese royalty:

Titles held by the heir to the throne of Portugal

• Duke of Braganza
• Duke of Guimarães
• Marquis of Vila Viçosa
• Count of Guimarães
• Count of Arraiolos
• Count of Ourém
• Count of Neiva
• Count of Faria

Titles held by the heir to the heir to the throne of Portugal

• Duke of Barcelos
• Count of Barcelos

Titles assigned to the children of the reigning monarch

• Duke of Porto ^[1]
• Duke of Beja ^[2]

Titles bestowed on members of the royal family without specific designation

• Duke of Viseu
• Duke of Coimbra
• Duke of Guarda
• Duke of Trancoso

Titles held by the reigning monarch

• Lord of Ceuta
• Lord of Alcácer in Africa
• Lord of Guinea

See also

• List of titles and honours of the Portuguese Crown
• Kingdom of Portugal
• Portuguese empire
• Nobility

Sources

• Titles of Portuguese nobility (In Portuguese)
• Royal dukedoms of Portugal (In Portuguese)
• Dukedoms of Portugal (In Portuguese)
• Titles held by the heir to the throne of Portugal (In Portuguese)
• Titles held by the heir to the heir of the throne of Portugal (In Portuguese)

References

v t e Topics related to the Portuguese Monarchy Major events Battle of São Mamede Battle of Ourique Manifestis Probatum 1383–1385 Crisis Battle of Aljubarrota Battle of Alcácer Quibir Portuguese succession crisis of 1580 War of the Portuguese Succession Iberian Union Portuguese Restoration War Transfer of the Portuguese Court Liberal Revolution of 1820 April Revolt Portuguese Civil War Municipal Library Elevator Coup Lisbon Regicide 5 October 1910 revolution Royalist attack on Chaves Royal Houses Portuguese House of Burgundy House of Aviz House of Aviz-Beja Portuguese House of Habsburg House of Braganza House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (disputed) Royal Residences Ajuda Palace Alcáçova Palace Belém Palace Buçaco Palace Mafra Palace Necessidades Palace Paço Real Pena Palace Queluz Palace Ribeira Palace São Cristóvão Palace Sintra Palace Vila Viçosa Palace Miscellaneous Kingdom of the Algarve Portuguese Monarchs Line of succession to the former Portuguese throne Miguelism Sebastianism Portuguese Empire Portuguese Cortes Portuguese nobility List of titles and honours of the Portuguese Crown Council of Portugal Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza (current pretender) Genealogical tree of the monarchs of Portugal Portuguese Crown Jewels