Constable of Portugal (Portuguese: Condestável) or Constable of the Kingdom (Portuguese: Condestável do Reino) was a title created by the King of Portugal Ferdinand I in 1382, to substitute the title Alferes Mór do Reino. The constable was the second most powerful person in the kingdom, after the King of Portugal. The constable's responsibility was to command the military in the absence of the king and to maintain discipline in the army; he was present at all military tribunals. After the reign of John IV of Portugal (1640—1656), the title ceased to have military or administrative connotations, and was simply an honorific title.
Due to current usage of the word constable a modern English speaker might use the term Field Marshal, Warden of Portugal or Warden of the Kingdom.
Read more about Constable Of Portugal: Constables of Portugal
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“You are thought here to be the most senseless and fit man for the constable of the watch, therefore bear you the lantern.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
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