History
The Duchy of Braganza, a Dukedom, was created in 1442 by king Afonso V of Portugal for his uncle Afonso, Count of Barcelos (natural son of John I of Portugal). Along with the duchies of Coimbra and Viseu created by John I for his sons Peter and Henry after their capture of Ceuta from the Moors in 1415, it is one of the first duchies of Portugal.
By 1640, Portugal was on the verge of rebellion and a new Portuguese king had to be found. The choice fell upon the eighth duke, John II of Braganza, who had a claim both through his grandmother, Infanta Catherine, and through his great-great-grandfather, the 4th duke, nephew of King Manuel. The duke was a modest man without particular ambitions to the crown. Legend says that his wife, Leonor of Guzman, daughter of the duke of Medina-Sidónia, urged him to accept the offer saying, I'd rather be Queen for one day than duchess for a lifetime. He accepted the leadership of the rebellion, which was successful, and was acclaimed John IV of Portugal on December 1, 1640.
After the accession of the Braganzas to the throne, the duchy was linked to the Crown and the Duke of Braganza became the traditional title of the heir to the Crown, together with or alternate to Prince of Beira, much as Prince of Wales is in the United Kingdom. The fief itself became merged in the crown.
Read more about this topic: Duchy Of Braganza
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