Infante Duarte, 5th Duke of Guimarães

The Infante Duarte, 5th Duke of Guimarães (March 1541, in Almeirim – 28 November 1576, in Évora) was a Portuguese infante (prince), son of Duarte of Portugal, 4th Duke of Guimarães and his wife, Isabella of Braganza.

Through his father, he was a grandson of King Manuel I of Portugal; through his mother, he was a grandson of James, 4th Duke of Braganza.

He was born posthumously and he inherited his father’s titles and estates: the Dukedom of Guimarães. He was one of the most influential nobles during the reigns of Kings John III and Sebastian.

As member of the State Council he voted, in 1569, for the marriage of King Sebastian to Margaret of Valois (who later became Henry IV's first wife) and, in 1574, he escorted King Sebastian in his first trip to Tangiers, in north Africa.

In 1557, when King John III died, Duarte was one of the three legitimate surviving male descendants of King Manuel I of Portugal (together with King Sebastian and Cardinal-Infante Henry).

King Sebastian was jealous of this and several times showed disrespect for Duarte's rank. When the King didn’t invite Duarte to a royal bullfight, in Xabregas (Lisbon), Duarte was quite upset and, finally, he retired to Évora where, some months later, he died single and without issue.

Duarte had two sisters, both married to remarkable Renaissance princes:

• Infanta Maria of Guimarães (1538–1577), also known as Maria de Portugal, married to the Italian prince Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza;
• Infanta Catherine of Guimarães (1540–1614), also known as Catarina de Portugal, married to the Portuguese prince John, 6th Duke of Braganza.

Once she was married to a Portuguese, Infanta Catherine of Guimarães inherited her brother estates and rights to the Dukedom of Guimarães. During the 1580 Portuguese succession crisis, Catherine and her husband, John I of Braganza, were important claimants to the Portuguese throne.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Infante Duarte, 5th Duke of Guimarães

16. Edward of Portugal               8. Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu (=#26)                       17. Eleanor of Aragon               4. Manuel I of Portugal                             18. Infante João, Lord of Reguengos               9. Infanta Beatrice of Portugal (=#27)                       19. Isabella of Barcelos               2. Infante Edward, 4th Duke of Guimarães                                   20. John II of Aragon               10. Ferdinand II of Aragon                       21. Juana Enríquez               5. Maria of Aragon                             22. John II of Castile               11. Isabella I of Castile                       23. Isabella of Portugal               1. Infante Edward, 5th Duke of Guimarães                                         24. Fernando I, 2nd Duke of Braganza               12. Fernando II, 3rd Duke of Braganza                       25. Joana de Castro               6. James, 4th Duke of Braganza                             26. Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu (=#8)               13. Isabella of Viseu                       27. Infanta Beatrice of Portugal (=#9)               3. Isabella of Braganza                                   28. Enrique de Guzmán, 2nd Duke of Medina Sidonia               14. Juan Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, 3rd Duke of Medina Sidonia                       29. Leonor Afan de Ribera y Mendoza               7. Leonor de Mendoza                             30. Pedro Fernandez de Velasco, 2nd Count of Haro               15. Isabel Fernandez de Velasco                       31. Mencía de Mendoza

See also

• Duke of Guimarães
• List of Portuguese Dukedoms

External links

• Genealogy of Infante Duarte II, 5th Duke of Guimarães, in Portuguese

Bibliography

”Nobreza de Portugal e do Brasil” – Vol. II, page 651. Published by Zairol Lda., Lisbon 1989.