by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2020
On February 1, 1908, in what became known as the Lisbon Regicide, King Carlos I of Portugal was shot and killed by two gunmen while riding in an open carriage in the Terreiro do Paço (now Commerce Square) in Lisbon, Portugal. The king’s elder son and heir, Luís Filipe, Prince Royal, was also killed in the attack.
Carlos I of Portugal. source: Wikipedia
King Carlos I of Portugal
Carlos was born in Lisbon, Portugal in September 1863, the elder son of King Luís I of Portugal and Princess Maria Pia of Savoy. He married Princess Amelie of Orleans, daughter of the pretender to the French throne and had three children. Becoming King upon his father’s death in 1889, Carlos faced numerous crises during his reign. Giving in to British demands that he cede sovereignty of some land in Africa, Carlos began to quickly lose the loyalty of the Portuguese people. Despite this, the King was able to bring Portugal to the center of European diplomacy and developed close friendships and alliances with many of the crowned heads of Europe. However, the country also fell into bankruptcy twice during Carlos’s reign, spurring on the Republican movement. After appointing Joāo Franco as Prime Minister in 1906, the little support he had quickly diminished, as many felt that Franco was turning the country into a dictatorship.
For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: King Carlos I of Portugal
The Assassination
On February 1, 1908, King Carlos, along with his wife and elder son Luís Filipe, were returning from a stay in Vila Viçosa. Upon their arrival in Lisbon, they were greeted by their younger son, Manuel, the King’s brother, and the Prime Minister. The King, his wife, and two sons got into an open carriage for their ride back to the Palace of Necessidades.
Manuel Buiça. source: WIkipedia
Alfredo Costa. source: Wikipedia
While crossing the Terreiro do Paço, the royal family was soon attacked with gunfire. One of the shooters, Manuel Buiça, emerged in the square about 25 feet behind the carriage and fired a shot that struck the King in the neck killing him instantly. A second shot struck the King in the shoulder, forcing his body to slump over in the carriage. A second shooter, Alfredo Costa, jumped on the carriage step and fired two more shots into the King’s back – ensuring that he was dead. Then the two assassins took aim at Luís Filipe who had stood and drawn his revolver, firing at, and injuring, Costa. Buiça rushed to the carriage and fired, striking the Prince in the head. Amazingly, the Queen was unharmed, and Prince Manuel only suffered a gunshot to his arm. The carriage rushed to the nearby Naval Arsenal where Luís Filipe also died from his injuries. A soldier quickly moved in and fired on Buiça, injuring him in the leg and subduing him. Soon after, a police officer shot and killed Buiça on the spot. Costa was also subdued by the same soldier before the police apprehended him and took him to the police station. Upon arriving at the entrance to the station, Costa was shot and killed by an unidentified officer or member of the Municipal Guard.
What happened to Carlos?
King Carlos was killed instantly, and Luís Filipe died moments later at the Naval Arsenal. The King and his son were buried together in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza, at the Monastery of Sāo Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. The King’s younger son took the throne as King Manuel II and would be the last King of Portugal. In October 1910, Portugal was declared a Republic, and the Portuguese monarchy was abolished.
Tomb of Carlos and Luís Filipe. source: findagrave.com
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