Richard of Normandy

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Portrait of Richard of Normandy in a 14th-century family tree of the Kings of England: Credit – Wikipedia

Like his younger brother King William II Rufus of England and his nephew Richard, the illegitimate son of his brother Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, Richard of Normandy was killed in a hunting accident in the New Forest near Winchester Castle in England. Richard was the second of the four sons of William I (the Conqueror), King of England and Matilda of Flanders. He was born circa 1054 in the Duchy of Normandy, now in France. Richard’s paternal grandparents were Robert I the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy and his mistress Herleva of Falaise. His maternal grandparents were Baldwin V, Count of Flanders and Adèle of France, daughter of King Robert II of France.

Richard’s elder brother Robert Curthose; Credit – Wikipedia

Richard had at least nine siblings. The birth order of the boys is clear, but that of the girls is not. The list below is not in birth order. It lists Richard’s brothers first in their birth order and then his sisters in their probable birth order.

Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy (1051-1054 – 1134), married Sybil of Conversano, had one son
William II Rufus, King of England (1056-1060 – 1100), unmarried, killed in the New Forest
Henry I, King of England (1068 – 1135), married (1) Edith of Scotland, had one son and one daughter (2) Adeliza of Louvain, no children
Agatha of Normandy died before 1074, unmarried
Adeliza of Normandy (circa 1055 – before 1113), probably a nun at the Abbey of St Léger in Préaux, Duchy of Normandy
Cecilia of Normandy (circa 1056 – 1127), Abbess of Holy Trinity in Caen
Matilda of Normandy (circa 1061 – c. 1086)
Constance of Normandy (1057-1061 – 1090, married Alan IV, Duke of Brittany, no issue
Adela of Normandy (circa 1067 – 1137), married Stephen II, Count of Blois, had ten children including King Stephen of England

In 1066, Richard’s father, William III, Duke of Normandy, invaded England and defeated the last Anglo-Saxon King, Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings. The Duke of Normandy was now also King William I of England. Richard’s elder brother Robert Curthose had been designated as their father’s successor in 1063. In their chronicles, both William of Malmesbury and Matthew Paris indicated that Richard had a promising future.

The New Forest; Credit – By Jim Champion, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13444789

Sometime between 1069 and 1075, Richard died suddenly during a hunt in the New Forest, close to Winchester Castle. Chroniclers of the time offered several causes of his death including divine retribution and contracting an illness caused by infected air. The most plausible cause, written in the chronicles of Matthew Paris, William of Jumièges, and Orderic Vital, is that Richard received fatal injuries while he was chasing prey and was crushed between a low-hanging solid tree branch and the pommel of his saddle. Richard was buried at Winchester Cathedral in England.

Richard’s brother Willliam Rufus; Credit – Wikipedia

After the sudden death of his second son, the political projects of William I, King of England, who was also the Duke of Normandy, were disrupted. William I had likely intended to give his deceased second son Richard either the Duchy of Normandy or the Kingdom of England. It appears that William I’s third son William Rufus had been destined for a career in the Roman Catholic Church. Instead, William Rufus, who had moved to be the second surviving son, was called to his father’s court to prepare him for a different future.

Ironically, Richard’s father King William I died in 1087 after his horse stumbled and he was violently flung against his saddle pommel. He received serious internal injuries, most likely a ruptured bladder. As he knew he was dying, William I composed a letter to Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury stating that the Duchy of Normandy should go to his eldest son Robert Curthose, the Kingdom of England should go to his second son William Rufus, and his youngest son Henry should receive money. The youngest son later became King Henry I of England and would have his own succession issues.

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Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Richard (son of William the Conqueror) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard,_son_of_William_the_Conqueror> [Accessed 2 July 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King William I of England (the Conqueror). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-william-i-of-england-the-conqueror/> [Accessed 2 July 2022].
Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Richard de Normandie (fils de Guillaume le Conquérant) — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_de_Normandie_(fils_de_Guillaume_le_Conqu%C3%A9rant)> [Accessed 2 July 2022].
Ru.wikipedia.org. 2022. Ричард Нормандский — Википедия. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B4_%D0%9D%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9> [Accessed 2 July 2022].
Williamson, David, 1996. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

Cecily Neville, Duchess of York

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Cecily Neville, Detail from the 15th century Neville Book of Hours; Credit – Wikipedia

A great-granddaughter of King Edward III of England, Cecily Neville was the wife of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, also a great-grandchild of King Edward III, who was a claimant to the English throne and the leader of the Yorkist faction during the Wars of the Roses. She was also the mother of King Edward IV of England and King Richard III of England, the grandmother of the ill-fated King Edward V of England, and the great-grandmother of King Henry VIII of England. Cecily outlived all but two of her twelve children. She was alive when her granddaughter Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV, married Henry Tudor who had defeated her son King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and then succeeded to the English throne by right of conquest as King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch. Cecily was alive when her granddaughter Elizabeth of York gave birth to her first three children, Cecily’s great-grandchildren Arthur, Prince of Wales, Margaret Tudor, and King Henry VIII. Through Margaret Tudor, who married James IV, King of Scots, Cecily is an ancestor of the British royal family and many other European royal families.

Born May 3, 1415, at Raby Castle in Durham, England, Cecily was the youngest of the fourteen children and the youngest of the five daughters of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland and his second wife Joan Beaufort. Cecily’s paternal grandparents were John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby, and Maud Percy, daughter of Henry de Percy, 2nd Baron Percy. Her maternal grandparents were John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his third wife and former mistress Katherine Swynford. John of Gaunt was the third surviving son of King Edward III of England, and so Cecily was the great-granddaughter of King Edward III.

Cecily’s mother Joan Beaufort and her daughters from her second marriage, from the Neville Book of Hours, circa 1427-1432; Credit – Wikipedia

Cecily had thirteen elder siblings:

Katherine Neville (circa 1397 – 1483), married (1) John de Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, had one son (2) Sir Thomas Strangways, had two daughters (3) John Beaumont, 1st Viscount Beaumont, no children (4) Sir John Woodville, no children
Eleanor Neville (circa 1398 – 1472), married (1) Richard le Despencer, 4th Baron Burghersh, no children (2) Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, had ten children
Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (1400 – 1460), married Alice Montacute, 5th Countess of Salisbury, had twelve children including Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (1428–1471), “The Kingmaker”
Henry Neville (born and died circa 1402)
Robert Neville, Bishop of Salisbury and Bishop of Durham (1404 – 1457)
William Neville, 1st Earl of Kent (circa 1405 – 1463), married Joan de Fauconberg, 6th Baroness Fauconberg, had five children
John Neville (born and died circa 1406).
George Neville, 1st Baron Latimer (circa 1407 – 1469), married Elizabeth Beauchamp, had four children
Anne Neville (c. 1408–1480), married (1) Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham, had twelve children (2) Walter Blount, 1st Baron Mountjoy, no children
Thomas Neville (born and died circa 1410)
Cuthbert Neville (born and died circa 1411).
Joan Neville (circa 1412 – 1453), a nun
Edward Neville, 3rd Baron Bergavenny (circa 1414 – 1476), married (1) Elizabeth Beauchamp (not the same Elizabeth Beauchamp as his brother George’s wife), had four children (2) Katherine Howard, had three daughters

Cecily had eight half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Margaret Stafford (circa 1364 – 1396):

Maud Neville (? – 1438), married Piers Mauley, 5th Baron Mauley
Alice Neville (circa 1384 – circa 1434) married (1) Sir Thomas Grey, beheaded for his part in the Southampton Plot, had eight children (2) Sir Gilbert Lancaster, no children
Philippa Neville 1386 – circa 1453), married Thomas Dacre, 6th Baron Dacre of Gilsland, had nine children
Sir John Neville (circa 1387 – circa 1420), married Elizabeth Holland, had four children
Elizabeth Neville, a nun.
Anne Neville (? – circa1421), married Sir Gilbert Umfraville, no children
Sir Ralph Neville (circa 1392 – 1458), married his step-sister Mary Ferrers, had five children
Margaret Neville (circa 1396 – circa 1463), married (1) Richard Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Bolton, had three children (2) William Cressener, had three children

Cecily had two half-sisters from her mother’s first marriage to Robert Ferrers of Wem (circa 1373 – 1396):

Elizabeth Ferrers (1393 – 1474), married John Greystoke, 4th Baron Greystoke, had twelve children
Mary Ferrers (1394 – 1458), married her stepbrother Sir Ralph Neville, had five children

Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, detail from the frontispiece of the illuminated manuscript Talbot Shrewsbury Book; Credit – Wikipedia

Cecily’s future husband Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (1411 – 1460) had a unique place in the succession to the English throne, and this would affect their marriage and their family. Richard was the only surviving son of Richard of Conisbrough, 3rd Earl of Cambridge and his first wife Anne Mortimer. Both Richard’s parents were descendants of King Edward III of England. The House of York, a cadet branch of the House of Plantagenet, descended from two sons of King Edward III: in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, and from a female line of Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, Edward III’s second surviving son. These two lines came together when Richard’s mother Anne Mortimer, a great-granddaughter of Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence married Richard’s father Richard of Conisbrough, a son of Edmund of Langley, Duke of York. (A House of York family tree can be seen at Wikipedia: House of York.)

In 1415, Richard of Conisbrough was one of the three plotters of the Southhampton Plot executed for plotting to depose King Henry V of England (from the House of Lancaster) and place Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, the brother of Richard of Conisbrough’s deceased wife Anne Mortimer on the English throne. Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March had not been aware of the plot and when he found out about it, he told King Henry V. With the execution of his father, four-year-old Richard was an orphan. The title of Richard’s father was not attainted – after being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason), an act of attainder deprived nobles of their titles and lands. The descendants of the attainted noble could no longer inherit his lands or income. Because his father was not attainted, four-year-old Richard inherited his father’s Earl of Cambridge title. Three months later, little Richard’s paternal uncle (his father’s elder brother) Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York was killed at the Battle of Agincourt, and Richard inherited his paternal uncle’s titles and estates. In 1425, when Richard’s maternal uncle Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March died, Richard inherited the lesser title of Earl of March but the greater estates of the Mortimer family along with their claim to the English throne. Richard of York already held a strong claim to the English throne as a male-line great-grandson of King Edward III.

Richard and Cecily had twelve children including two Kings of England:

Anne of York (1439 – 1476), married (1) Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, had one daughter (2) Sir Thomas St. Leger, Anne died giving birth to a daughter
Henry of York (born and died 1441), died in infancy
Edward IV, King of England (1442 – 1483), married Elizabeth Woodville, had ten children including the ill-fated Edward V, King of England and Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII, King of England
Edmund, Earl of Rutland (1443 – 1460), unmarried, killed at the Battle of Wakefield during the Wars of the Roses
Elizabeth of York (1444 – circa 1503), wife of John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, had eleven children
Margaret of York (1446 – 1503), married Charles I (the Bold), Duke of Burgundy, no children
William of York (born and died 1447), died in infancy
John of York (born and died 1448), died in infancy
George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence (1449 – 1478), married Isabel Neville, had four children, George was executed by his brother King Edward IV
Thomas of York (born and died circa 1450/1451), died in infancy
Richard III, King of England (1452 – 1485), married Anne Neville, had one son Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales who predeceased his father, Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field
Ursula of York (born and died 1455), died in infancy

Shortly before his son Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales was born in 1453, King Henry VI had some kind of mental breakdown. He was unable to recognize or respond to people for over a year. Edward was the heir to the throne, followed by Richard, 3rd Duke of York. During Henry VI’s incapacity, Richard, 3rd Duke of York governed as Lord Protector, and he often quarreled with the Lancastrians at court. In 1448, Richard assumed the surname Plantagenet and then assumed the leadership of the Yorkist faction in 1450. Eventually, things came to a head between Henry VI’s House of Lancaster and Richard’s House of York, and war broke out.

The First Battle of St. Albans on May 22, 1455, traditionally marks the beginning of the Wars of the Roses in England. It was a decisive Yorkist victory. Afterward, there was a peace of sorts, but hostilities started again four years later. At times, Richard was forced to flee to Ireland and continental Europe, but Cecily remained at the family estate Ludlow Castle, caring for her children. She also championed the cause of the House of York. When the Parliament was to decide the fate of her husband, Cecily she traveled to London, where she asked for a pardon if Richard appeared before Parliament within eight days. When this did not happen, his lands were confiscated by the Crown. However, Cecily managed to get an annual allowance of 1000 marks to support herself and the children

On July 10, 1460, King Henry VI was captured at the Battle of Northampton and forced to recognize Richard, 3rd Duke of York as his heir instead of his own son. However, at the Battle of Wakefield on December 30, 1460, the Lancastrians won a decisive victory. Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, his second son 17-year-old Edmund, Earl of Rutland, and Cecily’s brother Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, were all killed.

Cecily’s eldest son King Edward IV of England; Credit – Wikipedia

After the death of her husband, Cecily moved to Baynard’s Castle in London, which became the London headquarters of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses. Cecily’s eldest son Edward was now the leader of the Yorkist faction. On February 3, 1461, Edward defeated the Lancastrian army at the Battle of Mortimer’s Cross. Edward then took a bold step and declared himself King Edward IV of England on March 4, 1461. His decisive victory over the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton on March 29, 1461, cemented his status as King of England. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 28, 1461. However, the former king, Henry VI, still lived and fled to Scotland.

Cecily was honored as the mother of the king. She regularly appeared beside her son King Edward IV and had much influence. While Edward was in the north of England fighting the remaining forces of the House of Lancaster, Cecily acted as his representative in London. Edward granted his mother a generous allowance of 5000 marks per year. In 1464, when Edward IV married Elizabeth Woodville, he built new queen’s quarters for his wife and allowed his mother remain in the queen’s quarters, where she had been living.

Henry VI returned from Scotland in 1464 and took part in an ineffective uprising. In 1465, Henry was captured and taken to the Tower of London. His wife Margaret of Anjou, exiled in France, wanted to restore the throne to her husband. Coincidentally, King Edward IV had a falling out with his major supporters, his brother George, Duke of Clarence, and his first cousin Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, known as the Kingmaker. Margaret of Anjou, Clarence, and Warwick formed an alliance at the urging of King Louis XI of France. Edward IV was forced into exile, and Henry VI was restored to the throne on October 30, 1470.

Edward IV and his brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later King Richard III) fled to Burgundy where they knew they would be welcomed by their sister Margaret, the wife of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. The Duke of Burgundy provided funds and troops to Edward to enable him to launch an invasion of England in 1471. Edward returned to England in early 1471 and defeated the Lancastrians at the Battle of Barnet. where his cousin Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick was killed. The final decisive Yorkist victory was at the Battle of Tewkesbury on May 4, 1471, where Henry VI’s son Edward, Prince of Wales was killed.

Cecily’s son Edward became King of England once again. Henry VI was returned to the Tower of London and died on May 21, 1471, probably murdered on orders from King Edward IV. Edward IV’s brother George, Duke of Clarence was eventually found guilty of plotting against him, imprisoned in the Tower of London, and privately executed on February 18, 1478.

Cecily’s youngest son King Richard III; Credit – Wikipedia

Had Cecily’s son King Edward IV lived longer, perhaps he would have become one of England’s most powerful kings. He died on April 9, 1483, a few weeks before his 41st birthday. His cause of death is not known for certain. His 12-year-old son very briefly succeeded King Edward IV as King Edward V until he and his brother Richard, Duke of York were declared illegitimate by an Act of Parliament and their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester crowned King Richard III. Cecily’s grandsons Edward V and his brother Richard were the Princes in the Tower, whose fate is unknown. Cecily’s son King Richard III lost his life and his crown at the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22, 1485. On that day, Henry Tudor, the Lancastrian faction leader, became the first monarch of the House of Tudor, King Henry VII.

Cecily’s granddaughter Elizabeth of York, the wife of King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch; Credit – Wikipedia

By 1485, Cecily’s husband and ten of her twelve children had died. Only her daughters Elizabeth of York (1444 – 1503), who married John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, and Margaret of York (1446 – 1503), who married Charles I, Duke of Burgundy survived. On January 18, 1486, Cecily’s granddaughter Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of King Edward IV, married King Henry VII and became Queen of England. Cecily’s great-grandson Arthur, Prince of Wales was born that same year, her great-granddaughter Margaret Tudor was born in 1489, and her great-grandson, the future King Henry VIII in 1491, all before she died. During the reign of King Henry VII, Cecily devoted herself primarily to her religious interests. Henry VII granted her the right to export wool free of duty and an income based on the income from the estates granted to her by her son King Edward IV in 1461.

The tomb of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and his wife Cecily Neville, to the left of the altar; Credit – Visit to Fotheringhay – Part 3, Exploring the Church of St Mary and All Saints

Cecily Neville, Duchess of York died on May 31, 1495, aged 80, at Berkhamsted Castle in Hertfordshire, England. She had survived her husband Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York by thirty-five years, and was buried with him and their son Edmund, Earl of Rutland at the Church of Saint Mary and All Saints in Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire, England.

Works Cited

De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Cecily Neville – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecily_Neville> [Accessed 20 August 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Cecily Neville, Duchess of York – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecily_Neville,_Duchess_of_York> [Accessed 20 August 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_of_York,_3rd_Duke_of_York> [Accessed 20 August 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/richard-plantagenet-3rd-duke-of-york/> [Accessed 20 August 2022].
De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Cecily Neville – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecily_Neville> [Accessed 20 August 2022].
Jones, Dan, 2012. The Plantagenets. New York: Viking.
Weir, Alison, 1995. The Wars of the Roses. New York: Ballantine Books.
Williamson, David, 1996. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

Carlota Joaquina of Spain, Queen of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Carlota Joaquina of Spain, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Carlota Joaquina of Spain was the wife of João VI, King of Portugal. She was detested by members of the Portuguese royal court who called her Megera de Queluz – the Shrew of Queluz. She conspired against her husband several times and was eventually placed under house arrest at the Palace of Queluz.

Carlota Joaquina Theresa Marcos Cayetana Coleta Francisca de Sales Rafaela Vizenta Ferrer Juana Nepomucena Fernanda Josepha Luisa Sinforosa Antonia Francisca Bibiana Maria Casilda Rita Genara y Pasquala was born at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Spain on April 25, 1775. She was the second of the fourteen children and the eldest of the six daughters of Carlos IV, King of Spain and his first cousin Maria Luisa of Parma. Her paternal grandparents were Carlos III, King of Spain and Maria Amalia of Saxony. Carlota Joaquina’s maternal grandparents were Augustus III, King of Poland, Elector of Saxony and Maria Josepha of Austria.

The Family of Carlos IV by Francisco de Goya, 1800; L to R: Infante Carlos, Count of Molina; the artist Francisco de Goya at the easel; the future King Fernando VII, Infanta Maria Josepha (sister of Carlos IV); a young woman whose face cannot be seen who is representing the future wife of King Fernando VII; Infanta Maria Isabel; Maria Luisa of Parma, Queen of Portugal; Infante Francisco de Paula; King Carlos IV; Infante Antonio Pascual (brother of Carlos IV); Carlota Joaquina or her sister Infanta Maria Amalia; Carlo Ludovico of Parma (husband of Maria Luisa); Infanta Maria Luisa; child in the arms of Maria Luisa, her son, the future Carlo II Ludovico, Duke of Parma

Carlota Joaquina had thirteen siblings:

Carlos Clemente, Infante of Spain (1771 – 1774), died in infancy
Maria Luisa, Infanta of Spain (1777 – 1782), died in childhood
Maria Amalia, Infanta of Spain (1779 – 1798), married her paternal uncle Infante Antonio Pascual of Spain, died after giving birth to a stillborn son
Carlos Domingo, Infante of Spain (1780 – 1783), died in childhood
Maria Luisa, Infanta of Spain, Duchess of Lucca (1782 – 1824), married Carlo Ludovico of Parma, King of Etruria, had two children
Carlos Francisco de Paula, Infante of Spain (1783 – 1784), twin of Felipe Francisco de Paula, died in infancy
Felipe Francisco de Paula, Infante of Spain (1783 – 1784), twin of Carlos Francisco de Paula, died in infancy
Fernando VII, King of Spain (1784 – 1833), married (1) Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, no children (2) his niece, Carlota Joaquina’s daughter Maria Isabel of Portugal, had one daughter who died in infancy and one stillborn daughter, died in childbirth (3) Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony, no children (4) Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, had two daughters including Queen Isabella II of Spain
Carlos, Infante of Spain, Count of Molina (1788 – 1855, married (1) Maria Francisca, Infanta of Portugal, had three sons (2) Maria Teresa, Infanta of Portugal (sister of his first wife), no children
Maria Isabel, Infanta of Spain (1789 – 1848), married (2nd wife) Francesco I, King of the Two Sicilies, had twelve children
Maria Teresa, Infanta of Spain (1791 – 1794), died in childhood from smallpox
Felipe Maria, Infante of Spain (1792 – 1794), died in childhood
Francisco de Paula, Infante of Spain (1794 – 1865), married (1) his niece Luisa Carlotta of Naples and Sicily, had eleven children (2) Teresa de Arredondo y Ramirez de Arellano (morganatic marriage), had one son

Carlota Joaquina was brought up in the strict and austere Spanish court that imposed rigid norms of behavior and etiquette on the royal family and the entire court. She had a very strict Catholic upbringing and studied religion, geography, painting, and horseback riding which she loved.

Carlota Joaquina of Spain in 1785, the year of their marriage; Credit – Wikipedia

Before Carlota Joaquina was ten-years-old, her marriage was arranged by her paternal grandfather Carlos III, King of Spain and his sister Mariana Victoria, Dowager Queen of Portugal to improve relations between the two countries. Her groom was to be João, Infante of Portugal, the 18-year-old grandson of Mariana Victoria, Dowager Queen of Portugal. João was the second surviving son of Maria I, Queen of Portugal and her husband and paternal uncle Pedro III, King of Portugal. Pedro was Maria I’s co-ruler but he was only a nominal king because the actual regal authority was vested solely in Maria I. However, before the marriage arrangements could be finalized, Carlota Joaquina had to undergo a series of public examinations in front of the Spanish court and Portuguese ambassadors sent on behalf of Queen Maria I of Portugal. She passed the examinations with flying colors.

João VI, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Because Carlota Joaquina and João were related and because the bride was only ten years old, the marriage required a papal dispensation. A proxy marriage was held in Spain on May 8, 1785, and three days later, Carlota Joaquina left for Lisbon, Portugal. The in-person wedding took place in the chapel of the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa on June 9, 1785. Due to the bride’s young age, the consummation of the marriage was delayed for five years.

Carlota Joaquina and João had nine children:

Maria Teresa of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1793 – 1874), married (1) her first cousin Infante Pedro Carlos of Spain and Portugal, had one son (2) her maternal uncle Infante Carlos of Spain, Count of Molina, widower of her sister Maria Francisca, no children
Francisco António of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal, Prince of Beira (1795 – 1801), died in childhood
Maria Isabel of Braganza, Infante of Portugal (1797 – 1818), married her paternal uncle (2nd wife) Ferdinand VII, King of Spain, had one daughter who died in infancy and one stillborn daughter, Maria Isabel died due to childbirth complications
Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil/Pedro IV, King of Portugal (1798 – 1834), married (1) Maria Leopoldina of Austria, had seven children, Maria Leopoldina died due to complications of a miscarriage (2) Amélie of Leuchtenberg, had one daughter
Maria Francisca of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1800 – 1834), her maternal uncle Infante Carlos of Spain, Count of Molina, had three children
Isabel Maria of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1801 – 1876), unmarried, Regent of Portugal (1826 to 1828)
Miguel I, King of Portugal (1802 – 1866), King of Portugal (1828 – 1834), forced to abdicate, married Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, had seven children
Maria da Assunção of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1805 – 1834), died unmarried
Ana de Jesus Maria of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1806 – 1857), married Nuno José Severo de Mendonça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Marquis of Loulé and Count of Vale de Reis, had five children

In 1788, João’s elder brother José died from smallpox at the age of twenty-seven. As José’s marriage had produced no children, 21-year-old João became the heir to the throne of Portugal and received the titles Prince of Brazil and Duke of Braganza, and Carlota Joaquina received the female counterparts of the titles. João would soon have to take a leadership role due to his mother’s mental instability which was first noticed in 1786 when she had to be carried back to her apartments in a state of delirium. Queen Maria I’s mental instability continued to worsen. The deaths of her husband Pedro III in 1786, her eldest son and heir José in 1788, and her confessor Inácio de São Caetano, Archbishop of Salonica in 1788 may have caused major depressive disorder. Another potential causal factor of her mental instability may have been inbreeding, as Maria I’s two unmarried sisters Maria Ana Francisca and Maria Doroteia had similar conditions. In 1792, João took over the government on his mother’s behalf but he did not assume the title of Prince Regent until 1799.

João and Carlota Joaquina; Credit – Wikipedia

When João became Prince Regent, Carlota Joaquina would often interfere in matters of state, trying to influence her husband’s decisions. Her attempts at meddling in politics displeased the Portuguese nobility and the Portuguese people. Because she was excluded from government decisions, Carlota Joaquina plotted to remove João from his position as Prince Regent by arresting him and declaring that like his mother, he was incapable of ruling. The plot was discovered in 1805 and an investigation and the arrest of those involved were proposed. João wanted to avoid a public scandal and instead of an investigation and arrests, he confined Carlota Joaquina to the Palace of Queluz, and he moved to the Palace of Mafra, effectively causing a marital separation.

The Royal Family of Portugal and their entourage leaving for Brazil; Credit – Wikipedia

In late 1807, Spanish and Napoleonic forces threatened Portugal, causing Prince Regent João, in the name of his mother Queen Maria I, to move the royal court from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, in the Portuguese colony of Brazil. While in Brazil, Carlota Joaquina concocted another scheme. After Napoleon invaded Spain, King Fernando VII of Spain, Carlota Joaquina’s younger brother, was forced to abdicate and give the Spanish throne to Napoleon’s brother Joseph Bonaparte. Napoleon kept Fernando under guard in France for six years at the Château de Valençay until the Treaty of Valençay on December 11, 1813, provided for the restoration of Fernando as King of Spain. Between 1808 and 1812, Carlota Joaquina intended to replace her brother Fernando VII as Regent of Spain for the duration of his confinement and Joseph Bonaparte’s usurpation of the Spanish throne. She planned to send an army to occupy Buenos Aires on the Río de la Plata, in the Spanish colony of Argentina, and style herself “Queen of La Plata”. The plan failed as the Portuguese-Brazilian forces only managed to annex the eastern banks of the Rio de la Plata which remained part of the Empire of Brazil until the disputed land seceded in 1828 as the Republic of Uruguay.

On March 20, 1816, Maria I, Queen of Portugal died, aged 81, at the Carmo Convent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Carlota Joaquina’s husband succeeded her as João VI, King of Portugal. In 1821, after a series of revolutions and army mutinies in Portugal, João VI, under pressure from the Portuguese parliament, departed Brazil for Portugal, leaving behind his eldest son Pedro as Regent of Brazil. Upon his return to Portugal, João VI, under pressure, called a constitutional Cortes Gerais, consisting of all three estates – the nobility, clergy, and bourgeoisie – to draft a constitution that made Portugal a constitutional monarchy. João VI made vows to uphold the new constitution. However, João’s wife Carlota Joaquina had other ideas.

Carlota Joaquina’s youngest son Miguel; Credit – Wikipedia

Carlota Joaquina allied with her youngest son Miguel, who shared his mother’s conservative views. In 1824, using Miguel’s position as army commander, they took power and held João VI as a virtual prisoner in the palace. Carlota Joaquina tried to make João VI abdicate in favor of his son Miguel. João VI received help from a British naval fleet in the port. From aboard a Royal Navy warship, João VI reprimanded his son Miguel, deposed him from command of the army, and exiled him. João VI then returned to Bemposta Palace, reorganized the council of ministers, and showed generosity to the others who had rebelled. Later in the year, another rebellion organized by João VI’s wife Carlota Joaquina was discovered and she was placed under house arrest in the Palace of Queluz.

On March 4, 1826, after returning from a visit to the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, João VI suddenly fell ill with symptoms that included vomiting and convulsions, and died on March 10, 1826, aged 58. Doctors could not definitively determine a cause of death but it was suspected that João VI had been poisoned. In 2000, a team of researchers exhumed the ceramic pot that contained João VI’s heart. An analysis of his heart detected enough arsenic to kill two people, confirming suspicions that João VI had been murdered.

Carlota Joaquina, circa 1825; Credit – Wikipedia

For the rest of her life, Carlota Joaquina remained confined in the Palace of Queluz, where she died alone and abandoned by her children on January 7, 1830, at the age of 56. She was interred in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora Credit – Wikipedia Commons

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Carlota Joaquina of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlota_Joaquina_of_Spain> [Accessed 21 June 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Charles IV of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_IV_of_Spain> [Accessed 22 June 2022].
Es.wikipedia.org. 2022. Carlota Joaquina de Borbón – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre. [online] Available at: <https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlota_Joaquina_de_Borb%C3%B3n> [Accessed 22 June 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2022. João VI, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/joao-vi-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 22 June 2022].
Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Carlota Joaquina de Bourbon – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlota_Joaquina_de_Bourbon> [Accessed 21 June 2022].

Princess Rajwa Al Hussein, wife of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Rajwa Al Saif and Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan; Credit – Queen Rania of Jordan Facebook page

Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on April 28, 1994, Rajwa Khaled bin Musaed bin Saif bin Abdulaziz Al Saif is the youngest of the four children of Khalid Al Saif and his wife Azza Al Sudairi. Rajwa’s father is the CEO of the Al Saif Group, a privately-owned company with a diverse portfolio of healthcare, construction, and security services businesses. Rajwa is a member of the Al Saif family which dates back to the Subai tribe in the town of Al-Attar in Sudair, Najd, Saudi Arabia, where her ancestors were the sheikhs of the town.

After completing her primary and secondary education in Saudi Arabia, Rajwa attended the School of Architecture at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, in the United States, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture. In addition, Rajwa also holds a degree in Visual Communications from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. Rajwa was employed by an architecture firm in Los Angeles, California, and at the time of her engagement, she was employed by Designlab Experience, a design studio in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

On August 17, 2022, the Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan announced the engagement of the heir apparent of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan, the elder son of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, and Rajwa Al Saif. The couple was married on June 1, 2023, at Zahran Palace in Amman, Jordan. About thirty minutes after the wedding ceremony, the Royal Household issued a decree elevating Rajwa to a Princess of Jordan with the style and title Her Royal Highness Princess Rajwa Al Hussein. The title Crown Princess is not typically used in Jordan.

Unofficial Royalty: Wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif

As the wife of the Crown Prince, Princess Rajwa will represent King Abdullah II on official engagements in Jordan and in foreign countries and will attend activities related to social and charitable projects.

Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa have one daughter who is not eligible to be ruler of Jordan. The constitution of Jordan states that only legitimate, male, mentally sound, Muslim, male-line descendants of King Abdullah I are eligible to be King.

Princess Iman bint Al Hussein of Jordan (born August 3, 2024)

YouTube: Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II recites the call to prayer in the ear of his newborn daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Iman bint Al Hussein

Works Cited

Harpers Bazaar. 2022. Who is Rajwa Al Saif, Crown Prince Hussein’s Fiancée? The Couple Announce Their Engagement. [online] Available at: <https://www.harpersbazaararabia.com/culture/royal-watch/who-is-rajwa-al-saif> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
Linning, Stephanie, 2022. Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan is engaged. [online] Mail Online. Available at: <https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11123053/Crown-Prince-Hussein-Jordan-engaged-Saudi-businessmans-daughter-Rajwa-Al-Seif.html> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Rajwa Khaled bin Musaed bin Saif bin Abdulaziz Al Saif – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajwa_Khaled_bin_Musaed_bin_Saif_bin_Abdulaziz_Al_Saif> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
Rhc.jo. 2022. Crown Prince engaged to Rajwa Al Saif. [online] Available at: <https://rhc.jo/en/media/news/crown-prince-engaged-rajwa-al-saif> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
The National. 2022. Who is Rajwa Al Saif, the Saudi fiancee of Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein?. [online] Available at: <https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/2022/08/18/who-is-rajwa-al-saif-fiance-of-jordans-crown-prince-hussein/> [Accessed 18 August 2022].

João VI, King of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

João VI, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on May 13, 1767, at the Palace of Queluz in Queluz, Portugal, João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael was the third of the six children and the third but the only surviving son of Maria I, Queen of Portugal and her husband and paternal uncle Pedro III, King of Portugal. Because Maria I’s father José I, King of Portugal had no sons, it was inevitable that Maria would become the reigning Queen of Portugal. However, since female succession to the throne of Portugal had never happened before, her father decided that Maria would marry his younger brother Infante Pedro of Portugal, then the first male in the line of succession. Pedro was Maria I’s co-ruler, as Pedro III, King of Portugal, but he was only a nominal king because the actual regal authority was vested solely in Maria I. Pedro III never participated in politics and always left government affairs to his wife. João VI’s paternal grandparents were João V, King of Portugal and Maria Anna of Austria. His maternal grandparents were José I, King of Portugal and Mariana Victoria of Spain.

João VI had five siblings:

José, Prince of Brazil (1761 – 1788), married his maternal aunt Infanta Benedita of Portugal, no children, José died from smallpox
João Francisco of Braganza, Infante of Portugal (born and died 1763), died in infancy
Mariana Victoria of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1768 – 1788), married Infante Gabriel of Spain, had three children, Mariana Victoria died from childbirth complications along with her last child
Maria Clementina of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1774 – 1776), died in childhood
Maria Isabella of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1776 – 1777), died in infancy

A young João before he became heir to the throne; Credit – Wikipedia

João’s elder brother José was expected to become King of Portugal and João spent his childhood in his elder brother’s shadow. There is little information about João’s education. In 1788, João’s elder brother José died from smallpox at the age of twenty-seven. As José’s marriage had produced no children, 21-year-old João became the heir to the throne of Portugal and received the titles Prince of Brazil and Duke of Braganza. There is some indication that João was considered ill-prepared for his future role. However, the mental instability of his mother Maria I would make João’s role even more important.

João’s parents Maria I and Pedro III; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria I, Queen of Portugal is considered to have been a good ruler in the period before her mental instability, which was first noticed in 1786 when she had to be carried back to her apartments in a state of delirium. Her mental instability continued to worsen. The deaths of her husband Pedro III in 1786, her eldest son and heir José in 1788, and her confessor Inácio de São Caetano, Archbishop of Salonica in 1788 may have caused major depressive disorder. Another potential causal factor of her mental instability may have been inbreeding, as Maria I’s two unmarried sisters Maria Ana Francisca and Maria Doroteia had similar conditions. In 1792, João took over the government on his mother’s behalf but he did not assume the title of Prince Regent until 1799.

João’s ten-year-old bride Carlota Joaquina of Spain in 1785, the year of their marriage; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1785, a marriage was arranged between 18-year-old João and 10-year-old Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain, daughter of the future Carlos IV, King of Spain and Maria Luisa of Parma. João’s maternal grandmother Mariana Victoria of Spain was the sister of Carlota Joaquina’s paternal grandfather Carlos III, the King of Spain at the time. Because João and Carlota Joaquina were related and because the bride was only ten years old, the marriage required a papal dispensation. A proxy marriage was held in Spain on May 8, 1785, and three days later, Carlota Joaquina left for Lisbon, Portugal. The in-person wedding took place in the chapel of the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa on June 9, 1785. Due to the bride’s young age, the consummation of the marriage was delayed for five years.

João and Carlota Joaquina had nine children:

Maria Teresa of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1793 – 1874), married (1) her first cousin Infante Pedro Carlos of Spain and Portugal, had one son (2) her maternal uncle Infante Carlos of Spain, Count of Molina, widower of her sister Maria Francisca, no children
Francisco António of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal, Prince of Beira (1795 – 1801), died in childhood
Maria Isabel of Braganza, Infante of Portugal (1797 – 1818), married (2nd wife) Ferdinand VII, King of Spain, had one daughter who died in infancy and one stillborn daughter, Maria Isabel died due to childbirth complications
Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil/Pedro IV, King of Portugal (1798 – 1834), married (1) Maria Leopoldina of Austria, had seven children, Maria Leopoldina died due to complications of a miscarriage (2) Amélie of Leuchtenberg, had one daughter
Maria Francisca of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1800 – 1834), her maternal uncle Infante Carlos of Spain, Count of Molina, had three children
Isabel Maria of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1801 – 1876), unmarried, Regent of Portugal (1826 to 1828)
Miguel I, King of Portugal (1802 – 1866), King of Portugal (1828 – 1834), forced to abdicate, married Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, had seven children
Maria da Assunção of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1805 – 1834), died unmarried
Ana de Jesus Maria of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1806 – 1857), married Nuno José Severo de Mendonça Rolim de Moura Barreto, Marquis of Loulé and Count of Vale de Reis, had five children

João and Carlota Joaquina; Credit – Wikipedia

When João became Prince Regent, his wife Carlota Joaquina would often interfere in matters of state, trying to influence her husband’s decisions. Her attempts at meddling in politics displeased the Portuguese nobility and the Portuguese people. Because she was excluded from government decisions, Carlota Joaquina plotted to remove João from his position as Prince Regent by arresting him and declaring that like his mother, he was incapable of ruling. The plot was discovered in 1805 and an investigation and the arrest of those involved were proposed. João wanted to avoid a public scandal and instead of an investigation and arrests, he confined Carlota Joaquina to the Palace of Queluz and Ramalhão Palace, and he moved to the Palace of Mafra, effectively causing a marital separation.

The Royal Family of Portugal and their entourage leaving for Brazil; Credit – Wikipedia

In late 1807, Spanish and Napoleonic forces threatened Portugal, causing Prince Regent João, in the name of his mother Queen Maria I, to move the royal court from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, in the Portuguese colony of Brazil. In 1815, Prince Regent João’s government elevated Brazil to the status of a kingdom, and his mother Maria was proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. On March 20, 1816, Maria I, Queen of Portugal died, aged 81, at the Carmo Convent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and her son succeeded her as João VI, King of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. Despite her mental instability, in Brazil, Maria is admired as an important figure in the eventual independence of Brazil. It was during her reign, although through the government of João’s regency, that many of the national institutions and organizations in Brazil were created.

In 1821, after a series of revolutions and army mutinies in Portugal, João VI, under pressure from the Portuguese parliament, departed Brazil for Portugal, leaving behind his eldest son Pedro as Regent of Brazil. In 1807, when the Portuguese royal family left Portugal for Brazil, Portugal was an absolute monarchy. However, Napoleonic troops and political attitudes fostered by Spain’s Cortes of Cádiz had brought revolutionary ideas to Portugal. In 1821, João VI, under pressure, called a constitutional Cortes Gerais, consisting of all three estates – the nobility, clergy, and bourgeoisie – to draft a constitution that made Portugal a constitutional monarchy. João VI made vows to uphold the new constitution.

João’s wife Carlota Joaquina of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

However, João’s wife Carlota Joaquina had other ideas. She allied with her youngest son Miguel, who shared his mother’s conservative views. In 1824, using Miguel’s position as army commander, they took power and held João VI as a virtual prisoner in the palace. Carlota Joaquina tried to make João VI abdicate in favor of his son Miguel. João VI received help from a British naval fleet in the port. From aboard a Royal Navy warship, João VI reprimanded his son Miguel, deposed him from command of the army, and exiled him. João VI then returned to Bemposta Palace, reorganized the council of ministers, and showed generosity to the others who had rebelled. Later in the year, another rebellion organized by João VI’s wife Carlota Joaquina was discovered and she was placed under house arrest in the Palace of Queluz.

João VI’s son Pedro; Credit – Wikipedia

Meanwhile, in Brazil, João VI’s son Pedro initiated an autonomous government for Brazil In January 1822, a decisive step in the history of Brazil, which was definitely due to the influence of Pedro’s wife, born Archduchess Maria Leopoldina of Austria. Known as Leopoldina, she was the daughter of Emperor Franz I of Austria and the second of his four wives, Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily. The step of giving Brazil an autonomous government was done because it was known that Portugal intended to recall Pedro and relegate Brazil to the status of a colony. In August 1822, Pedro appointed Leopoldina Regent while he went on a political trip to the Province of São Paulo. While Pedro was away, Leopoldina received news that Portugal was about to take action, and without waiting for Pedro’s return, she met with the Council of State on September 2, 1822, and signed the Decree of Independence, declaring Brazil independent from Portugal. Pedro was declared Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil on October 12, 1822, his 24th birthday, and Leopoldina became Empress of Brazil.

Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora Credit – Wikipedia Commons

João VI spent the last years of his life living at Bemposta Palace. On March 4, 1826, after returning from a visit to the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, João suddenly fell ill with symptoms that included vomiting and convulsions. Although he appeared to be getting better, he designated his daughter Infanta Isabel Maria to act as Regent of Portugal. João VI took a turn for the worse and died on March 10, 1826, aged 58, at Bemposta Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. Infanta Isabel Maria immediately assumed power and Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil was recognized as his father’s heir. João VI, King of Portugal was interred in the Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. Doctors could not definitively determine a cause of death but it was suspected that João VI had been poisoned. In 2000, a team of researchers exhumed the Chinese ceramic pot that contained João VI’s heart. An analysis of his heart detected enough arsenic to kill two people, confirming suspicions that João VI had been murdered.

João VI’s death caused a succession crisis. His elder son Pedro was ruling as Emperor of Brazil, and his younger son Miguel (the future King Miguel I of Portugal) had been exiled to Austria after leading several revolutions against his father. While Pedro was the legitimate heir to the Portuguese throne, the Brazilian people did not want the two thrones to be reunited. Pedro reigned as King Pedro IV of Portugal for only two months and then abdicated the Portuguese throne on May 2, 1826, in favor of his seven-year-old daughter Queen Maria II. João VI’s wife Carlota Joaquina remained confined in the Palace of Queluz, where she died alone and abandoned by her children on January 7, 1830, at the age of 56.

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Carlota Joaquina of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlota_Joaquina_of_Spain> [Accessed 21 June 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. John VI of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_VI_of_Portugal> [Accessed 21 June 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Maria I, Queen of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/maria-i-queen-of-portugal/> [Accessed 21 June 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Pedro III, King of Portugal. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/pedro-iii-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 21 June 2022].
Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Carlota Joaquina de Bourbon – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlota_Joaquina_de_Bourbon> [Accessed 21 June 2022].
Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. João VI de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C3%A3o_VI_de_Portugal> [Accessed 21 June 2022].

Pedro III, King of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Pedro III, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Pedro III, King of Portugal was co-monarch with his wife and niece Maria I, Queen of Portugal. However, the regal authority was vested entirely in Maria, the rightful heir to the throne. Born on July 5, 1717, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, Pedro Clemente Francisco José António was the fifth of the six children and the fourth of the five sons of João V, King of Portugal and Maria Anna of Austria. By the time Pedro was nineteen years old, three of his four brothers had died and he was the second surviving son after his brother, the future José I, King of Portugal. Pedro’s paternal grandparents were Pedro II, King of Portugal and his second wife Maria Sophia of Neuburg. His maternal grandparents were Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and his third wife, Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg. His grandmothers were sisters.

Pedro in 1745; Credit – Wikipedia

Pedro had five siblings:

Infanta Barbara of Portugal (1711 – 1758), married Fernando VI, King of Spain, no children
Infante Pedro of Portugal (1712 – 1714), died in early childhood
José I, King of Portugal (1714 – 1777), married Mariana Victoria of Spain, had four daughters including his successor Maria I, Queen of Portugal who married her paternal uncle Pedro
Infante Carlos of Portugal (1716 – 1736), died of a high fever, aged 19
Infante Alexandre of Portugal (1723 – 1728), died in childhood from smallpox

Pedro’s wife Maria I, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Pedro’s brother José I, King of Portugal had four daughters and no sons. Therefore, it was nearly inevitable that Maria, José I’s eldest daughter, would become the reigning Queen of Portugal. However, since female succession to the throne of Portugal had never happened before, her father decided that Maria would marry his younger brother Pedro, the first male in the line of succession. On June 6, 1760, 25-year-old Maria married her 42-year-old paternal uncle Pedro. Despite the age gap, the couple had a happy marriage.

Pedro and Maria had six children:

José, Prince of Brazil (1761 – 1788), married his maternal aunt Infanta Benedita of Portugal, no children, José died from smallpox
João Francisco of Braganza, Infante of Portugal (born and died 1763), died in infancy
João VI, King of Portugal (1767 – 1826), married Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain, had nine children
Mariana Victoria of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1768 – 1788), married Infante Gabriel of Spain, had three children, Mariana Victoria died from childbirth complications along with her last child
Maria Clementina of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1774 – 1776), died in childhood
Maria Isabella of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1776 – 1777), died in infancy

Maria I, Queen of Portugal and Pedro III, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

After José I, King of Portugal suffered a series of strokes, his wife Mariana Victoria was created Regent of Portugal on November 29, 1776, and remained Regent until José’s death on February 24, 1777. His eldest daughter and Pedro’s wife and niece became the first queen regnant of Portugal, reigning as Maria I. Pedro became co-monarch, as Pedro III, King of Portugal, when Maria ascended the throne. However, he was only a nominal king because the actual regal authority was vested solely in Maria. He never participated in politics and always left government affairs to his wife. Instead, Pedro spent his time hunting or in religious activities.

Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Pedro, III, King of Portugal, died on May 25, 1786, aged sixty-eight, at the Queluz Royal Palace in Queluz, Portugal. He was buried at the Pantheon of the Royal House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. His death, together with several other factors, contributed to the mental instability of his wife Queen Maria I, which was first noticed shortly after Pedro’s death when Maria had to be carried back to her apartments in a state of delirium.

Maria’s mental instability continued to worsen with the deaths in 1788 of both her eldest son and heir José and her confessor Inácio de São Caetano, Archbishop of Salonica. Another potential causal factor of her mental instability may have been inbreeding, as Maria’s two unmarried sisters Maria Ana Francisca and Maria Doroteia had similar conditions. Eventually, in 1792, Maria’s eldest surviving son, the future João VI, King of Portugal, took over the government on her behalf but he did not assume the title of Prince Regent until 1799. Maria, always in a state of mental instability, survived her husband by thirty years, dying on March 20, 1816, aged eighty-one.

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Peter III of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_III_of_Portugal> [Accessed 16 June 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2022. José I, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/jose-i-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Maria I, Queen of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/maria-i-queen-of-portugal/> [Accessed 16 June 2022].
Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Pedro III de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_III_de_Portugal> [Accessed 16 June 2022].

Maria I, Queen of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Maria I, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

The first of the two Queen Regnants of Portugal, Maria Francisca Isabel Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana was born at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal on December 17, 1734. She was the eldest of the four children and the eldest of the four daughters of José I, King of Portugal and Mariana Victoria of Spain. As the heir presumptive to the throne of Portugal, Maria held the titles Princess of Brazil and Duchess of Braganza. Maria’s paternal grandparents were João V, King of Portugal and Maria Anna of Austria. Her maternal grandparents were Felipe V, the first Bourbon King of Spain, and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese. Felipe V of Spain was born into the French royal family as Philippe, Duke of Anjou, and was a grandson of Louis XIV, King of France. In 1700, when the last Spanish king of the House of Habsburg, Carlos II, King of Spain, died childless with no immediate Habsburg heir, he named 16-year-old Philippe of Anjou, Duke of Anjou as his successor.

Maria at the age of five; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria had three younger siblings, all sisters:

Maria Ana Francisca of Portugal (1736 – 1813), unmarried
Maria Doroteia of Portugal (1739 – 1771), unmarried
Maria Benedita of Portugal (1746 – 1829) married her nephew José, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza (the eldest child and heir of Maria I, Queen of Portugal until his death from smallpox), no children

Maria’s husband and paternal uncle Infante Pedro of Portugal, later her co-ruler as Pedro III; Credit – Wikipedia

Because her father had no sons, it was inevitable that Maria would become the reigning Queen of Portugal. However, since female succession to the throne of Portugal had never happened before, her father decided that Maria would marry his younger brother Infante Pedro of Portugal, the first male in the line of succession. On June 6, 1760, 25-year-old Maria married her 42-year-old paternal uncle Pedro.

Maria and Pedro’s eldest son José, Prince of Brazil who died from smallpox; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria and Pedro had six children:

José, Prince of Brazil (1761 – 1788), married his maternal aunt Infanta Benedita of Portugal, no children, José died from smallpox
João Francisco of Braganza, Infante of Portugal (born and died 1763), died in infancy
João VI, King of Portugal (1767 – 1826), married Infanta Carlota Joaquina of Spain, had nine children
Mariana Victoria of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1768 – 1788), married Infante Gabriel of Spain, had three children, Mariana Victoria died from childbirth complications along with her last child
Maria Clementina of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1774 – 1776), died in childhood
Maria Isabella of Braganza, Infanta of Portugal (1776 – 1777), died in infancy

During the reign of Maria’s father José I, his government was completely dominated by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, his chief minister. Pombal effectively ruled the Portuguese Empire from 1750, when José I ascended the throne until he died in 1777. Maria and her mother Mariana Victoria disliked the influence Pombal had over José I. In 1759, after a failed assassination attempt on José I, Pombal held the powerful Távora family completely responsible, resulting in a scandal, the Távora Affair. Pombal ordered the execution of all members of the Távora family and it was only because of the intervention of Maria and her mother Mariana Victoria that some women and children were spared. The guilt or innocence of the Távoras family is still debated today by Portuguese historians. Some historians believe it was an attempt by Pombal to contain the growing powers of the old aristocratic families.

Maria I, Queen of Portugal and her husband and uncle Pedro III, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

)n November 29, 1776, after José I suffered a series of strokes, his wife Mariana Victoria was created Regent of Portugal. She remained Regent until José’s death on February 24, 1777, when his eldest daughter became the first queen regnant of Portugal, reigning as Maria I. Maria’s husband Pedro became co-monarch, as Pedro III, King of Portugal. Pedro was only a nominal king because the actual regal authority was vested solely in Maria. He never participated in politics and always left government affairs to his wife. Mariana Victoria had a significant influence on her daughter Maria and acted as an advisor until she died in 1781. Maria hated her father’s chief minister Sebastião de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, and she removed him from his positions. She then issued a restraining order, commanding that Pombal not be closer than twenty miles to her presence. If she were to travel near his estates, he was to remove himself from his house.

Maria I, Queen of Portugal, 1783; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria I, Queen of Portugal is considered to have been a good ruler in the period before her mental instability, first noticed in 1786 when she had to be carried back to her apartments in a state of delirium. Her mental instability continued to worsen. The deaths of her husband Pedro in 1786, her eldest son and heir José in 1788, and her confessor Inácio de São Caetano, Archbishop of Salonica in 1788 may have caused major depressive disorder. Another potential causal factor of her mental instability may have been inbreeding, as Maria’s two unmarried sisters Maria Ana Francisca and Maria Doroteia had similar conditions.

Maria’s second son and new heir, the future João VI, King of Portugal, as Prince Regent, pointing to a bust of his mother; Credit – Wikipedia

In February 1792, Maria was treated by Francis Willis, the same doctor who treated the British King George III. Willis wanted to take Maria to England, but the Portuguese Cortes (parliament) rejected the plan. As a result, Willis’ role in Maria’s care was more advisory, rather than the hands-on care he had given to King George III, and Willis deemed her incurable. With no hopes of an improvement, Maria’s second son and new heir, the future João VI, King of Portugal, took over the government on her behalf but he did not assume the title of Prince Regent until 1799.

In late 1807, Spanish and Napoleonic forces threatened Portugal, causing Prince Regent João, in the name of his mother Queen Maria I, to move the royal court from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, in the Portuguese colony of Brazil. In 1815, Prince Regent João’s government elevated Brazil to the status of a kingdom, and Maria was proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. When Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815, Maria and her family remained in Brazil.

Maria I’s tomb in the Estrela Basilica; Credit – By © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24597402

Maria spent the last eight years of her life in Brazil, always in a state of mental instability. On March 20, 1816, Maria I, Queen of Portugal died, aged 81, at the Carmo Convent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was initially interred at the Convent of Ajuda in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1821, when the Portuguese royal family returned to Portugal, Maria’s remains were transported to Lisbon where she was buried in the Estrela Basilica, a church she ordered to be built. Shortly after her wedding to her uncle Pedro, Maria vowed to build a church and convent if she was given the gift of children to ensure the succession of the House of Braganza. The Estrela Basilica was the fulfillment of her vow. In Brazil, Maria is admired as an important figure in the eventual independence of Brazil despite her mental instability. It was during her reign, although through the government of her son’s regency, that many national institutions and organizations in Brazil were created.

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Estrela Basilica – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrela_Basilica> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria I of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_I_of_Portugal> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2022. José I, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/jose-i-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/mariana-victoria-of-spain-queen-of-portugal/> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria I de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_I_de_Portugal> [Accessed 15 June 2022].

Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Mariana Victoria of Spain, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Mariana Victoria of Spain was the wife of José I, King of Portugal. She was born at the Royal Alcazar of Madrid in Spain on March 31, 1718, the second of the six children and the eldest of the three daughters of Felipe V, the first Bourbon King of Spain, and his second wife Elisabeth Farnese of Parma. Mariana Victoria’s father was born into the French royal family as Philippe, Duke of Anjou, and was a grandson of Louis XIV, King of France. In 1700, when the last Spanish king of the House of Habsburg, Carlos II, King of Spain, died childless with no immediate Habsburg heir, he named 16-year-old Philippe of Anjou, Duke of Anjou as his successor. Today’s Spanish royal family is still members of the House of Bourbon and are descendants of Mariana Victoria’s father Felipe V, King of Spain.

Mariana Victoria’s paternal grandparents were Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the eldest son of Louis XIV, King of France and the heir apparent to the throne of France, and Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria. Louis, Le Grand Dauphin never became King of France. He died of smallpox at the age of 49, predeceasing his father King Louis XIV. Mariana Victoria’s maternal grandparents were Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg.

The family of Felipe V, King of Spain in 1743: (L-R) Mariana Victoria, Princess of Brazil; Barbara, Princess of Asturias; Fernando, Prince of Asturias; King Felipe V; Luis, Count of Chinchón; Elisabeth Farnese; Infante Felipe; Louise Élisabeth of France; Infanta Maria Teresa; Infanta Maria Antonia; Maria Amalia of Saxony, Queen of Naples and Sicily; Carlo, King of Naples and Sicily. The two children in the foreground are Princess Maria Isabella Anne of Naples and Sicily and Infanta Isabella of Spain, daughter of Infante Felipe; Credit – Wikipedia

Mariana Victoria had five siblings:

Carlos III, King of Spain (1716 – 1788), married Maria Amalia of Saxony, had thirteen children
Infante Felipe of Spain, Duke of Parma (1720 – 1765), founder of the House of Bourbon-Parma, married Louise Élisabeth of France, had three children
Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain (1726 – 1746), married (first wife) Louis, Dauphin of France (the only surviving son of Louis XV, King of France), had one daughter who died at age two, died due to childbirth complications
Infante Luis of Spain, Count of Chinchón (1727 – 1785), formerly Archbishop of Toledo, Primate of Spain, and Cardinal, renounced his ecclesiastical titles, married morganatically María Teresa de Vallabriga, had three children
Infanta Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain (1729 – 1785) married Vittorio Amadeo III, King of Sardinia, had twelve children

Mariana Victoria had four half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy who died from tuberculosis at age 25:

Luis I, King of Spain (1707 – 1724), married Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans, no children, reigned for seven months after the abdication of his father, died from smallpox at age 17, his father Felipe V resumed the throne after Luis’ death
Infante Felipe of Spain (born and died 1709), died in infancy
Infante Felipe of Spain (1712 – 1719), died at age 7
Fernando VI, King of Spain (1713 – 1759), married Barbara of Portugal, no children

After the War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718 – 1720) which pitted Spain against Great Britain, France, Austria, Savoy, and the Dutch Republic, France and Spain decided to reconcile with a marriage arrangement between two-year-old Mariana Victoria of Spain and her first cousin, ten-year-old Louis XV, King of Spain. Mariana Victoria was to be raised in France and the couple would not be married until Mariana Victoria reached a mature age. The nearly four-year-old Mariana Victoria arrived in Paris, France on March 2, 1722, and took up residence at the Palais du Louvre. Marie Anne de Bourbon, an illegitimate daughter of King Louis XIV and his mistress Louise de La Vallière, was responsible for Mariana Victoria’s education, and Charlotte de La Motte Houdancourt, Duchess of Ventadour, who had been the governess of King Louis XV, Mariana Victoria’s intended groom, was appointed her governess.

King Louis XV of France and Mariana Victoria in 1723; Credit – Wikipedia

However, in 1725, when Mariana Victoria was seven-years-old, influenced by Prime Minister Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon, it was decided to send Mariana Victoria back to Spain. The Duke of Bourbon wanted his sister to be King Louis XV’s bride so he would have more influence. This situation was made worse by what was occurring in Spain. In 1724, Mariana Victoria’s 17-year-old brother Luis I, King of Spain died from smallpox. He was married to Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans, daughter of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (son of Louis XIV of France’s only sibling Philippe I, Duke of Orléans) and Françoise Marie de Bourbon (daughter of Louis XIV and his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespan). Because the marriage of Luis I, King of Spain, and Louise Élisabeth d’Orléans had not been consummated, Louise Élisabeth was to be sent back to France. Mariana Victoria left Versailles on April 5, 1725, and traveled to the Spanish border where she and Louise Élisabeth were exchanged. Five months later, 15-year-old Louis XV, King of France married 22-year-old Marie Leszczyńska, daughter of Stanislaus I, the deposed King of Poland.

Mariana Victoria’s husband José, Prince of Brazil (the future José I, King of Portugal) in 1729; Credit – Wikipedia

To strengthen an alliance with Portugal, a double marriage between Spain and Portugal was arranged between Mariana Victoria and José, Prince of Brazil (the future José, I. King of Portugal) the son and heir of João V, King of Portugal, and between Mariana Victoria’s half-brother, her father’s heir Fernando, Prince of Asturias, later Fernando VI, King of Spain, and Barbara of Portugal, daughter of João V, King of Portugal. In a complex and protocol-filled arrangement called the Exchange of the Princesses, on January 19, 1729, the two sets of princes and princesses were escorted to the Portugal-Spain border by the two royal courts, and the princesses were exchanged in a richly decorated wooden pavilion built on a bridge over the Caia River that linked the towns of Elvas, Portugal and Badajoz, Spain. Then, both couples were married in richly decorated pavilions on the same day on the grooms’ sides of the Caia River.

A contemporary engraving depicting the Exchange of the Princesses over the Caia River on the Portugal-Spain border; Credit – Wikipedia

Mariana Victoria and José developed a close relationship. They both enjoyed hunting as well as music. Mariana Victoria was an accomplished singer and they patronized Italian opera singers and the theater. They were both passionately religious but despite this, José had several mistresses much to the dislike of his wife.

Mariana Victoria and José had four daughters but there were also four stillbirths including one stillborn son. Two daughters remained unmarried. Maria Ana Francisca was a proposed bride for Louis, Dauphin of France, the son of Louis XV, King of France who predeceased his father, but Mariana Victoria rejected the marriage. When another daughter Doroteia was proposed as a wife for Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Mariana Victoria again refused the match. After the death of her husband, Mariana Victoria negotiated the marriage of the youngest daughter Benedita to José, Prince of Brazil, Mariana Victoria’s grandson.

Maria I, Queen of Portugal (1734 – 1816), married her paternal uncle Pedro of Portugal who was her co-ruler as Pedro III, King of Portugal, had six children
Maria Ana Francisca of Portugal (1736 – 1813), unmarried
Maria Doroteia of Portugal (1739 – 1771), unmarried
Maria Benedita of Portugal (1746 – 1829) married her nephew José, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza (the eldest child and heir of Maria I, Queen of Portugal until his death from smallpox), no children

José I, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

José did not become King of Portugal until twenty-one years after his marriage, upon the death of his father in 1750. José named Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal as his chief minister. Pombal was the de facto ruler of the Portuguese Empire from 1750 until José I’s death in 1777. Mariana Victoria and her eldest daughter Maria disliked the influence Pombal had over José. In 1759, after a failed assassination attempt on José I, King of Portugal, Pombal held the powerful Távora family completely responsible, resulting in the scandal, the Távora Affair. Pombal later ordered the execution of all members of the Távora family and it was only because of the intervention of Mariana Victoria and her eldest daughter Maria that some women and children were spared. The guilt or innocence of the Távoras family is still debated today by Portuguese historians. Some historians believe it was an attempt by Pombal to contain the growing powers of the old aristocratic families.

Mariana Victoria, Queen of Portugal, circa 1773; Credit – Wikipedia

Maria I, Queen of Portugal, Mariana Victoria’s daughter; Credit – Wikipedia

Mariana Victoria had a significant influence on her daughter Maria I, Queen of Portugal, who would often ask her mother’s advice on matters of state. Maria I hated her father’s chief minister Sebastião de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, and she removed him from his positions. She then issued a restraining order, commanding that Pombal not be closer than twenty miles to her presence. If she were to travel near his estates, he was compelled to remove himself from his house to fulfill the royal decree.

Portugal and Spain were in conflict over territorial possessions in the Americas. Maria Victoria tried to improve relations with Spain, ruled by her brother Carlos III, King of Spain. She left Portugal and traveled to Spain, where she stayed for just over a year, residing at the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. With Mariana Victoria’s influence, the Treaty of El Pardo, which resolved many longtime disputes between Portugal and Spain, was signed on October 1, 1778.

Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

While in Spain, Mariana Victoria had an attack of rheumatism and was confined to a wheelchair for some time. She returned to Portugal in November 1778, and it soon became apparent that she was also suffering from heart disease. She died on January 15, 1781, aged 62, at the Barraca Real of Ajuda in Ajuda, Portugal where the Palace of Ajuda is now located. Mariana Victoria was first buried in the Church of São Francisco de Paula in Lisbon, Portugal, which she had restored. Her remains were later transferred to the Pantheon of the Royal House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal.

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Joseph I of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_I_of_Portugal> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Mariana Victoria of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Victoria_of_Spain> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
Flantzer, S., 2019. Felipe V, King of Spain. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/felipe-v-first-bourbon-king-of-spain/> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. José I de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_I_de_Portugal> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Mariana Vitória de Bourbon – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Vit%C3%B3ria_de_Bourbon> [Accessed 8 June 2022].

José I, King of Portugal

José I, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

José Francisco António Inácio Norberto Agostinho was the third of the six children and the second but the eldest surviving of the five sons of João V, King of Portugal and Maria Anna of Austria. He was born on June 6, 1714, at Ribeira Palace in Lisbon, Portugal. José’s paternal grandparents were Pedro II, King of Portugal and his second wife Maria Sophia of Neuburg. His maternal grandparents were Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor and his third wife, Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg. His grandmothers were sisters. José was baptized on August 27, 1714, and his godparents were Louis XIV, King of France and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Holy Roman Empress.

José had five siblings:

Infanta Barbara of Portugal (1711 – 1758), married Fernando VI, King of Spain, no children
Infante Pedro of Portugal (1712 – 1714), died in early childhood
Infante Carlos of Portugal (1716 – 1736), died of a high fever, aged 19
Pedro III, King of Portugal (1717 – 1786), married his niece Maria I, Queen of Portugal (José’s daughter), and was her co-ruler, had six children
Infante Alexandre of Portugal (1723 – 1728), died in childhood from smallpox

During his childhood, José was exposed to his mother’s highly religious influence and the influence of António Stief, an Austrian Jesuit priest who accompanied his mother Maria Anna of Austria to Portugal, as a royal confessor. José received an education typical of a prince of the time, studying science and languages. He was a devout Catholic and passionate about Italian opera, assembling one of the largest European collections of opera scores.

A contemporary engraving depicting the Exchange of Princesses over the Caia River on the Portugal-Spain border; Credit – Wikipedia

To strengthen an alliance with Spain, a double marriage between Portugal and Spain was arranged between José and Mariana Victoria of Spain, daughter of Felipe V, King of Spain, and between José’s elder sister Barbara and Felipe V’s son and heir Fernando, Prince of Asturias, later Fernando VI, King of Spain. In a complex and protocol-filled arrangement called the Exchange of Princesses, on January 19, 1729, the two sets of princes and princesses were escorted to the Portugal-Spain border by the two royal courts, and the princesses were exchanged in a richly decorated wooden pavilion built on a bridge over the Caia River that linked the towns of Elvas, Portugal and Badajoz, Spain. Then, both couples were married in richly decorated pavilions on the same day on the grooms’ sides of the Caia River.

Mariana Victoria of Spain, José’s wife; Credit – Wikipedia

José and Mariana Victoria developed a close relationship. They both enjoyed hunting as well as music. Mariana Victoria was an accomplished singer and they patronized Italian opera singers and the theater. They were both passionately religious but despite this, José had several mistresses much to his wife’s dislike.

Maria, José’s eldest daughter and his successor; Credit – Wikipedia

José and Mariana Victoria had four daughters but there were also four stillbirths including one stillborn son:

Maria I, Queen of Portugal (1734 – 1816), married her paternal uncle Pedro of Portugal who was her co-ruler as Pedro III, King of Portugal, had six children
Maria Ana Francisca of Portugal (1736 – 1813), unmarried
Maria Doroteia of Portugal (1739 – 1771), unmarried
Maria Benedita of Portugal (1746 – 1829) married her nephew José, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza (the eldest child and heir of Maria I, Queen of Portugal until his death from smallpox), no children

Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, chief minister of José I and de facto ruler of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

José did not become King of Portugal until he was 36-years-old, upon the death of his father in 1750. Almost immediately, José named Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal as his chief minister. Pombal effectively ruled the Portuguese Empire from 1750 until José I’s death in 1777. A liberal reformer influenced by the Age of Enlightenment, the Marquis of Pombal led Portugal’s recovery from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and modernized Portugal’s administrative, economic, and religious institutions. As Pombal was the de facto ruler of Portugal, José and Mariana Victoria took less prominent roles in politics.

A contemporary engraving showing Lisbon in flames and a tsunami overwhelming the ships in the harbor; Credit – Wikipedia

José I’s reign was marred by the destructive 1755 Lisbon earthquake that killed an estimated 100,000 people. Seismologists today estimate the Lisbon earthquake had a magnitude in the range of 8.5 – 9.0 on the Richter Scale. Following the initial earthquake, Lisbon was devastated by a tsunami and fires. The earthquake caused José to develop a severe case of claustrophobia. He never again felt comfortable living within a walled building and moved the royal court to an extensive complex of tents in Ajuda, near Lisbon.

The attack on José I, King of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

On the night of September 3, 1758, José I was riding in an unmarked carriage, returning to the complex of tents in Ajuda after an evening with his mistress in Lisbon. The carriage was intercepted by two or three men who shot both José I and his driver but both survived. Sebastião de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal took control of the situation. Without disclosing the attack or José’s injuries, he initiated an inquiry. A few days later two men were arrested for the shootings and tortured. The men confessed their guilt and stated that they were following the orders of the Távora family, who supposedly were plotting to put José de Mascarenhas da Silva e Lencastre, 8th Duke of Aveiro on the throne because of the Távora family’s displeasure that José I did not have a male heir. The two men who confessed were hanged the following day, even before the attempted assassination was made public. Pombal later ordered the execution of all members of the Távora family and the 8th Duke of Aveiro, and it was only through the intervention of Jose I’s wife Mariana Victoria and his eldest daughter Maria that some women and children were spared. The scandal was called the Távora Affair. The guilt or innocence of the Távoras family is still debated today by Portuguese historians. Some historians believe it was an attempt by Pombal to contain the growing powers of the old aristocratic families.

Royal Pantheon of the House of Braganza at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

After José suffered a series of strokes, Mariana Victoria was created Regent of Portugal on November 29, 1776, and remained Regent until José’s death. José I, King of Portugal died at Sintra Palace in Sintra, Portugal on February 24, 1777, at the age of 62. He is buried at the Pantheon of the Royal House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon, Portugal. Upon the death of José I, his eldest daughter became the first queen regnant of Portugal, reigning as Maria I. Maria I hated her father’s chief minister Sebastião de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, and upon her accession to the throne, she removed him from his positions. Maria then issued a restraining order, commanding that Pombal not be closer than twenty miles to her presence. If she were to travel near his estates, he was compelled to remove himself from his house to fulfill the royal decree.

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Joseph I of Portugal – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_I_of_Portugal> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Mariana Victoria of Spain – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Victoria_of_Spain> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2022. João V, King of Portugal. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/joao-v-king-of-portugal/> [Accessed 3 June 2022].
Louda, Jiri and Maclagan, Michael, 2002. Lines of Succession. London: Little, Brown.
Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. José I de Portugal – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_I_de_Portugal> [Accessed 8 June 2022].
Pt.wikipedia.org. 2022. Mariana Vitória de Bourbon – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre. [online] Available at: <https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Vit%C3%B3ria_de_Bourbon> [Accessed 8 June 2022].

Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York

Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, detail from the frontispiece of the illuminated manuscript Talbot Shrewsbury Book; Credit – Wikipedia

Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York was a claimant to the English throne, the leader of the Yorkist faction during the Wars of the Roses, the father of King Edward IV of England and King Richard III of England, and the great-grandfather of King Henry VIII of England and his sister Margaret Tudor. Through Margaret Tudor, Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York is an ancestor of the British royal family and many other European royal families.

Born on September 21, 1411, Richard was the youngest of the three children and the only surviving son of Richard of Conisbrough, 3rd Earl of Cambridge and his first wife Anne Mortimer. Both Richard’s parents were descendants of King Edward III of England. Richard’s paternal grandparents were Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York (son of King Edward III), and Isabella of Castile (daughter of King Pedro of Castile and León). His maternal grandparents were Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March (a great-grandson of King Edward III) and Eleanor Holland (a great-great-granddaughter of King Edward I of England).

The White Rose of the House of York; Credit – Wikipedia

The House of York, a cadet branch of the House of Plantagenet, descended from two sons of King Edward III: in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III and from a female line of Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, Edward III’s second surviving son. These two lines came together when Richard’s mother Anne Mortimer, a great-granddaughter of Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence married Richard’s father Richard of Conisbrough, a son of Edmund of Langley, Duke of York. (A House of York family tree can be seen at Wikipedia: House of York.)

Richard had two elder siblings:

Isabel of Cambridge (1409 – 1484), married (1) Sir Thomas Grey, had one son (2) Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex, had eleven children
Henry of Cambridge, died in infancy

Richard’s mother Anne Mortimer died shortly after his birth, due to childbirth complications. His father Richard of Conisbrough made a second marriage to Maud Clifford, the divorced wife of John Neville, 6th Baron Latimer, and daughter of Thomas de Clifford, 6th Baron de Clifford, but the couple did not have any children.

In 1414, Richard’s father Richard of Conisbrough was created 3rd Earl of Cambridge but the title came without the usual grants of land. As a result, Richard of Conisbrough lacked the resources to properly equip himself for King Henry V’s invasion of France. Perhaps partly for this reason, Richard of Conisbrough conspired with Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham and Sir Thomas Grey to depose King Henry V and place Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, the brother of Richard of Conisbrough’s deceased wife Anne Mortimer on the English throne. Edmund Mortimer was the great-grandson of Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, the second surviving son of King Edward III, and his claim to the throne was superior to the claim of King Henry V and his father King Henry IV (both descended from King Edward III’s third surviving son John of Gaunt,1st Duke of Lancaster) who had deposed his first cousin King Richard II. However, Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March had not been aware of the plot and when he found out about it, he told King Henry V. The three plotters, including Richard of Conisbrough, were arrested, tried, and beheaded in August 1415.

Richard, 3rd Duke of York, stained glass window from St Laurence’s Church in Ludlow, Shropshire, England; Credit – http://www.richardiiiworcs.co.uk/

With the execution of his father, four-year-old Richard was an orphan. The title of Richard’s father was not attainted – after being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason), an act of attainder deprived nobles of their titles and lands. The descendants of the attainted noble could no longer inherit his lands or income. Because his father was not attainted, four-year-old Richard inherited his father’s Earl of Cambridge title. Three months later, little Richard’s paternal uncle (his father’s elder brother) Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York was killed at the Battle of Agincourt, and Richard inherited his paternal uncle’s titles and estates. In 1425, when Richard’s maternal uncle Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March died, Richard inherited the lesser title of Earl of March but the greater estates of the Mortimer family along with their claim to the English throne. Richard of York already held a strong claim to the English throne as a male-line great-grandson of King Edward III.

Richard’s wife Cecily Neville, Detail from the 15th century Neville Book of Hours. The rest of the image shows her mother, Joan Beaufort, along with her daughters; Credit – Wikipedia

After the death of his father in 1415, the orphaned Richard became a royal ward and was placed in the household of Sir Robert Waterton, loyal to King Henry V and King Henry VI of the House of Lancaster. In 1423, Richard became the royal ward of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland who married (his second wife) Joan Beaufort, daughter of King Edward III’s fourth son John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and his mistress Katherine Swynford, whom he later married in 1396. Ralph Neville had eight children with his first wife and fourteen children with his second wife and so had many daughters needing husbands. As was his right Neville betrothed his youngest child, nine-year-old daughter Cecily Neville to thirteen-year-old Richard in 1424. Richard and Cecily were married by October 1429.

Richard and Cecily had twelve children including two Kings of England:

Anne of York (1439 – 1476), married (1) Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, had one daughter (2) Sir Thomas St. Leger, Anne died giving birth to a daughter
Henry of York (born and died 1441), died in infancy
Edward IV, King of England (1442 – 1483), married Elizabeth Woodville, had ten children including the ill-fated Edward V, King of England and Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII, King of England
Edmund, Earl of Rutland (1443 – 1460), unmarried killed at the Battle of Wakefield, during the Wars of the Roses
Elizabeth of York (1444 – circa 1503), wife of John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, had eleven children
Margaret of York (1446 – 1503), married Charles I (the Bold), Duke of Burgundy, no children
William of York (born and died 1447), died in infancy
John of York (born and died 1448), died in infancy
George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence (1449 – 1478), married Isabel Neville, had four children, George was executed by his brother King Edward IV
Thomas of York (born and died circa 1450/1451), died in infancy
Richard III, King of England (1452 – 1485), married Anne Neville, had one son Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales who predeceased his father, Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field
Ursula of York (born and died 1455), died in infancy

In 1422, 35-year-old King Henry V succumbed to dysentery, a disease that killed more soldiers than battle, leaving his nine-month-old son to inherit his throne as King Henry VI. Over the next decade, Richard was a member of the close circle around the young king, in recognition of his place in the line of succession to the English throne. Richard was third in the line of succession after John, 1st Duke of Bedford and Humphrey, 1st Duke of Gloucester, both brothers of King Henry V and paternal uncles of the young King Henry VI. Richard was knighted by John, 1st Duke of Bedford in 1426. He was present for King Henry VI’s coronation at Westminster Abbey in 1429. Richard came of age in 1432 and was granted full control of his estates. In 1433, he was created a Knight of the Garter.

After the deaths of John, 1st Duke of Bedford in 1435 and Humphrey, 1st Duke of Gloucester in 1447, who were both childless, Richard, 3rd Duke of York was the heir to the English throne. In 1436, Richard was appointed to succeed John, 1st Duke of Bedford as commander of the English forces in France during the Hundred Years’ War. In 1445, King Henry VI married Margaret of Anjou, the niece of King Charles VII of France. Henry VI and Margaret had one child, born eight years after their marriage, Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. Edward was the heir to the throne, followed by Richard, 3rd Duke of York.

King Henry VI; Credit – Wikipedia

Shortly before his son was born, King Henry VI had some kind of mental breakdown. He was unable to recognize or respond to people for over a year. These attacks may have been hereditary. Henry’s maternal grandfather King Charles VI of France suffered from similar attacks, even thinking he was made of glass. Sometimes Henry VI also had hallucinations which makes some modern medical experts think he may have had a form of schizophrenia. Porphyria, which may have afflicted King George III, has also been suggested as a possible cause. During Henry’s incapacity, Richard, 3rd Duke of York and the next in line to the throne after Henry’s son, governed as Lord Protector. Richard often quarreled with the Lancastrians at court. In 1448, he assumed the surname Plantagenet and then assumed the leadership of the Yorkist faction in 1450.

King Henry VI sitting (right) while Richard, 3rd Duke of York (left) and Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset (centre) have an argument. From a 19th century book A Chronicle of England: B.C. 55 – A.D. 1485; Credit – Wikipedia

Even before the birth of Henry VI’s son, factions were forming and the seeds of the Wars of the Roses were being planted. There were differing opinions over how England should conduct the Hundred Years’ War with France. By the early 1450s, the most important rivalry was between Richard, 3rd Duke of York and Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset. Richard argued for a more vigorous approach to the war to recover territories lost to the French. The Duke of Somerset was among those who believed there should be attempts to secure peace by making concessions.

Richard, 3rd Duke of York and Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset also came from two rival cadet branches of the House of Plantagenet. In 1399, Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, the eldest legitimate son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (the third surviving son of King Edward III), deposed his first cousin King Richard II, the son of King Edward III’s eldest son Edward (Prince of Wales) the Black Prince. Henry Bolingbroke became King Henry IV, the first of three kings (along with Henry V and Henry VI) from the House of Lancaster. This bypassed the descendants of King Edward III’s second son Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence, with Richard, 3rd Duke of York of the House of York being the current heir of Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence. Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset was a member of the House of Lancaster. He was the grandson of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and his mistress Katherine Swynford, who John of Gaunt eventually married. Originally illegitimate, the Beauforts had been made legitimate by an Act of Parliament but were supposedly barred from the line of succession to the throne. However, there was always the possibility that this could be circumvented. See a family tree, Wikipedia: Family connections and the Wars of the Roses.)

King Henry VI was more interested in religion and learning than military matters. His wife Margaret was an intelligent, energetic woman and realized that she would have to take on most of her husband’s duties, and so it was Margaret who took over the military reins and aligned herself with Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset. Margaret believed her husband was threatened with being deposed by Richard, 3rd Duke of York who thought he had a better claim to the throne and would be a better king than Henry VI. After Henry VI’s recovery in 1455, Richard was dismissed from his position of Lord Protector, and Margaret and Edward Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset became all-powerful. Eventually, things came to a head between Henry VI’s House of Lancaster and Richard’s House of York, and war broke out.

At the First Battle of St. Albans on May 22, 1455, Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset was killed. Afterward, there was a peace of sorts, but hostilities started again four years later. On July 10, 1460, King Henry VI was captured at the Battle of Northampton and forced to recognize Richard, 3rd Duke of York as his heir instead of his own son.

The remains of Sandal Castle; Credit – By Abcdef123456 at English Wikipedia – Photo taken by Abcdef123456; Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.; description page is/was here., CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4380982

In December 1460, Richard, 3rd Duke of York rode to own fortress of Sandal Castle near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. He planned to spend a comfortable Christmas among his own people. Richard settled down to wait for his eldest son Edward, Earl of March (the future King Edward IV) to arrive from Shrewsbury with reinforcements before engaging with the Lancastrians. Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset and Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland, leading the Lancastrian army would have liked to besiege Richard at Sandal Castle but they lacked the resources to conduct a siege. They decided that Richard must somehow be lured out of the castle and made to fight before his son Edward arrived with reinforcements. The Lancastrian army available consisted of 20,000 men while the Yorkist army had only 12,000 men.

John Neville, Baron Neville, who had grown up with Richard as he was the eldest son of Richard’s guardian Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, arrived at Sandal Castle with 8,000 men but he deserted to the Lancastrians. Even after this, Richard seriously underestimated the size of the Lancastrian army. As December drew to a close, the discipline of the York army was lax. Many York men were allowed to leave the castle precincts to forage for food, signaling to the Lancastrians that there were supply issues. The York scouts were incompetent as they failed to discover the Lancastrians’ plans.

Around Christmas Day, Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset had a meeting with Richard during which it was agreed that there should be a truce until after the Epiphany (January 6) – but the Lancastrians did not intend to keep the truce. For three days, a Lancastrian herald was sent to Richard with orders to provoke him with insults into attacking. On December 29, 1460, the Lancastrians disguised 400 men as Yorkist reinforcements and sent them to join the army at Sandal Castle.

On December 30, 1460, Richard left Sandal Castle. It is not sure why Richard left the safety of the castle. Perhaps a combination of thinking the disguised Lancastrians were Yorkists or planned Richard to lead his men on a foraging expedition. The Yorkists marched towards the Lancastrians located to the north of the castle. As the Yorkists engaged the Lancastrians to their front, others attacked them from the flank and rear, cutting them off from the castle. Richard had no idea that the Lancastrian army was so near or that his army was so outnumbered.

Monument to Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York on the place of his death; Credit – By SMJ, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13540643

Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York was pulled down from his horse and killed. Richard’s second son, 17-year-old Edmund, Earl of Rutland had been fighting with him. Edmund attempted to escape over Wakefield Bridge but was overtaken and killed, possibly by the Lancastrian John Clifford, 9th Baron Clifford to avenge his father’s death at the First Battle of St Albans. After the battle was over, some Lancasterian soldiers retrieved Richard’s body, propped it up, and crowned it with a garland of reeds. They then pretended to bow and said, “Hail king without a kingdom!” Lord Clifford ordered the corpses of Richard and his son Edmund to be decapitated and ordered a paper crown to be placed on Richard’s head. The heads of Richard and Edmund were then displayed on pikes over Micklegate Bar, the main entrance of the city of York. The bodies of Richard and Edmund were quietly buried at Pontefract Castle in Pontefract, Yorkshire, England.

Richard’s eldest son King Edward IV of England; Credit – Wikipedia

Richard’s eldest son Edward was now the leader of the Yorkist faction. On February 3, 1461, Edward defeated the Lancastrian army at the Battle of Mortimer’s Cross. Edward then took a bold step and declared himself king on March 4, 1461. His decisive victory over the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton on March 29, 1461, cemented his status as King of England. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey on June 29, 1461. However, the former king, Henry VI, still lived and fled to Scotland. There were back and forth reigns of King Edward IV and King Henry VI. Edward IV reigned from 1461 – 1470 and Henry VI reigned from 1470 -1471. The final decisive Yorkist victory was at the Battle of Tewkesbury on May 4, 1471, where Henry VI’s son Edward, Prince of Wales was killed. Henry VI was returned to the Tower of London and died on May 21, 1471, probably murdered on orders from Edward IV. Edward IV reigned until he died in 1483.

Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay; Credit – By Theroadislong – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37346663

On July 30, 1476, during the reign of Richard’s son King Edward IV, the remains of Richard and Edmund were reinterred at the Church of Saint Mary and All Saints in Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire, England in a grand ceremony attended by Richard’s sons King Edward IV, George, Duke of Clarence, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester (the future King Richard III) and many noblemen. Thomas Whiting, Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary, has left a detailed account of the events.

At the entrance to the churchyard, King Edward waited, together with the Duke of Clarence, the Marquis of Dorset, Earl Rivers, Lord Hastings and other noblemen. Upon its arrival the King ‘made obeisance to the body right humbly and put his hand on the body and kissed it, crying all the time.’ The procession moved into the church where two hearses were waiting, one in the choir for the body of the Duke and one in the Lady Chapel for that of the Earl of Rutland, and after the King had retired to his ‘closet’ and the princes and officers of arms had stationed themselves around the hearses, masses were sung and the King’s chamberlain offered for him seven pieces of cloth of gold ‘which were laid in a cross on the body.’ The next day three masses were sung, the Bishop of Lincoln preached a ‘very noble sermon’ and offerings were made by the Duke of Gloucester and other lords, of ‘The Duke of York’s coat of arms, of his shield, his sword, his helmet and his coursers on which rode Lord Ferrers in full armour, holding in his hand an axe reversed.’

When Richard’s wife Cecily Neville, Duchess of York died in 1495, she was interred next to her husband as her will directed. After the choir of the Church of Saint Mary and All Saints was destroyed during the Reformation, Queen Elizabeth I ordered the removal of the smashed York tombs and then created the present York tombs. Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and his wife Cecily were the great-great-great-grandparents of Queen Elizabeth I.

The tomb of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and his wife Cecily Neville, to the left of the altar; Credit – Visit to Fotheringhay – Part 3, Exploring the Church of St Mary and All Saints

The Beaufort line eventually did produce a King of England. On August 22, 1485, at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the last king of the House of York and the Plantagenet dynasty, King Richard III of England, the youngest son of Richard, 3rd Duke of York, lost his life and his crown. The battle was a decisive victory for the House of Lancaster, whose leader 28-year-old Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, became the first monarch of the House of Tudor as King Henry VII. Henry VII was a great-great-great-grandson of Edward III, King of England through the line of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, the eldest child of John of Gaunt (son of King Edward III) and his mistress Katherine Swynford who he later married.

The bloodline of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York remains alive among European royalty. His granddaughter Elizabeth of York, the daughter of his son Edward IV, King of England, married King Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch. Through their daughter Margaret Tudor, Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York is an ancestor of the British royal family and many other European royal families.

Works Cited

En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St_Mary_and_All_Saints,_Fotheringhay> [Accessed 1 August 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_of_Conisburgh,_3rd_Earl_of_Cambridge> [Accessed 1 August 2022].
En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_of_York,_3rd_Duke_of_York> [Accessed 1 August 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Edward IV of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-edward-iv-of-england/> [Accessed 1 August 2022].
Flantzer, Susan, 2015. King Henry VI of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-henry-vi-of-england/> [Accessed 1 August 2022].
Jones, Dan, 2012. The Plantagenets. New York: Viking.
Weir, Alison, 1995. The Wars of the Roses. New York: Ballantine Books.
Williamson, David, 1996. Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

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