Henry, King of Portugal

Henry
17th century painting of Cardinal-King Henry
King of Portugal and the Algarves
Reign	4 August 1578—31 January 1580
Predecessor	Sebastian
Successor	Anthony (disputed) / Philip I (accepted)
Father	Manuel I of Portugal
Mother	Maria of Aragon
Born	31 January 1512 Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	31 January 1580 (aged 68) Almeirim, Kingdom of Portugal
Burial	Jerónimos Monastery, Lisbon, District of Lisbon, Portugal

Henry or Henrique (Portuguese pronunciation: [ẽˈʁik(ɨ)]) (Lisbon, 31 January 1512 – Almeirim, 31 January 1580) was King of Portugal and the Algarves. He ruled between 1578 and 1580. He was known as Henry the Chaste (Portuguese Henrique o Casto).

Life

Cardinal

Henry was the younger brother of King John III of Portugal and, as a younger son, he was not expected to succeed to the Portuguese throne. Early in his life, Henry took Holy Orders to promote Portuguese interests within the Catholic Church, then dominated by Spain. He rose fast through the Church hierarchy, becoming in quick succession Archbishop of Braga, Archbishop of Évora and Grand Inquisitor before receiving a Cardinal's hat in 1545, receiving the Titulus Ss. Quattuor Coronatorum. Henry, more than anyone, endeavoured to bring the Jesuits to Portugal and employed them in the colonial empire.

King

He served as regent for his grand-nephew, King Sebastian, after 1557, and then succeeded him as king after the disastrous Battle of Alcácer Quibir in 1578 in which Sebastian died. Henry renounced his clerical offices and sought to take a bride for the continuation of the Avis dynasty, but Pope Gregory XIII, affiliated with the Habsburgs, did not release him from his vows. The Cardinal-King died without having appointed a Council of Regency to choose a successor. One of the closest dynastic claimants was King Philip II of Spain who, in November 1580, sent the Duke of Alba to claim Portugal by force. Lisbon soon fell, and Philip was elected King of Portugal on condition that the kingdom and its overseas territories would not become Spanish provinces.

External links

Portuguese royalty
House of Aviz-Beja

Manuel I Children include    Miguel da Paz, Prince of Portugal and of Asturias    João III    Isabella, Holy Roman Empress    Beatrice, Duchess of Savoy    Louis, Duke of Beja    Ferdinand, Duke of Guarda and Trancoso    Cardinal-Infante Afonso    Henry    Duarte, Duke of Guimarães    Maria, Lady of Viseu Grandchildren include    Anthony (illegitimate)    Maria, Duchess of Parma and Piacenza    Catherine, Duchess of Braganza Great-Great-Grandchildren include    João IV João III Children include    Maria Manuela, Princess of Portugal and of Asturias    João Manuel, Prince of Portugal Grandchildren include    Sebastian Sebastian Henry Anthony

• Manuel I of Portugal
• Sebastian of Portugal
• Struggle for the throne of Portugal
• War of the Portuguese Succession

Ancestry

Henry, King of Portugal House of Aviz-Beja Cadet branch of the House of Aviz Born: 31 January 1512 Died: 31 January 1580
Regnal titles
Preceded by Sebastian	King of Portugal and the Algarves 1578–1580	Succeeded by Anthony or Philip I