Infante Denis, Lord of Cifuentes

Infante Denis
Lord of Villar-Dompardo Lord of Cifuentes, Escalona y Alvar de Tormes
Spouse	Joan of Castile, Lady of Cifuentes
Issue
Infante Fernando, Lord of Cifuentes Infante Pedro, Lord of Colmenarejo Infanta Beatrix
House	House of Burgundy
Father	Peter I
Mother	Inês de Castro
Born	c. 1354 Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	c. 1397 Crown of Castile
Burial	Guadalupe, Spain
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Infante Dinís of Portugal (Portuguese pronunciation: [diˈniʃ]; Archaic Portuguese: Diniz; English: Denis) (1354 – 1397) was the son of Portuguese King Peter I and a Castilian noblewoman named Inês de Castro who had arrived in Portugal as a maid of princess Constance of Castile, recently married to Pedro I (Heir Prince at the time).

Considering Denis an Infante of Portugal is a debatable subject. Some historians consider him a natural son of Peter I, so the title Infante of Portugal could never be attributed to him. Other opinions refer that after the death of Inês de Castro, ordered by Pedro's father King Afonso IV of Portugal, the Prince after inheriting the throne admitted that he had married Inês secretly, and because of that she was a lawful Queen of Portugal.

Of Inês de Castro Peter I had two sons and a daughter:

• (Infante) Afonso of Portugal (1346-1346)
• (Infanta) Beatrice of Portugal (1347–1381)
• (Infante) John of Portugal (1349–1387)
• (Infante) Denis of Portugal (1354–1397)

After the death of his mother Denis left Portugal to Castile with his brother but during the 1383-1385 Crisis he was one of the claimants to the throne along with Beatrice of Portugal (his niece), John, Master of Aviz (his half-brother) and John (his brother).

Although he managed to be acclaimed King in the city of Santarém his connections with Castile eventually lost him the throne and at the time of the Battle of Aljubarrota he was already out of the country like his brother John.

He married in 1372 Joan of Castile, 2nd? Lady of Cifuentes, born c. 1360, illegitimate daughter of Henry II of Castile by Juana, 1st? Lady of Cifuentes, born c. 1340, from whom he had two sons and a daughter:

• Infante Fernando de Portugal, 3rd? Lord of Cifuentes and Comendador of Oreja (born c. 1380), married firstly to María de Torres, 5th Lady of Villardompardo (1400 – Jaén), and had issue now extinct in male line, and married secondly to Aldara Osorio (born c. 1390), and had issue now extinct in male line
• Infante Pedro de Portugal, 1st Lord of Colmenarejo (born c. 1385), married to Isabel Enríquez (born c. 1390), and had issue now extinct in male line
• Infante Beatriz de Portugal (died aft. 1467), unmarried and without issue

He died in 1397.