Afonso VIII (1867-1943) was an king of Portugal and grandfather of Afonso IX and Frederick Franz V, and great-grandparent of Frederick Franz VI. He was deposed in 1937 by Antonio Salazar.
Early life[]
He was born Infante Afonso, as the second son of Prince Afonso and Blanche of France, his elder brother was the Prince of Beira. His father, as well as Pedro V, carried more about the Prince of Beira, who was expected to be King Pedro VI, so, while Pedro was in the University of Paris, Afonso was in the University of Coimbra, in his homeland.
Marrige and Regin[]
When Pedro went back to Portugal, he was engaged with Louise Mountbatten, but following the death of Pedro, Afonso was promissed to Louise. At that time, his father was the newly crowned King Afonso VII, and he took the title Prince of Brazil, previously holded by his father, and expected to be his brother's title. In 1911, Louise married Afonso, and the first child was born in 1912, named Maria Cristina, and was declared Princess of Beira, but the girl died in 1916, after an epileptic crisis, so the title went to the couple's second daughter, Hilda, who becme Princess of Brazil in 1922, when Afonso's father died, so Prince Afonso was crowned King Afonso VIII. In 1924, Louise was assasinated in a public event by an unknown person, lefting an 1-year-old orphan child, named Amélia. After 3 years, Afonso decided to marry Princess Zauditu II of Ethiopia. Their first child was Isabel, named after the aunt of Afonso, she was born in 1928, ant the second, Maria, was born in 1933.
Marrige of Hilda and Leopoldina[]
Lacking a male heir, in 1934 Afonso married his two eldest daughters with nobles: Hilda was married to Nicholas Frederick, heir to the duchy of Mecklenburg-Shwerin, and Leopoldina was married to Prince Buckhard of Prussia. Leopoldina had an son named Buckhard in 1935, who was expected to be King of Portugal at some point.
Death of Hilda[]
In February 1940, Hilda had an son, whom she named Frederick Franz, the child was soon declared Prince of Beira, and an union between the two royal houses was an constant question, but Hilda died in a car accident, leaving an orphan son, who was heir of Mecklenburg and Brazil. After some months, Afonso decided to exclude Frederick Franz from the line of succession, and make Leopoldina and Buckhard his heirs presumptives. But in the next year, Queen Zauditu had an son, who was declared heir apparent and Prince of Brazil. The child was named Pedro.