The monarchs of Portugal started ruling with the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal in 1139. The currently ruling house is Bourbon.
Through over eight centuries, the kings held various other titles and pretensions. Two kings of Portugal, Ferdinand I and Afonso V, also claimed the crown of Castile. When the house of Habsburg came into power, the kings of Spain, Naples and Sicily also became kings of Portugal. The house of Braganza brought numerous titles to the Portuguese Crown, including King of Brazil and then de jureEmperor of Brazil.
The monarchs of Portugal all came from a single ancestor, Afonso I of Portugal, who ruled from 1139 to 1185, but direct lines have sometimes ended. This has led to a variety of royal houses coming to rule Portugal, though all having Portuguese royal lineage. These houses are:
The House of Burgundy, known as the Afonsine Dynasty, was the founding house of the Kingdom of Portugal. Prior to the independence of Portugal, the house ruled the feudal County of Portugal, of the Kingdom of Galicia. When Alphonso I Henriques declared the independence of Portugal, he turned the family from a comital house to a royal house which would rule Portugal for over two centuries. When Ferdinand I died, a succession crisis occurred and Ferdinand's daughter Beatrice of Portugal was proclaimed queen and her husband John I of Castile proclaimed king by the right of his wife. Her legitimacy as a monarch is disputed.
Afonso I The Conqueror; The Great; The Founder (1106–1185)
25 July 1139
6 December 1185
previously Count of Portugal, founder of the Kingdom of Portugal Son of Henry, Count of Portugal and Teresa, Countess of Portugal
Sancho I The Populator (1154–1211)
6 December 1185
26 March 1211
Son of Afonso I
Afonso II The Fat (1185–1223)
27 March 1211
25 March 1223
Son of Sancho I
Sancho II The Pious (1209–1248)
26 March 1223
4 December 1247
Son of Afonso II
Afonso III The Boulonnais (1210–1279)
4 January 1248
16 February 1279
Son of Afonso II Brother of Sancho II
Denis The Farmer; The Poet (1261–1325)
6 February 1279
7 January 1325
Son of Afonso III
Afonso IV The Brave (1291–1357)
7 January 1325
28 May 1357
Son of Denis I
Peter I The Just; The Cruel (1320–1367)
28 May 1357
18 January 1367
Son of Afonso IV
Ferdinand I The Handsome (1345–1383)
18 January 1367
22 October 1383
Son of Peter I
House of Aviz (1385–1581)[]
The House of Aviz, known as the Joanine Dynasty, succeeded the House of Burgundy as the reigning house of the Kingdom of Portugal. The house was founded by John I of Portugal, who was the Grand Master of the Order of Aviz. When King John II of Portugal died without an heir, the throne of Portugal passed to his cousin, Manuel, Duke of Beja. When King Sebastian of Portugal died, the throne passed to his uncle, Henry of Portugal (he might be called Henry II because Henry, Count of Portugal, father of Alphonso I of Portugal, was the first of that name to rule Portugal). When Henry died, a succession crisis occurred and António, Prior of Crato, was proclaimed António of Portugal.
John I Of Good Memory; The Good; The Great; The Bastard (1357–1433)
6 April 1385
14 August 1433
Illegitimate son of Peter I
Edward The Philosopher-King; The Eloquent (1391–1438)
14 August 1433
9 September 1438
Son of John I
Afonso V The African (1432–1481)
13 September 1438 — 15 November 1477
11 November 1477 — 28 August 1481
Son of Edward
John II The Perfect Prince (1455–1495)
11 November 1477 — 28 August 1481
15 November 1477 — 25 October 1495
Son of Afonso V
Manuel I The Fortunate (1469–1521)
25 October 1495
13 December 1521
Cousin of John II Grandson of Edward I
John III The Colonizer; The Pious (1502–1557)
13 December 1521
11 June 1557
Son of Mannuel I
Sebastian The Desired; The Asleep; The Hidden (1554–1578)
11 June 1557
4 August 1578
Grandson of John III
Henry The Cardinal-King; The Chaste (1512–1580)
4 August 1578
31 January 1580
Son of Manuel I Great-uncle of Sebastian
António The Resistant (1531–1595)
(Disputed) 24 July 1580
(Disputed) 1583
Grandson of Manuel I
House of Habsurg (1581–1640)[]
The House of Habsburg, known as the Philippine Dynasty, is the house that ruled Portugal from 1581 to 1640. The dynasty began with the acclamation of Philip II of Spain as Philip I of Portugal in 1580, officially recognized in 1581 by the Portuguese Cortes of Tomar. Philip I swore to rule Portugal as a kingdom separate from his Spanish domains, under the personal union known as the Iberian Union.
Philip I The Prudent 1527–1598
17 April 1581
13 September 1598
Grandson of Manuel I
Philip II The Pious 1578–1621
13 September 1598
31 March 1621
Son of Philip I
Philip III The Great; The Oppressor 1605–1665
31 March 1621
1 December 1640
Son of Philip II
House of Braganza (1640–1932)[]
The House of Braganza, also known as the Brigantine Dynasty, came to power in 1640, when John II, Duke of Braganza, claimed to be the rightful heir of the defunct House of Aviz, as he was the great great grandson of King Manuel I. John was proclaimed King John IV, and he deposed the House of Habsburg in the Portuguese Restoration War.
The descendants of Queen Maria II and her consort, King Ferdinand II (a German prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), came to rule in 1853. Portuguese law and custom treated them as members of the House of Braganza, though they were still Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasts. This has led some to classify these last four monarchs of Portugal as members of a new royal family, called the House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, though this view is not widely held.
John IV The Restorer 1604–1656
1 December 1640
6 November 1656
Great-great-grandson of Manuel I
Afonso VI The Victorious 1643–1683
6 November 1656
12 September 1683
Son of John IV
Peter II The Pacific 1648–1706
6 November 1683
9 December 1706
Son of John IV Brother of Afonso VI
John V The Magnanimous 1689–1750
9 December 1706
31 July 1750
Son of Peter II
Joseph I The Reformer 1714–1777
31 July 1750
24 February 1777
Son of John V
Maria I The Pious; The Mad 1734–1816
24 February 1777
20 March 1816
Daughter of Joseph I
Peter III The Builder; The Sacristan; The Enabler 1717–1786
24 February 1777
25 May 1786
Husband of Maria I Son of John V jure uxoris king
John VI The Clement 1767–1826
20 March 1816
10 March 1826
Son of Maria I and Peter III
Pedro IV The Soldier King; The Liberator 1798–1834
10 March 1826
2 May 1826
Son of John VI
Maria II The Educator; The Good Mother 1819–1853
2 May 1826 26 May 1834
23 June 1828 15 November 1853
Daughter of Pedro IV
Miguel I The Absolutist; The Traditionalist; The Usurper 1802–1866
26 February 1828
6 May 1834
Son of John VI
Ferdinand II The Artist King 1816–1885
16 September 1837
15 November 1853
Husband of Maria II jure uxoris king
Pedro V The Hopeful 1837–1861
15 November 1853
11 November 1861
Son of Maria II and Ferdinand II
Luís I The Popular 1838–1889
11 November 1861
19 October 1889
Son of Maria II and Ferdinand II
Carlos I The Diplomat; The Martyr 1863–1908
19 October 1889
1 February 1908
Son of Luís I
Manuel II The Patriot 1889–1932
1 February 1908
2 July 1932
24 years,
4 months, 28 days
Son of Carlos I
Regency Council (1932–1934)[]
After Manuel II died heirless, Duarte Nuno was theoretically King of Portugal. However, there was a problem: Duarte Nuno was the grandson of Miguel I, an absolutist who was deposed following the Liberal Wars. This caused a crisis, if a Migeulist took power, it could mean the end of the parliamentary system and a new age of absolutism, but no else was there to take the throne. A Regency Council was formed to determine the next course of action. Two main factions emerged, one in favor of Durte Nuno's crowning, lead by Manuel Gomes da Costa, and one in favor of abolishing the monarchy, lead by Óscar Carmona. António de Oliveira Salazar, a former Minister of Finance, was selected as President of the Regency. Lacking any affiliation with either side, parliament hoped he could work out a compromise between them, which would be his goal for the next two years. At one point, writer and journalist Maria Pia, who claimed to be the bastard daughter of Carlos I, was investigated as a possible compromise monarch. It soon turned out that, even if her claims where true, she legally could not inherit the throne, and they rejected her claim.
António de Oliveira Salazar 1889–1975
2 July 1932
2 July 1934
2 years
President of the Regency Council
House of Bourbon (since 1934)[]
The House of Bourbon, the current ruling dynasty of Portugal, was installed following the regency of 1932-1934. In June 1933, Infante Jaime, second son of Alfonso XIII of Spain, renunciated all claims to the throne, citing his deafness. Salazar quickly decided to capitalize on this, offering Jaime as a compromise King. Though initially rejected, the council acquiesced early next year. Jaime was then crowned Manuel III, just two years after Manuel II's death.
Manuel III The Spaniard; The Compromise. (1908–1986)
