Monarchy of Portugal 1: 2004 - February 2006

[Warren]

Thank you Elsa for all the work in putting together this wonderful 'list and pics' of the Queens of Portugal. Much appreciated. :)

[Marengo]

It is indeed! Phillipa of Lancaster, Inez de Castro and Leonor de Telles are my favourites btw. Which was the one whose corpse was crowned (according to the legend?), Leonor, right?
Phillipa of Lancaster was the one of 'all roses my lord', now wasn't she? And who came to the battlefield on a donkey to stop her husband and son to battle against each other.

[Marengo]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

Yes, she's known here as the "Super Tia"... that kind of person that is famous for no other reason than being famous
Not really... she's a co-editor of a "pink" magazine.

An aged Paris Hilton. The most vulgar one in Portugal is that american woman however, of a diamondfirm? She is married to a...uhm...extravagant guy called Castelo Branco I believe?

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Marengo

... She is married to a...uhm...extravagant guy called Castelo Branco I believe?

Do you mean "flamboyant"?

[Marengo]

That is a way to describe him as well, all euphemistic terms for the same, isn't it? But judge for yourself, a link with Jose Castelo Branco and Betty Grafstein: http://libreopinion.com/members/badb...elo_branco.jpg

To compensate this non-royal remarks, a link with lots & lots of information on the portuguese royals: http://www.royalty.nu/Europe/Portugal.html

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Which was the one whose corpse was crowned (according to the legend?), Leonor, right?

As you can see in my notes, Inês de Castro is the one who was crowned after dead. Pedro and Inês incarnate one of all-times most famous love stories.

Phillipa of Lancaster was the one of 'all roses my lord', now wasn't she? And who came to the battlefield on a donkey to stop her husband and son to battle against each other

No, that was the Saint Queen Isabel de Aragão(wife of D. Dinis).

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by Marengo

An aged Paris Hilton. The most vulgar one in Portugal is that american woman however, of a diamondfirm? She is married to a...uhm...extravagant guy called Castelo Branco I believe?

Hmm, it's hard to choose who's the most ridiculous... just to have an idea, both Lili Caneças and that androgynous creature named José Castelo Branco are habitués of reality shows... a kind of Big Brother but with "celebrities" and cows in the mix...

[Sancia]

The today edition of Point de Vue has a paper about Ines de Castro and don Pedro. Very interesting one. Unfortunately I have no scan :(

[Elsa M.]

The love between Pedro and Inês is immortalized in several plays and poems throughout Europe, including the most important Portuguese epopee, The Lusíadas by Luís Vaz de Camões.

[Marengo]

Thanks for correcting me, I have read a cartoon thing about the history of portugal (50 years old or something), really nice, buit I am mixing them up now. Leonor was the one who was so hated by everybody then?

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Leonor was the one who was so hated by everybody then?

Yes, Leonor Telles de Menezes (wife of D. Fernando) is the one known as "A Aleivosa" (The Slanderous), because she seduced D. Fernando, who managed the dissolution of her previous wedding to one of his courtiers (alleging remote family connections). The People didn't like it and it caused social and political instability. You can read more about it here.

[Marengo]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

Yes, Leonor Telles de Menezes (wife of D. Fernando) is the one known as "A Aleivosa" (The Slanderous), because she seduced D. Fernando, who managed the dissolution of her previous wedding to one of his courtiers (alleging remote family connections). The People didn't like it and it caused social and political instability. You can read more about it here.

This would be such good material for a movie... if only we could interest Hollywood for it . The things I read about her was in the cartoon/historybook for children, from the fascist times, so everything was a bit more positive there... Anyway, I still like Leonor, she adds some colour to history.

btw, my sister-in-law often signs things (non official) with Ines de Castro (which is one of her last names, as you in Portugal all have so many!), which still makes as her as happy as a naughty schoolgirl.

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Anyway, I still like Leonor, she adds some colour to history.

I agree with you. The Portuguese chronicler Fernão Lopes (1380?– 1460?), in Crónica de D. João I, comments on the strategist character of D.ª Leonor Telles, A Aleivosa, and notices that, in spite of her censurable conduct, after she became queen, the women of the time learned to have new "manners" with their husbands. They could accept or reject the model, but, still, they would see her as a mirror...

[Elsa M.]

Bringing on some more curiosities about the Portuguese monarchs...

D. Carlos de Bragança, who reigned between 1889 and 1908, was an extraordinary intelligent and dynamic man that showed interest for diversified activities, such as Art and Science (namelly Ornithology and Oceanography). The merit of his works was internationally recognized and sanctioned by the most important scientific institutions of the time. Throughout the years, D. Carlos was able to form a zoological collection (including naturalized animals, conserved in liquid, as well as an extensive bibliography about his scientific activity) of incalculable historical and scientific value. Nowadays, the personal compilation of king D. Carlos is kept in the Aquarium Vasco da Gama.

Besides, HM was also a prominent painter, whose vocation was revealed since early age. His enthronement took place in 1889 but, in spite of all the functions, he always managed to find some free time for drawing and painting. After participated in several exhibitions, his water-colours were most renewed for choosing motifs taken out of the Portuguese landscape; from the vast plains of Alentejano or the perfumed moorlands of Ribatejo, to the grassy mountains of the North, but, above all, the Portuguese sea and its boats.

Here are some of those sketches. From Museu da Marinha:




Photo host: ImageShack
http://img445.imageshack.us/img445/7658/fig3519dg.jpg
http://img445.imageshack.us/img445/9672/fig3521ft.jpg
http://img445.imageshack.us/img445/5997/fig3539uu.jpg

[Sancia]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

The love between Pedro and Inês is immortalized in several plays and poems throughout Europe, including the most important Portuguese epopee, The Lusíadas by Luís Vaz de Camões.

A French writer, Henry de Montherlant, has written La Reine Morte (the dead queen), which subject is this tragic love.

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by Danielane

A French writer, Henry de Montherlant, has written La Reine Morte (the dead queen), which subject is this tragic love.

The most interesting IMO is the diversity of approaches that this love story has inpired throughout the centuries. The first reference was probably made in the 14th century (by the Jewish David ben Yom Tov Ibn Bilia) and today the story keeps feeding on the post-modernist imagination of many novelists and poets, who are now more interested in undoing myths and languages.

[KatieLouise]

This is a great thread! Does anyone know of books about the Portuguese monarchy in English? :)

[Saragli]

Can anybody give me a quick summary as to what the Royal Family is doing today. Do they still play a role in portagal. Wear do they live, did they get to keep the jewels? Are they active members of the portegues society?

[Marengo]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

D. Carlos de Bragança, who reigned between 1889 and 1908, was an extraordinary intelligent and dynamic man that showed interest for diversified activities, such as Art and Science (namelly Ornithology and Oceanography).

He was the one married to Amelie of Orleans, right? I have her memoires, but did not read them yet. Did you read them? His death was such a tragic event, esp. D. Amalia protecting her son int he carriage, terrible.

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by Marengo

He was the one married to Amelie of Orleans, right? I have her memoires, but did not read them yet. Did you read them? His death was such a tragic event, esp. D. Amalia protecting her son int he carriage, terrible.

Yes, Marengo, D. Carlos was married to Amelie of Orleans a.k.a. Queen D. Amélia. The historical cognomina which the penultimate king of Portugal is well-known for (The Diplomat, The Oceanographer and The Martyrized) are very revealing of the barbaric way how he was assassinated.

First of all, we must bear in mind that his reign was characterized by constant political and economic crises, with the consequent popular discontentment. It was during this period, for example, that the United Kingdom addressed the Ultimatum of 1890, intimating Portugal to leave the territories between Angola and Mozambique. As Portugal was then bankrupt, the country couldn’t afford a war and thus important areas in the African colonies were lost. Besides, and to face the general crisis that was affecting the country, D. Carlos nominated the liberal João Franco as prime-minister, without summoning elections. Consequently, the republican movement was strengthening more and more…

Then, in February 1908, when the royal family was returning from the palace of Vila Viçosa, on their way back to the royal palace in Lisbon, and while crossing the Terreiro do Paço (a great square in the downtown of Lisbon), where a crowd was formed to greet the royal family, two republicans shot the carriage. The king died immediately, Prince Luís Filipe was mortally wounded and Infante Manuel was hit in the arm. Days later, Manuel was proclaimed King of Portugal… he would be the last king of the fragile monarchy and his reign would last just 2 years (1908-1910).

Once arrived to the throne, D. Manuel II tried to solve the profound disagreement experienced by the whole Portuguese society, by immediately dismissing the dictator João Franco and his entire cabinet, free elections were summoned and the republicans had then an overwhelming victory. The days were counted and soon the revolution proclaiming the Republic would erupt, on October 5th 1910.

D. Manuel II fled to the exile in London, where he would die, at the age of 43.

As he had no children, D. Manuel recognised his cousin, D. Duarte Nuno as legitimate heir. D. Duarte Nuno was the head of the other Bragança line, descending from D. Miguel (and so opponent to the senior line descending from D. Pedro IV, which D. Manuel II was the last chain of), but by marrying D.ª Maria Francisca de Orleans-Bragança (great-granddaughter of D. Pedro IV, aka Emperor Pedro I of Brazil), the two lines of royal descents were finnally united**. That’s why D. Duarte Pio is the current Duke of Bragança and presumptive heir to the disestablished Throne… despite some very few monarchists, who still don’t recognise D. Duarte as the legitimate heir.

________________

**To understand this, we must go back to 1826, when D. João VI died and two opposite fractions, led by the two Infantes, divided the country: the Liberal Fraction (led by Dom Pedro) and the Absolutists Fraction (led by Infante Dom Miguel). As on the occasion of King Dom João's death, the crown prince, Dom Pedro, was living in Brazil (where he had been acclaimed as Emperor), he nominated his daughter, Dona Maria II, as Queen of Portugal. However, in 1828, his younger brother (D. Miguel) overthrew Queen Dona Maria II and initiated a civil war, which ceased with the re-entry of Dom Pedro (coming back from Brazil, to bring the legitimacy back and expel his brother, Dom Miguel). Following his defeat and surrender in May 1834, the Courts were assembled and a new Constitution was drafted, declaring D. Miguel and his descendents ineligible to succeed to the crown and thus forbid, under death penalty, to return to Portugal.