The Descendants of Manuel I of Portugal, of the House of Aviz, left a lasting mark on Portuguese history and royalty, and European history and royalty as a whole. Manuel married three times, each time providing children. He first married Isabel of Aragon and Castile, followed by Maria of Aragon and Castile and lastly Eleanor of Austria. His descendants can be found in both reigning and non-reigning royal families all over Europe.
This article deals with the children of Manuel I and in turn their senior heirs.
Manuel, born on 31 May 1469 at the Royal Palace at Alcochete, was the second son of Duke Ferdinand I of Viseu and Beja and Infanta Beatriz of Reguengos.
During Manuel's youth, his cousin John II of Portugal was King. John II went through a large process trying to eliminate the powers and wealth of the Portuguese nobility, of which Manuel was a prominent part of. John II had both Duke Diogo I of Viseu and Beja and Duke Fernando II of Braganza put on trial and executed. After Diogo's death, the Dukedoms of Viseu and Beja passed to Manuel, causing Manuel to fear for his own being.
In 1491, Afonso, Prince of Portugal was killed in a horse riding accident. John II only had one other child, Jorge, Duke of Coimbra, but he was illegitimate. After countless failed efforts by John II to legitimize Jorge, he finally sent a royal order to Manuel in 1493.
Once Manuel heard a royal order was on its way to him, he initially thought it to be a summons for a trial, and likely execution, and Manuel worried. However, when the order reached Manuel, he was greatly relieved as the order made Manuel the heir to John II's throne.
John II died on 25 October 1495 and Manuel became monarch of Portugal. During his reign, Manuel expanded the Portuguese Empire, making it the most formidable power in all of Europe at the time.
From his countless riches from India, after Vasco da Gama discovered the maritime passage to there, Manuel created the most luxurious court in all Europe and founded countless architectonic wonders throughout Portugal in the Manueline style, named for the king. It is this wealth, power, and prestige that made Manuel's children prime candidates for royal marriages throughout Europe.
After King Manuel's death, his descendants would hold a great importance to Portuguese sovereignty and European history. Almost all of Manuel's descendants would become crucial beings in the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580, the Iberian Union, and later the Portuguese Restoration War, as all the claims to the Portuguese throne during these events originated from descendancy from Manuel I.
On 13 September 1497, Manuel I married Isabel of Aragon and Castile, Princess of Asturias. The couple had 1 child:
On 30 October 1501, Manuel I married Maria of Aragon and Castile. The couple had 8 children:
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John III of Portugal 1502 - 1557 | 7 June 1502 São Jorge Castle son of Manuel I and Maria of Aragon and Castile | Catherine of Austria 10 February 1525 7 children | 14 February 1557 Ribeira Palace aged 55 | ||
| Afonso, Prince of Portugal 1526 | 24 February 1526 Lisbon son of John III and Catherine of Austria | never married | 12 April 1526 Lisbon aged 2 months | ||
| João Manuel, Prince of Portugal 1537 - 1554 | 3 June 1537 Lisbon son of John III and Catherine of Austria | Joanna of Austria 11 January 1552, 1 child | 2 January 1554 Lisbon aged 16 | ||
| Sebastian I of Portugal 1554 - 1578 | 20 January 1554 Ribeira Palace son of João Manuel, Prince of Portugal and Joanna of Austria | never married | 4 August 1578 Alcácer-Quibir aged 24 |
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infanta Isabel 1503 - 1539 | 24 October 1503 Lisbon daughter of Manuel I and Maria of Aragon and Castile | Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor 10 March 1526 5 children | 1 May 1539 Toledo aged 35 | ||
| Philip I of Portugal, II of Spain 1527 - 1598 | 21 May 1527 Valladolid son of Isabella of Portugal and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor | Maria Manuel of Portugal 14 November 1543 1 child Mary I of England 25 July 1554 no children Elisabeth of Valois 22 June 1559 2 children Anna of Austria 24 January 1570 4 children | 13 September 1598 El Escorial aged 71 | ||
| Carlos, Prince of Asturias 1545 - 1568 | 8 July 1545 Valladolid son of Philip I of Portugal, II of Spain and Maria Manuel of Portugal | never married | 24 July 1568 Madrid aged 23 | ||
| Philip II of Portugal, III of Spain 1578 - 1621 | 14 April 1578 Madrid son of Philip I of Portugal, II of Spain and Anna of Austria | Margaret of Austria 18 April 1599 8 children | 31 March 1621 Madrid aged 42 | ||
| Philip III of Portugal, IV of Spain 1605 - 1665 | 8 April 1605 Valladolid son of Philip II of Portugal, III of Spain and Margaret of Austria | Elisabeth of France 25 November 1615 7 children Mariana of Austria 7 Octobre 1649 5 children | 17 September 1665 Madrid aged 60 | ||
| Baltasar Carlos, Prince of Asturias and Portugal 1629 - 1646 | 17 October 1629 Madrid son of Philip III of Portugal, IV of Spain and Elisabeth of France | never married | 9 October 1646 Zaragoza aged 16 | ||
| Philip Prospero, Prince of Asturias 1657 - 1661 | November 28, 1657 Madrid son of Philip III of Portugal, IV of Spain and Mariana of Austria | never married | November 1, 1661 Madrid aged 3 | ||
| Charles II of Spain 1661 - 1700 | 6 November 1661 Madrid son of Philip III of Portugal, IV of Spain and Mariana of Austria | Marie Louise of Orléans 30 August 1679 no children Maria Anna of Neuburg 28 August 1689 no children | 1 November 1700 Madrid aged 38 | ||
| John of Austria 1629 - 1679 | 7 April 1629 Madrid son of Philip III of Portugal, IV of Spain and María Calderón | never married | 17 September 1679 Madrid aged 50 | ||
| Maria Theresa of Spain 1638 - 1683 | 10 September 1638 Madrid daughter of Philip III of Portugal, IV of Spain and Elisabeth of France | Louis XIV of France 9 June 1660 6 children | 30 July 1683 Versailles aged 44 | ||
| Louis, Dauphin of France 1661 - 1711 | 1 November 1661 Fontainebleau son of Maria Theresa of Spain and Louis XIV of France | Maria Anna of Bavaria 28 January 1680 3 children Marie Émilie of Choin 1695 no children | 14 April 1711 Meudon aged 49 | ||
| Louis, Duke of Burgundy 1682 - 1712 | 16 August 1682 Versailles son of Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Anna of Bavaria | Marie Adélaïde of Savoy 6 December 1697 3 children | 18 February 1712 Marly-le-Roi aged 29 | ||
| Louis, Duke of Brittany 1707 - 1712 | 8 January 1707 Versailles son of Louis, Duke of Burgundy and Marie Adélaïde of Savoy | never married | 8 March 1712 Versailles aged 5 | ||
| Louis XV of France 1710 - 1774 | 15 February 1710 Versailles son of Louis, Duke of Burgundy and Marie Adélaïde of Savoy | Marie Leszczyńska 5 September 1725 10 children | 10 May 1774 Versailles aged 64 | ||
| Louis, Dauphin of France 1729 - 1765 | 4 September 1729 Versailles son of Louis XV of France and Marie Leszczyńska | Maria Teresa of Spain 18 December 1744 1 child Maria Josepha of Saxony 9 February 1747 8 children | 20 December 1765 Fontainebleau aged 36 | ||
| Louis XVI of France 1754 - 1793 | 23 August 1754 Versailles son of Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Josepha of Saxony | Marie Antoinette of Austria 16 May 1770 4 children | 21 January 1793 Paris aged 38 | ||
| Louis, Dauphin of France 1781 - 1789 | 22 October 1781 Versailles son of Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette of Austria | never married | 4 June 1789 Meudon aged 7 | ||
| Louis XVII of France 1785 - 1795 | 27 March 1785 Versailles son of Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette of Austria | never married | 8 June 1795 Paris aged 10 | ||
| Marie Thérèse of France 1778 - 1851 | 19 December 1778 Versailles daughter of Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette of Austria | Louis, Duke of Angoulême 10 June 1799 no children | 19 October 1851 Nova Gorica aged 72 |
| Descendant | Image | Birth | Marriages | Death | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infante Luís, Duke of Beja 1506 - 1555 | 3 March 1506 Abrantes son of Manuel I and Maria of Aragon and Castile | Violante Gomes March 3, 1531 3 children | 27 November 1555 Lisbon aged 49 | ||
| António, Prior of Crato (António I of Portugal) 1531 - 1595 | 1531 Lisbon son of Infante Louis, Duke of Beja and Violante Gomes | Ana Barbosa 10 children | 26 August 1595 Paris aged 64 | ||
| Manuel, Prince of Portugal 1568 - 1638 | 1568 Tangiers son of António, Prior of Crato and Ana Barbosa | Countess Emilia of Nassau 17 November 1597 9 children Luisa Osorio 3 April 1630 no issue | 22 June 1638 Brussels aged 70 | ||
| Manuel António of Portugal 1600 - 1666 | 11 February 1600 Delft son of Manuel, Prince of Portugal and Emilia of Nassau | Countess Johanna of Hanau-Münzenberg 11 July 1646 4 children | 27 October 1666 Schagen aged 66 | ||
| Isabel Maria of Portugal 1648 - 1717 | 20 November 1648 Delft daughter of Manuel António of Portugal and Johanna of Hanau-Münzenberg | Baron Adrian van Gendt 11 April 1678 9 children | 15 October 1717 Vianen aged 69 |
On 16 July 1518, Manuel I married Eleanor of Austria. The couple had 2 children: