Dukedoms in Portugal explained

The highest hereditary title in the Portuguese nobility. By tradition, there are a total of five royal and seven non-royal dukes in Portugal, out of 28 dukedoms that have ever been created. In the majority of cases, the title of duke was attributed to members of the high nobility, usually relatives of the Portuguese royal family, such as the second son of a monarch.

There are exceptions, like António José de Ávila, who, although not having any relation to the royal family, was given the title of duke of Ávila and Bolama.

Royal dukedoms

Hereditary royal dukedoms

Duke of Braganza (the principal grandeza of the Portuguese royal dynasty. After the restoration of a Portuguese dynasty in 1640, it became a title of the heir apparent to the crown, and passes to his heir, when he becomes king.)

Courtesy royal dukedoms

These titles were occasionally given to other infantes of the royal family, but did not automatically descend to their heirs:

Noble dukedoms

All of these dukedoms are inherited, but only some of them are titles de juro e herdade – this meant that the reigning monarch was obliged to renew the title for its rightful heir whenever a titleholder died. Only Aveiro, Lafões, Terceira, Palmela, Saldanha and Loulé were dukedoms de juro e herdade. Some of these dukes (Cadaval, Terceira and Saldanha) enjoyed Honras de Parente, i.e. certain honours (of style and/or precedence) associated with being an officially recognised relative of the king.

Before the Liberal Regime:
- Duke of Aveiro and Duke of Torres Novas (both extinct in 1759, after the execution of the last duke for high treason). The first duke was the elder son of the 2nd Duke of Coimbra, the sole surviving (but illegitimate) son of King John II of Portugal;
- Duke of Cadaval, family Álvares Pereira de Mello, branch of the House of Braganza before they were kings;
- Duke of Caminha and Duke of Vila Real (both extinguished following executions for high treason of their titleholders for supporting the right of the Spanish Habsburg kings to the Portuguese throne after the revolution of 1640;
- Duke of Lafões, families Bragança, Sousa and Menezes. The first duke was an illegitimate son of King Pedro II of Portugal. Also Count of Miranda do Corvo and Marquis of Arronches (Sousa) and Count of Cantanhede and Marquis of Marialva (Menezes) and also Duke of Miranda do Corvo (Bragança);
- Duke da Vitória (this victory title, meaning in Portuguese "Duke of the Victory", was given to Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington. This is the only Portuguese dukedom granted to a foreigner and whose titleholders remained foreign citizens living outside of Portugal).
After the Liberal Regime:
- Duke of Terceira, 1832, Descendants of Ferdinand III of Castile, by his son, Infante Manuel of Castile. Heads of the Portuguese branch of the Manoel de Vilhena family, since the marriage of Constance Manoel with King Pedro I of Portugal. Her brother, Henrique Manoel, was brought in her entourage, and made Count of Seia, in Portugal by his brother-in-law. Following the long line of military tradition of his family, António José de Sousa Manoel de Meneses Severim de Noronha, 1st Duke of Terceira, Marquis and 7th Count of Vila Flor, was Marshal of the Army and President of the Council of Ministers.
- Duke of Palmela, 1833, formerly Duke of Faial, replaced by the title of Duke of Palmela (family Sousa e Holstein), descending in the female line from the Dukes of Holstein. Also 1st Marquis of Faial, 1st Marquis of Palmela, 1st Count of Palmela and 1st Count of Calhariz. The first duke was President of the Council of Ministers and a quite remarkable ambassador in London and to the Congress of Vienna;
- Duke of Saldanha, 1857, family Saldanha Oliveira e Daun. Also 1st Marquis of Saldanha, 1st Count of Saldanha and 1st Count of Almoster. The first duke was President of the Council of Ministers and Marshal of the Army;
- Duke of Loulé, 1862, family Mendonça, also 8th Count of Vale de Reis and 2nd Marquis of Loulé, descending from Infanta Ana de Jesus Maria of Portugal. The first duke was President of the Council of Ministers;
- Duke of Ávila and Bolama, 1878, family Ávila. First dukedom granted to a commoner. The first duke was President of the Council of Ministers;
- Duke of Albuquerque, 1886, family Costa de Sousa de Macedo, also 2nd Count of Mesquitela, 5th Viscount of Mesquitela and formerly Baron of Mullingar, in Ireland.

Non-hereditary dukedoms

These titles were traditionally granted to the Lady Chamberlain (Camareira-Mor), the highest royal court office for a woman, only during her life:

Duchess of Abrantes, granted to two Marchionesses of Abrantes.
Duchess of Ficalho, to one Marchioness of Ficalho.
Duchess of Linhares, to one Countess of Linhares.
Duchess of Tancos, to one Marchioness of Tancos.

List

Title	Date of creation	Surname	First titular
Duke of Abrantes	December 9, 1753	Lorena	Ana Maria Catarina Henriqueta de Lorena
Duke of Albuquerque	May 19, 1886	Costa de Sousa de Macedo	João Afonso da Costa de Sousa de Macedo
Duke of Aveiro	b. 1535	Lencastre Mascarenhas da Silva e Lencastre	John of Lencastre, 1st Marquis of Torres Novas
Duke of Ávila and Bolama	May 14, 1878	Ávila	António José de Ávila
Duke of Barcelos	August 5, 1562	Bragança	John, 6th Duke of Braganza
Duke of Beja	1453	Portugal-Aviz Bragança	Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu
Duke of Braganza	1442	Bragança	Afonso, Count of Barcelos
Duke of Cadaval	April 26, 1648	Álvares Pereira de Melo	Nuno Álvares Pereira de Melo
Duke of Caminha	December 14, 1620	Menezes	Miguel Luís de Menezes
Duke of Coimbra	1415	Portugal-Aviz Lencastre Bragança	Pedro, Prince of Portugal
Duke of Faial	April 4, 1833	Sousa Holstein	Pedro de Sousa Holstein
Duke of Ficalho	May 14, 1836	Almeida	Eugénia Maurícia Tomásia de Almeida Portugal
Duke of Goa	1515	Albuquerque	Afonso de Albuquerque
Duke of Guarda	October 5, 1530	Portugal-Aviz	Ferdinand, Prince of Portugal
Duke of Guimarães	1475	Bragança	Fernando II, Duke of Braganza
Duke of Lafões	February 17, 1718	Bragança Bragança e Ligne de Sousa Tavares Mascarenhas da Silva	Pedro Henrique de Bragança
Duke of Linhares	?	Noronha	Fernando de Noronha
Duke of Loulé	October 3, 1852	Mendonça Rolim de Moura Barreto	Nuno José Severo de Mendonça Rolim de Moura Barreto
Duke of Miranda do Corvo	May 13, 1796	Bragança e Ligne de Sousa Tavares Mascarenhas da Silva	José Sousa Tavares Mascaranhas da Silva
Duke of Palmela	October 10, 1850	Sousa Holstein	Pedro de Sousa Holstein
Duke of Porto	1833	Bragança	Maria, Princess of Portugal (future Queen Maria II)
Duke of Saldanha	November 4, 1846	Saldanha Oliveira e Daun	João Francisco de Saldanha Oliveira e Daun
Duke of Tancos	April 22, 1790	Manoel	Constança Manoel
Duke of Terceira	November 8, 1832	Manoel e Meneses Severim de Noronha	António José de Sousa Manoel e Meneses Severim de Noronha
Duke of Torres Novas	September 26, 1619	Lencastre	George of Lencastre
Duke of Trancoso	1530	Portugal-Aviz	Ferdinand, Prince of Portugal
Duke of Vila Real	February 28, 1585	Menezes	Manuel de Menezes
Duke of Viseu	1415	Portugal-Aviz	Henry, the Navigator, Prince of Portugal
Duke of Vitória	December 12, 1812	Wellesley	Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

External links

Portuguese Aristocracy Titles in a Portuguese Genealogical site – Dukes