Defunct office created by King Ferdinand I of Portugal
Constable of Portugal (Portuguese:Condestável de Portugal) was an office created by KingFerdinand I of Portugal in 1382, to replace the High Standard-bearer (Alferes-Mor) as the head of thePortuguese Military. It was also referred as theConstable of the Kingdom (Condestável do Reino).
The Constable was the second most powerful person in theKingdom, after theKing of Portugal. The Constable's responsibility was to command the military in the absence of the King and to maintain discipline in the army; he was present at allmilitary tribunals.
After the reign ofJohn IV of Portugal (1640—1656), the title ceased to have military or administrative responsibilities, becoming anhonorific title.
List of Constables of Portugal
[edit]- Álvaro Pires de Castro, 1stCount of Arraiolos and 1stCount of Viana (da Foz do Lima) (brother ofInês de Castro) (1310-1384)
- Nuno Álvares Pereira, theSaint Constable, 38th Lord Chamberlain (Mordomo-Mor) of Portugal (to KingJohn I), 2ndCount of Arraiolos, 3rdCount of Ourém and 7thCount of Barcelos (1360-1431)
- João of Portugal, Infante of Portugal and Lord ofReguengos,Colares andBelas (1400-1442)
- Diogo of Portugal, son of the former, Infante of Portugal (1425-1443)
- Pedro of Portugal,King of Aragon andCount of Barcelona, Grand Master of theOrder of Aviz (1429-1466)
- Fernando, 2nd Duke of Viseu, Infante of Portugal (1433-1470)
- John, Marquis of Montemor-o-Novo, son ofFernando I, Duke of Braganza (n.1430)
- Afonso of Viseu, grandson of Fernando, Duke of Viseu (1480-1504)
- Luís, 5th Duke of Beja, Infante of Portugal (1506-1555)
- Duarte II, 5th Duke of Guimarães, grandson of KingManuel I of Portugal (1541-1576)
- John, 6th Duke of Braganza (1543-1583)
- Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba (1581-1582)
- Teodósio II, 7th Duke of Braganza (1582-1630)
- João IV, King of Portugal (1604-1656)
- Francisco de Melo, 5thMarquis of Ferreira, 4thCount of Tentúgal (1588-1645)
- Pedro of Braganza, Duke of Beja (later King of Portugal) (1648-1706)
- Nuno Álvares Pereira de Melo, 1stDuke of Cadaval, 4thMarquis of Ferreira, 5thCount of Tentúgal (1638-1727)
- Francisco, 7th Duke of Beja, Infante of Portugal (1691-1742)
- João VI, King of Portugal (1767-1826)
- Miguel, King of Portugal (1802-1866)
- Nuno Caetano Álvares Pereira de Melo, 6thDuke of Cadaval, 8thMarquis of Ferreira, 9thCount of Tentúgal (1799-1837)
- António de Vasconcelos e Sousa Câmara Caminha Faro e Veiga, 8thCount of Calheta, 4thMarquis of Castelo Melhor (1816-1858)
- Luís I, King of Portugal (1838-1889)
- João, 8th Duke of Beja, Infante of Portugal (1842-1861)
- Afonso, Duke of Porto, Infante of Portugal (1865-1920)
