Curse of the Braganzas

Lore & Background

According to legend, the curse began when King John IV of Portugal kicked a Franciscan friar begging for alms. In reply, the friar cast a curse, saying that never again would a first-born male of his family live long enough to reach the throne. Since then—with three exceptions—all first-born males of this dynasty died before they reigned. Alleged victims in Portugal include Theodosius (1634–1653), John (1688–1688), Peter (1712–1714), Joseph (1761–1788), Francis Anthony (1795–1801), Michael (1820), and Louis Philip (1887–1908). In Brazil, victims include Michael (1820) and Alphonse (1845–1847).

Reader's Guide

The Curse of the Braganzas is a persistent myth in Portuguese and Brazilian historiography, referenced in several historical chronicles. It purports to explain the repeated premature deaths of first-born male heirs of the House of Braganza, a dynasty that ruled Portugal and Brazil for centuries. The three exceptions—Peter V, Charles I, and Pedro Augusto—did not fully escape tragedy: Peter V died young and childless, Charles I was murdered, and Pedro Augusto became psychologically ill and attempted suicide. The curse appears to have ended with the fall of the monarchies in Brazil (1889) and Portugal (1910). The myth also affected illegitimate children of Pedro I of Brazil and some female descendants. Attempts to reverse the curse included annual visits by King John VI and his consort to Franciscan monasteries.

Did You Know?

• One century after the curse began, King John VI and his consort Charlotte of Bourbon tried to reverse it by visiting Franciscan monasteries annually in Lisbon and later in Rio de Janeiro.
• All first-born children who died in Brazil due to the curse were buried in Convento de Santo Antônio, a Franciscan monastery in Rio de Janeiro.
• The curse also affected illegitimate children of Pedro I of Brazil, including a stillborn with the marchioness of Santos and a son who died before age one.
• Prince Pedro Luíz, a descendant, died in the crash of Air France Flight 447 on 1 June 2009.

Founding the Dynasty: From Illegitimacy to the Highest Nobility

The House of Braganza traces its roots to Afonso I, born the illegitimate son of King John I of Portugal and Inês Pires. Despite his birth outside the legitimate line, John I clearly valued his son, arranging a marriage to Beatriz Pereira de Alvim, daughter of Nuno Álvares Pereira—Portugal's foremost general and a close friend of the king. This union elevated Afonso's standing and secured him the title of Count of Barcelos. Afonso then built an impressive career: he fought alongside his father and brothers in the 1415 Conquest of Ceuta, and by the time John I died in 1433, he had won the favor of his brother King Duarte I and the broader Portuguese elite. After Duarte's early death in 1438, a regency was established for the young King Afonso V. When the Duke of Coimbra's regency grew unpopular, Afonso emerged as the young king's preferred advisor. On 30 December 1442, the Duke of Coimbra, acting in the king's name, elevated Afonso to the rank of Duke of Braganza—the highest tier of nobility—formally founding the dynasty that would shape Iberian history for centuries.

The Restoration War and Three Centuries on the Portuguese Throne

For over two centuries after its founding, the House of Braganza operated as one of the wealthiest and most powerful noble families in Iberia during the Renaissance. That position of influence culminated in a dramatic political upheaval: the Restoration War. By successfully deposing the ruling Philippine Dynasty, the Braganzas seized the Portuguese throne in 1640, with the Duke of Braganza ascending as King John IV. From that moment, the family ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves and, by extension, the vast Portuguese Empire. Over the following decades, the dynasty produced fifteen Portuguese monarchs in succession. Their grip on power extended well beyond the Iberian Peninsula, as Braganza members became consorts to other European kingdoms and even candidates for the thrones of Poland and Greece. The dynasty's European reign ultimately ended at the turn of the twentieth century, when King Manuel II was deposed in Portugal in 1910, closing a chapter that had spanned nearly three centuries of continuous rule.

Imperial Ambitions and the Brazilian Chapter

The Braganza dynasty's reach extended far beyond Europe through the creation of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves in 1815. This political union transformed the family's role, and when Brazil declared its independence in 1822, the Braganzas transitioned from Portuguese monarchs to sovereigns of the newly independent Empire of Brazil. The dynasty would go on to produce all four Brazilian emperors. The most prominent among them, Emperor Pedro II, presided over the Brazilian throne until his deposition in 1889, which marked the end of imperial rule in the Americas. This sequence of events meant that the same family that had deposed the Philippine Dynasty in 1640 and established itself on the Portuguese throne would, a century and a half later, be removed from power in a different hemisphere. The Brazilian chapter thus represented the final act of Braganza sovereignty, bringing the dynasty's long reign across both continents to a close at the threshold of the twentieth century.

Consorts, Candidates, and a Web of European Influence

Beyond their own thrones, the Braganzas left an indelible mark on European culture and politics through strategic marriages and candidacies. Catherine of Braganza, wife of England's Charles II, is credited with introducing tea to Britain—a cultural import that reshaped British social life. Maria Isabel of Braganza, consort to Spain's Ferdinand VII, is associated with the founding of the El Prado Museum, one of the world's great art institutions. The family's ambitions also reached toward thrones they never secured: Infante Manuel, Count of Ourém, was a candidate for the Polish throne, while Pedro, Duke of Braganza, was considered for the Greek crown. In addition to fifteen Portuguese monarchs and all four Brazilian emperors, the dynasty produced numerous consorts across European kingdoms and a host of other notable figures in the histories of both Europe and the Americas. This web of alliances and cultural contributions ensured that Braganza influence permeated far beyond the borders of Portugal and Brazil, embedding the family's name in the broader narrative of European civilization.