Afonso, Prince of Portugal
| Afonso | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Portugal | |
The Death of Prince Afonso
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| Born | 18 May 1475 |
| Died | 13 July 1491 (aged 16) Santarém District |
| Burial | Batalha Monastery |
| Spouse | Isabella, Princess of Asturias |
| House | House of Aviz |
| Father | John II of Portugal |
| Mother | Eleanor of Viseu |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Afonso, Prince of Portugal (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐˈfõsu]; 18 May 1475 – 13 July 1491) - was the heir apparent to the throne of Portugal. He was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and died in a horse-riding accident on the banks of the river Tagus.
Afonso, named after his grandfather, King Afonso V, was the only son King John II and Eleanor of Viseu. The king was very fond of him and named the smaller island of São Tomé and Príncipe after him (Príncipe meaning Prince in the Portuguese language).
Afonso's grandfather Afonso V of Portugal had sided with Joanna la Beltraneja who was a rival for the throne of Castile against her half-aunt, Queen Isabella I of Castile. She was never considered legitimate and, when the king was dying, no one took her as a serious contender for the crown. Isabella was due to inherit the crown, but Afonso V was keen to interfere with the succession in Castile. In 1475 he married his niece Joanna, whom he considered the legitimate heir to the crown. Since her adulteress mother was his own sister, Afonso V had not only ambition, but the family honour to protect. He proclaimed himself King of Castile and León and prepared to defend his wife's rights.
King Ferdinand and Isabella, however, won the war of succession and, as part of the Treaty of Alcáçovas, signed in 1479, it was agreed that their eldest daughter Isabella would marry Alfonso. Isabella was also to come with a very large dowry that in practice represented the war compensation obtained by Portugal. In 1480, Prince Afonso, who at that time was five years old, went to live in the town of Moura with his maternal grandmother, Beatrice. In the early months of the following year, his future wife, the ten-year old Isabella, joined him and lived there for about two years.
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