John, Lord of Alba de Tormes

Infante John
Duke of Valencia de Campos Lord of Porto de Moz Cea and Montelonso Lord of Alba de Tormes
Infante John, in a 1534 miniature in the Genealogy of D. Manuel Pereira, 3rd count of Feira
Born	c. 1349 Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	c. 1397 Salamanca, Crown of Castile
Burial	Salamanca, Spain
Spouse	Maria Tellez de Meneses Constance of Castile, Lady of Alba de Tormes
Issue among others...	Infante Fernando, Lord of Eça
House	House of Burgundy
Father	Peter I
Mother	Inês de Castro
Religion	Roman Catholicism

John of Portugal (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈɐ̃w̃]; Portuguese: João) (1349–1397) was the son of the Portuguese King Peter I and a Galician noblewoman named Inês de Castro who had arrived in Portugal as a lady-in-waiting to Infanta Constance of Castile, recently married to Pedro I (royal heir at the time).

The status of John I as Infante of Portugal is a debatable subject. Some historians consider him a natural son of Peter I, and so assert that the title 'Infante of Portugal' could not be attributed to him. Others refer to the circumstances of the death of Inês de Castro, ordered by Peter's father, King Afonso IV of Portugal: after inheriting the throne, the Prince admitted he had married Inês secretly, therefore she was a lawful Queen of Portugal and he was legitimized as Infante of Portugal.

The Duke Infante lived at the Court of Ferdinand I, and was esteemed as a good knight, a dexterous rider and able hunter, valiant in shooting. He had a steady friendship with the Master of Avis, his half-brother, who was valiant and daring as he, but very different in character. Infante John was a dissembler, ambitious and bold, and would not hesitate to act or speak in pursuit of his ambition.

He fell in love with María Teles de Meneses (born circa 1338 in Coimbra, died 1378 or 1379), a redheaded beauty about eleven years older than he, who was lady-in-waiting to the Infanta Beatrice and sister of Queen Dona Leonor Teles. María was the widow (circa 1360) of Álvaro Dias de Sousa (circa 1330–1365), 2nd Lord of Mafra and Ericeira, by whom she had conceived Lopo Dias de Sousa (1350–1435 Pombal), who inherited his father's titles and later became Master of the Order of Christ. Infante John, having gone to her house to fetch her, found an altar and a priest waiting; María had made the preparations for their wedding. Thus the marriage was performed secretly in 1376, and when it became public knowledge, it provoked the wrath of Leonor Teles. Upon the death of Ferdinand I with no male heir, the people might demand the crowning of the beloved Infante John as king, which would raise his wife to the throne, with grave consequences to herself (Leonora), hated as she was by the Portuguese people.