Edward of Portugal

Edward
15th century painting of Edward
King of Portugal and the Algarves
Reign	14 August 1433—9 September 1438 (&00000000000000050000005 years, &000000000000002600000026 days)
Predecessor	John I
Successor	Afonso V
Spouse	Eleanor of Aragon
Issue
Afonso V of Portugal Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu Eleanor, Holy Roman Empress Infanta Catherine Joan, Queen of Castile
Father	John I of Portugal
Mother	Philippa of Lancaster
Born	31 October 1391(1391-10-31) Viseu, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	9 September 1438(1438-09-09) (aged 46) Tomar, Kingdom of Portugal
Burial	Imperfect Chapels, Monastery of Batalha, Batalha, District of Leiria, Portugal

Edward, Portuguese: Duarte (Portuguese pronunciation: [duˈaɾt(ɨ)]; 31 October 1391 in Viseu – 9 September 1438 in Tomar), called the Philosopher or the Eloquent, was the eleventh King of Portugal and the Algarve and second Lord of Ceuta from 1433 until his death. He was the son of John I of Portugal and his wife, Philippa of Lancaster, a daughter of John of Gaunt. His was named in honor of his great-grandfather, King Edward III of England.

As an infante, Edward always followed his father, King John I, in the affairs of the kingdom. He was knighted in 1415, after the Portuguese capture of the city of Ceuta in North Africa, across from Gibraltar. He became king in 1433 when his father died of the plague and he soon showed interest in internal consensus. During his short reign of five years, Edward called the Cortes (the national assembly) no less than five times to discuss internal affairs and politics. He also followed the politics of his father concerning the maritime exploration of Africa. He encouraged and financed his famous brother, Henry the Navigator who founded a "school" of maritime navigation at Sagres and who initiated many expeditions. Among these, that of Gil Eanes in 1434 first rounded Cape Bojador on the northwestern coast of Africa, leading the way for further exploration southward along the African coast.

The colony at Ceuta rapidly became a drain on the Portuguese treasury and it was realised that without the city of Tangier, possession of Ceuta was worthless. When Ceuta was lost to the Portuguese, the camel caravans that were part of the overland trade routes began to use Tangier as their new destination. This deprived Ceuta of the materials and goods that made it an attractive market and a vibrant trading locale, and it became an isolated community.

In 1437, his brothers, Henry and Ferdinand, persuaded him to launch an attack on Morocco in order to get a better African base for future Atlantic exploration. The expedition was not unanimously supported: Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra and Infante John were both against the initiative; they preferred to avoid conflict with the king of Morocco. They proved to be right. The resulting attack on Tangier was successful, but at a great cost of men. Edward's youngest brother, Ferdinand the Saint Prince, was captured, kept as a hostage, and he died later in captivity in Fez. Edward died soon after the Tangier attack of the plague, like his father and mother (and her mother) before him.

Another less political side of Duarte's personality is related to culture. A reflective and scholarly infante, he wrote the treatises O Leal Conselheiro (The Loyal Counsellor) and Livro Da Ensinanca De Bem Cavalgar Toda Sela (The Art of Riding on Every Saddle) as well as several poems. He was in the process of revising the Portuguese law code when he died.

Ancestry

Marriages and descendants

Duarte married Eleanor of Aragon, a daughter of Ferdinand I of Aragon and Eeanor of Castile, in 1428.