Francisco de Lucena
Francisco de Lucena was a Portuguese nobleman and King John IV's first Secretary of State, and the first after the Restoration War and end of the Iberian Union. He made many enemies during his term in office, and was rumoured to be fraternising with the Spanish Crown, which led to his imprisonment and, later, his execution.
Biography
Early life
He was supposedly born in around 1578, in Vila Viçosa. At some point in his life, he married D. Francisca de Castro, and was made Knight of the Order of Christ.In 1614, during the Iberian Union, he succeeded his uncle Fernando de Matos, as King Philip II of Portugal's Secretary of the Crown Council. He lived in Madrid, in Spain, in this capacity for 17 years.
As Secretary of State
Francisco de Lucena had familial ties to the House of Braganza via his father, Afonso de Lucena, a jurist. When John was acclaimed King of Portugal, Francisco de Lucena was made his Secretary of State, holding the post from 1640 to 1642.A practiced diplomat, de Lucena was in a very powerful and deliberative station. He advised King John to keep all titles and privileges given during the Habsburg rule, as to avoid rebellions and acts of treachery against him. On the other hand, by his suggestion, King John's supporters were seldom honoured for their actions during the Restoration War. When the Archbishop of Braga, the Duke of Coimbra and the Marquess of Vila Real were charged with treason against the new monarch, Francisco de Lucena spared his indulgence and condemned them all to death by beheading, even providing the cleaver that had cut off Rodrigo Calderón's head in his execution in Madrid.