Style of the Portuguese sovereign


The style of Portuguese sovereign has varied over the years. Currently, there is no Portuguese monarch but there is a pretender: Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza. He styles himself following some of the ancient traditions of the Portuguese monarchy.

Style of title

During the history of Portuguese monarchy, the Portuguese kings used the following styles:
TimeStyleUsed byReason
1128–1129By the Grace of God, Duke of Portugal
Afonso I
1129–1139By the Grace of God, Prince of Portugal
Afonso I
1140–1189By the Grace of God, King of the Portuguese
Afonso I, Sancho I
1189–1191By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and Silves
Sancho IConquest of Silves
1191–1248By the Grace of God, King of Portugal
Sancho I, Afonso II, Sancho IILoss of Silves to the Almohads
1248–1249By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and Count of Boulogne
Afonso IIIAfonso, married to Matilda II, Countess of Boulogne-sur-Mer, succeeds his brother Sancho on the Portuguese throne
1249–1253By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarve, Count of Boulogne
Afonso IIIConquest of the Moorish kingdom of the Algarve
1253–1369By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarve
Afonso III, Denis, Afonso IV, Peter I, Ferdinand IAfonso III repudiates Matilda and relinquishes his title of Count
1369–1371By the Grace of God, King of Castile, León, Portugal, Toledo, Galicia, Seville, Córdoba, Murcia, Jaén, the Algarve, and Algeciras and Lord of MolinaFerdinand IFerndinand I of Portugal is a pretender to the Castilian Crown, being a legitimate great-grandson of Sancho IV of Castile
1371–1383By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the AlgarveFerdinand IRenunciation of Castilian titles after the Peace of Alcoutim
1385–1415By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the AlgarveJohn IElection of the Portuguese king
1415–1458By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarve and Lord of CeutaJohn I, Edward I, Afonso VConquest of Ceuta
1458–1471By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarve and Lord of Ceuta and Alcácer in AfricaAfonso VConquest of El Ksar as-Saghir (Alcácer-Ceguer)
1471–1475By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in AfricaAfonso VConquest of Asilah and Tangiers and elevation of the Portuguese lordship in northern Africa to the condition of Kingdom of the Algarve Beyond the Sea
1475–1479By the Grace of God, King of Castile, León, Portugal, Toledo, Galicia, Seville, Cordoba, Jaén, Murcia, the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in Africa, Gibraltar, and Algeciras and Lord of Biscay and MolinaAfonso VPretension of Afonso V to the Castilian Crown, due to his marriage with Joan, Princess of Castile
1479–1485By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in AfricaAfonso V, John IIRenunciation of the Castilian titles after the Treaty of Alcáçovas
1485–1499By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in Africa and Lord of GuineaJohn II, Manuel ICreation of the Lordship of Guinea, comprising the Portuguese colonies on the Gulf of Guinea
1499–1580By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc.Manuel I, John III, Sebastian, Henry, António, Prior of CratoThe return of Vasco da Gama from India in 1499
1581–1640By the Grace of God, King of Castile, León, Aragon, the two Sicilies, Jerusalem, Portugal, Navarre, Granada, Toledo, Valencia, Galicia, Majorca, Seville, Sardinia, Cordoba, Corsica, Murcia, Jaén, the Algarves, Algeciras, Gibraltar, the Canary Islands, the Eastern & Western Indies, and the Islands & Mainland of the Ocean Sea, Count of Barcelona, Lord of Biscay and Molina, Duke of Athens and Neopatria, Count of Roussillon and Cerdagne, Margrave of Oristano and Goceano, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, and Milan, Count of Habsburg, Flanders, Tyrol, etc.Philip I, Philip II, Philip IIIPersonal union with Spain
1640–1815By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarves before and beyond the sea in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc.
John IV, Afonso VI, Peter II, João V, Joseph I, Maria I Restoration of an independent Portugal
1815–1822By the Grace of God, King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc.Maria I, John VICreation of the Kingdom of Brazil
1822–1823By the Grace of God and by the Constitution of the Monarchy, King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc.John VIApproval of the first Portuguese Constitution
1823–1825By the Grace of God, King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc.John VISuspension of the first Portuguese Constitution after the Vilafrancada coup
1825–1826By the Grace of God, Emperor of Brazil, King of Portugal and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc.John VIBrazilian independence
1826By the Grace of God and Unanimous Acclamation of the People, Constitutional Emperor and Perpetual Defender of Brazil, King of Portugal and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc.Pedro IVPersonal Union of Portugal and Brazil
1826–1838By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc.Maria II, Miguel I, Maria II Peter's abdication of Portugal
1838–1842By the Grace of God and by the Constitution of the Monarchy, King of Portugal and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc.Maria II The Portuguese Constitution of 1838
1842–1910By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarves on this side of the seas and beyond them in Africa, Lord of Guinea and of Conquest, Navigation, and Commerce of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, and India, etc.Maria II, Pedro V, Luís I, Carlos I, Manuel IIThe Portuguese Constitutional Chart of 1826 was restored

Style of address

The attribute of the Portuguese sovereign also changed several times as well:
TimeAttribute
1139–c. 1433His Grace
c. 1433–1577His Highness
1577–1578His Majesty
1578–1580His Royal Highness
1580–1748His Majesty
1748–1825His/Her Most Faithful Majesty
1825–1826His Imperial and Royal Majesty
1826–1910His/Her Most Faithful Majesty