Afonso_V_of_Portugal

{{Infobox Monarch
| name =Afonso V
| title =King of Portugal and the Algarve of either side of the sea in Africa
| image =[[Image:AfonsoV-P.jpg|200px|Afonso V of Portugal]]
| caption =17th century painting of Afonso V.
| reign =[[September 13]], [[1438]]—[[November 11]], [[1477]] (under the Regency of [[Leonor of Aragon (1402-1445)|Leonor of Aragon]] 1438–[[1439]]) (under the Regency of [[Infante Pedro, Duke of Coimbra]] 1439–[[June 9]], [[1448]]) (abdicated briefly in 1477) [[November 15]], [[1477]]—[[August 29]], [[1481]] (under the Regency of [[John II of Portugal|Prince João]])
| othertitles =Prince of Portugal ([[1432]]–1438) Lord of Ceuta (1438–[[1458]]) Lord of Ceuta and Alcácer in Africa (1458–[[1471]]) King of Algarve of either side of the sea in Africa (1471–1481)
| full name =Afonso of Portugal
| predecessor =[[Edward of Portugal]] ([[John II of Portugal]] after the abdication)
| successor =[[John II of Portugal]]
| suc-type =Heirs brother first son brother daughter second son second son
| heir = [[Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu|Prince Fernando, Duke of Viseu]] (1438–[[1451]]) [[João, Crown Prince of Portugal (1451)|Prince João]] (1451) Prince Fernando, Duke of Viseu (1451–1452) [[Joana, Crown Princess of Portugal|Princess Joana]] (1452–[[1455]]) [[John II of Portugal|Prince João (future John II)]] (1455–[[1477]]) Prince João (future John II) (1477–1481)
| queen =[[Isabel of Coimbra]] ([[1447]]–[[1455]]) [[Joanna La Beltraneja|Infanta Juana of Castile, la Beltraneja]] ([[1475]]–1477;1477–1481)
| issue =[[João, Crown Prince of Portugal (1451)|Prince João]] (1451) [[Joana, Crown Princess of Portugal|Princess Joana]] (1452–[[1490]]) [[John II of Portugal|Prince João (future John II)]] (1455–[[1495]])
| royal house =[[House of Aviz]]
| dynasty =[[House of Aviz|Dynasty of Aviz (Joanine Dynasty)]]
| father =[[Edward of Portugal]]
| mother =[[Leonor of Aragon (1402-1445)|Leonor of Aragon]]
| date of birth =[[January 15]], [[1432]]
| place of birth ={{flagicon|Portugal|1385}} [[Sintra National Palace]], [[Sintra]], [[Kingdom of Portugal]]
| date of death ={{death date and age|1481|8|28|1432|1|15}}
| place of death ={{flagicon|Portugal|1385}} [[Lisbon]], Kingdom of Portugal
| place of burial =[[Monastery of Batalha]], [[Batalha]], [[Leiria (district)|District of Leiria]], [[Portugal]]
|}}
[[Image:Domafonsov.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Afonso V of Portugal, Conqueror of African strongholds]]
{{House of Aviz}}

'''Afonso V''' ({{pronounced|ɐˈfõsu}} in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]; [[English language|English]] ''Alphonzo''), or ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese), ''the African'' ([[Portuguese language|Port.]] ''o Africano'') (on [[January 15]] [[1432]] – [[August 28]] [[1481]]), was the 12th [[Algarve#History|king of Portugal and the Algarves]] ([[List of Portuguese monarchs]]).

He was born in [[Sintra]], the eldest son of King [[Edward of Portugal]] by his wife, Infanta [[Leonor of Aragon (1402-1445)|Eleanor of Aragon]]. Afonso V was only six years old when he succeeded his father in [[1438]].

During his minority, Afonso V was placed under the regency of his mother, according to a late will of his father. As both a foreigner and a woman, the queen was not a popular choice for regent. Opposition rose and the queen's only ally was [[Afonso, Duke of Braganza|Afonso, Count of Barcelos]], the illegitimate half brother of Duarte I and count of Barcelos. In the following year, the ''Cortes'' (assembly of the kingdom) decided to replace the queen with [[Infante Pedro, Duke of Coimbra]], the young king's oldest uncle. His main policies were concerned with avoiding the development of great noble houses, kingdoms inside the kingdom, and concentrating power in the person of the king. The country prospered under his rule, but not peacefully, as his laws interfered with the ambition of powerful nobles. The count of Barcelos, a personal enemy of the Duke of Coimbra (despite being half-brothers) eventually became the king's favourite uncle and began a constant struggle for power. In [[1442]], the king made Afonso the first [[Duke of Braganza]]. With this title and its lands, he became the most powerful man in Portugal and one of the richest men in Europe {{citation}}. To secure his position as regent, in [[1445]] Pedro married his daughter, Isabel of Coimbra, Infanta of Portugal, to Afonso V.

But in [[June 9]], [[1448]], when the king came of age, Pedro had to surrender his power to Afonso V. The years of conspiracy by the Duke of Braganza finally came to a head. In [[September 15]] of the same year, Afonso V nullified all the laws and edicts approved under the regency. The situation became unstable and, in the following year, being led by what he afterwards discovered to be false representations, Afonso declared Pedro a rebel and defeated his army in the [[Battle of Alfarrobeira]], in which both his uncle and father in law was killed. After this battle and the loss of one of Portugal's most remarkable infantes, the Duke of Braganza became the ''de facto'' ruler of the country.

Afonso V then turned his attentions to the North of Africa. In his grandfather's ([[John I of Portugal]]) reign, [[Ceuta]] had been conquered from the king of [[Morocco]], now the new king wanted to expand the conquests. The king's army conquered Alcacer Ceguer ([[1458]]), [[Tangiers]] (won and lost several times between [[1460]] and [[1464]]) and [[Arzila]] ([[1471]]). This achievements granted the king the nickname of ''the African''. The king also supported the exploration of the [[Atlantic Ocean]] led by prince [[Henry the Navigator]] but, after Henry's death in [[1460]] he did nothing to pursue this course of action. Administratively, Afonso V was an absent king, since he did not pursue development of laws or commerce, preferring to stand with the legacy of his father and grandfather.

In 1452, [[Pope Nicholas V]] issued the [[papal bull]] [[Dum Diversas]], granting Afonso V the right to reduce any "Saracens, pagans and any other unbelievers" to hereditary slavery. This approval of slavery was reaffirmed and extended in the [[Romanus Pontifex]] bull of 1455 (also by Nicholas V). These papal bulls came to serve as a justification for the subsequent era of slave trade and European colonialism. So Afonso V, together with Nicholas V, is a key figure in the [[history of slavery]].

When the campaigns in Africa were over, Afonso V found new grounds for battle in the Iberian Peninsula. In neighbouring [[Crown of Castile|Castile]], a huge scandal with political and dynastic implications had arisen. King [[Henry IV of Castile]] died without heirs. From his two marriages, only a daughter, [[Joan, princess of Castile]] had been born. But her paternity was questioned, as rumour said the king was impotent and the queen, princess Joana of Portugal, had a notorious affair with a nobleman called [[Beltrán de La Cueva]]. The birth of princess Joan in [[1462]], openly called ''the Beltraneja'', caused the divorce of her parents. She was never considered legitimate and, when the king was dying, no one took her as a serious contender for the crown. Her aunt, [[Isabella I of Castile]], was due to inherit the crown, but Afonso V was keen to interfere with the succession in Castile. In [[1475]] he [[Pedigree collapse|married his niece]] Joan, the Beltraneja, 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 [[Kingdom of León|León]] and prepared to defend his wife's rights. In the following year he was defeated at the [[Battle of Toro]] by King [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]], the husband of Isabella of Castile. He went to [[France]] to obtain the assistance of [[Louis XI of France|Louis XI]], but finding himself deceived by the French monarch, he returned to Portugal in [[1477]] in very low spirits. Disillusioned and depressed, he fell into a deep melancholy and abdicated in favour of his son Prince João (future John II). After this, he retired to a monastery in Sintra where he died in 1481. His death was mourned in the country, by the people who loved the king, and by the nobles who were starting to fear his successor.

Afonso was a direct descendant of [[Edward III of England]] through his son [[John of Gaunt]] and therefore was a direct descendant of [[William the Conqueror]], [[King of England]].

==Ancestors==
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Afonso's ancestors in three generations'''
|-
|-
| rowspan="8" align="center"| '''Afonso V of Portugal'''
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''Father:''' [[Edward of Portugal]]
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Father's father:''' [[John I of Portugal]]
| align="center"| '''Father's father's father:''' [[Peter I of Portugal]]
|-
| align="center"| '''Father's father's mother:''' [[Teresa Lourenço]]
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Father's mother:''' [[Philippa of Lancaster]]
| align="center"| '''Father's mother's father:''' [[John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster]]
|-
| align="center"| '''Father's mother's mother:''' [[Blanche of Lancaster]]
|-
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''Mother:''' [[Leonor of Aragon (1402-1445)|Leonor of Aragon]]
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Mother's father:''' [[Ferdinand I of Aragon]]
| align="center"| '''Mother's father's father:''' [[John I of Castile]]
|-
| align="center"| '''Mother's father's mother:''' [[Eleanor of Aragon]]
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Mother's mother:''' [[Eleanor of Alburquerque]]
| align="center"| '''Mother's mother's father:''' [[Sancho of Alburquerque|Sancho, Count of Alburquerque]]
|-
| align="center"| '''Mother's mother's mother:''' [[Infanta Beatriz, Countess of Alburquerque]]
|}

==Marriages and descendants==
Afonso married first to his cousin [[Isabel of Coimbra]] in [[1447]]. Isabel died in [[1455]] and Afonso married again (although not recognized by the Papacy) in [[1475]], this time to [[Joan, princess of Castile|Joan of Castile]] (known as "la Beltraneja"), daughter of [[Henry IV of Castile]] and [[Joan of Portugal]]. This marriage was an attempt to inherit the throne of Castile as Joan was the sole daughter of Henry IV. However this didn't happen as Afonso lost a short war with Castile.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name!!Birth!!Death!!Notes
|-
|colspan=4|'''By [[Isabel of Coimbra]]''' ([[1432]]-[[December 2]] [[1455]]; married on [[May 6]] [[1447]])
|-
|[[João, Crown Prince of Portugal (1451)|Prince João]] (John)||[[January 29]] [[1451]]||[[1451]]||Crown Prince of Portugal (1451).
|-
|[[Saint Joan of Portugal|Princess Joana]] (Joan)||[[February 6]] [[1452]]||[[May 12]] [[1490]]||Crown Princess of Portugal (1452-1455). Known as Saint Joan of Portugal or Saint Joan Princess. [[Canonized]] in [[1693]] by [[Pope Innocent XII]]
|-
|[[John II of Portugal|Prince João]] (John)||[[March 3]] [[1455]]||[[October 25]] [[1495]]||Who succeeded him as John, 13th [[King of Portugal]].
|-
|colspan=4|'''[[Joan, princess of Castile|Joan of Castile]]''' ([[1462]]-[[1530]]; married on [[May 30]] [[1475]])
|-
|colspan=4|'''By [[Maria Álvares de Carvalho]]''' (?-?)
|-
|[[Álvaro Soares de Carvalho]]||c. [[1467]]||[[1557]]||Natural son.
|}

==See also==
*[[Afonso de Albuquerque]] (contemporary Portuguese naval general)
*[[Portugal in the Age of Discovery]]

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Aviz]]|15 January|1432|28 August|1481|[[House of Burgundy]]}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Edward of Portugal|Edward]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Portuguese monarchs|King of Portugal]] and the [[Algarve]]s|years=1438 – 1477}}
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[John II of Portugal|John II]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Moors|Moorish]] rulers}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Portuguese monarchs|King of the Algarves Beyond the Sea]]|years=1471 – 1477}}
{{s-bef|before=[[John II of Portugal|John II]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Portuguese monarchs|King of Portugal]] and the [[Algarve|Algarves Beyond the Sea]]|years=1477 – 1481}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John II of Portugal|John II]]}}
{{s-roy|pt}}
{{s-new|reason=}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Prince of Portugal]]|years=1433 – 1438}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu|Ferdinand]]}}
{{end}}

{{Monarchs of Portugal}}

[[Category:Portuguese monarchs]]
[[Category:House of Aviz]]
[[Category:Knights of the Garter]]
[[Category:1432 births|Afonso V of Portugal]]
[[Category:1481 deaths|Afonso V of Portugal]]

[[be-x-old:Афансу V]]
[[bg:Афонсу V]]
[[ca:Alfons V de Portugal]]
[[de:Alfons V. (Portugal)]]
[[es:Alfonso V de Portugal]]
[[fr:Alphonse V de Portugal]]
[[gl:Afonso V de Portugal]]
[[it:Alfonso V del Portogallo]]
[[he:אפונסו החמישי, מלך פורטוגל]]
[[nl:Alfons V van Portugal]]
[[ja:アフォンソ5世 (ポルトガル王)]]
[[pl:Alfons V Afrykańczyk]]
[[pt:Afonso V de Portugal]]
[[ru:Афонсу V]]
[[fi:Alfons V (Portugali)]]
[[sv:Alfons V av Portugal]]
[[zh:阿方索五世 (葡萄牙)]]