Jorge de Lencastre, Duke of Coimbra facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Jorge de Lencastre
Duke of Coimbra

Born	21 August 1481 Abrantes, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	22 July 1550(1550-07-22) (aged 68) Setúbal, Kingdom of Portugal
Burial	Church of Santiago, Palmela, Portugal
Spouse	Beatriz de Vilhena
Issue	João de Lancastre Afonso Luís Jaime Helena Maria de Lancastre Filipa Isabel
House	House of Avis
Father	John II of Portugal
Mother	Ana de Mendonça

Jorge de Lencastre (also known as George) was a Portuguese prince. He was born on August 21, 1481, and passed away on July 22, 1550. He was the son of King John II of Portugal and Ana de Mendonça.

In 1509, Jorge became the second Duke of Coimbra. He also led two important knightly groups. From 1492 until his death, he was the master of the Order of Saint James of the Sword and the administrator of the Order of Aviz.

Early Life and Education

Jorge de Lencastre was born in Abrantes, Portugal. He was born on August 21, 1481. His aunt, Joan, Princess of Portugal, raised him in a convent in Aveiro.

After his aunt Joan died in 1490, Jorge moved to the royal court. He then began to study with Diogo Fernandes de Almeida. Diogo was an important official and a trusted friend of King John II.

The Fight for the Throne

Who Would Be King?

In 1491, King John II's only son, Prince Afonso, died. This left the king without a direct heir. The next person in line for the throne was Manuel, the Duke of Beja. Manuel was also the king's cousin and brother-in-law.

King John II did not trust Manuel. He also worried about the powerful group Manuel led, the Order of Christ. The king had previously punished some powerful nobles. Manuel's own brother and brother-in-law had been executed.

The king believed Manuel would undo all his hard work. John II had tried to make the kingdom stronger and more united. He feared Manuel would give too much power back to the nobles.

King John II's Plan for Jorge

Because of this, King John II wanted his son, Jorge, to become the next king. In April 1492, the king got special permission from Pope Innocent VIII. This allowed Jorge to become the leader of the Order of Saint James of the Sword and the Order of Aviz.

Soon after, Jorge's tutor, Diogo Fernandes de Almeida, also received an important role. He became the head of the Portuguese branch of the Knights Hospitaller.

A Queen's Opposition

However, Queen Eleanor of Viseu, Manuel's sister, had other plans. She worked with the Order of Christ to support her brother Manuel. They wanted to stop Jorge from becoming too powerful.

In 1494, King John II sent a group to Rome. They asked Pope Alexander VI to make Jorge a legitimate heir. This would mean Jorge could legally inherit the throne. But the Pope said no, and the king's plan failed.

King John II's Last Wishes

Before he died in 1495, King John II made a will. He asked Manuel to give Jorge the title of Duke of Coimbra. He also wanted Manuel to give Jorge many other titles and lands. This included the leadership of the Order of Christ.

If Manuel had followed all these wishes, Jorge would have become very powerful. He would have been one of the most important people in Portugal.

Manuel agreed to some of the king's wishes. But he refused to give up the Order of Christ. He also took his time fulfilling the other requests. Jorge only officially became the Duke of Coimbra in 1509. This was almost 15 years after his father's death.

King John II also wanted Jorge to marry a royal princess. Manuel promised his own first daughter for Jorge. But in 1500, Jorge married Beatriz de Vilhena instead. She was the daughter of Álvaro of Braganza. While not a princess, she came from a noble family.

Jorge's Role During Manuel's Reign

A Diligent Leader

Some writers who supported King Manuel tried to make Jorge look bad. They said he was lazy and didn't care about his duties. However, those who wrote about the Order of Saint James of the Sword saw Jorge differently. They described him as a very hard-working and careful leader.

Jorge remained an important person in Portuguese politics. This was especially true during the first ten years of Manuel's rule. The Order of Santiago was Jorge's main source of power.

An Opposition Group

Jorge created a kind of "opposition court" at the Order's main base in Palmela. He gathered many people who had been loyal to King John II. These people now disagreed with King Manuel.

This group included the Almeida family, the Ataíde family, and Jorge's own mother's family. Other important people who supported Jorge were Vasco da Gama and Francisco de Almeida. Jorge also seemed to protect "New Christians" (Jewish people who had converted to Christianity). He fought against bringing the Holy Inquisition to Portugal.

India Expeditions

Jorge's group played a big part in the early trips to India. They believed these trips should be about trade and making the country richer. They saw it as a way to gain wealth and power for Portugal.

King Manuel's group had a different view. They saw the trips as a holy war and a religious mission. They dreamed of invading Egypt and taking back Jerusalem. Jorge's group helped keep the India expeditions focused on practical goals. Many early captains for these trips came from Jorge's supporters.

Changes in Power

At first, Jorge's power came from the idea that he might still become king. But this hope faded as King Manuel had many sons with his new queen, Maria of Aragon, Queen of Portugal.

Over time, some of Jorge's strongest supporters began to leave him. They looked for ways to get ahead with King Manuel. Some even left Jorge's Orders of Santiago and Aviz to join Manuel's Order of Christ. This included Francisco de Almeida and Vasco da Gama.

Conflict with Vasco da Gama

Jorge had a difficult disagreement with Vasco da Gama. After da Gama returned from India in 1499, King Manuel promised him the town of Sines. But Sines belonged to the Order of Santiago.

Jorge wanted to reward da Gama, but he worried about the king taking Order property. So, he decided to stand firm. He even had da Gama banished from Sines in 1507. This made da Gama leave Jorge and join the Order of Christ.

Defending the Orders

Jorge worked hard to protect his two knightly orders, Santiago and Aviz. King Manuel's Order of Christ was constantly trying to attract their knights.

In 1505, Jorge got a royal order that stopped knights from leaving his orders without his permission. But Manuel got special permission from Pope Alexander VI. This allowed the king to control the property of all three Orders. It also let knights move freely to the Order of Christ.

Jorge continued to resist. He punished knights who left without his permission. In 1509, he created new rules for the Order of Santiago. These rules made the Order's management more organized.

However, with so many knights leaving, Jorge's political power weakened. In 1516, King Manuel got permission from Pope Leo X. This allowed the king to choose the future leaders of the Orders of Santiago and Aviz. This was a big defeat for Jorge.

Later Years and Legacy

New King, New Conflicts

King Manuel died in 1521. His son, John III of Portugal, became the new king. The disagreements with Jorge de Lencastre continued. Jorge's son, João de Lencastre, took up the fight.

In the late 1520s, João led a group against King John III's brother. The king's brother wanted to marry a noble heiress. João claimed he had already secretly married her. The king responded by putting João in prison for some years.

A Late-Life Scandal

Late in his life, Jorge caused a stir. At 67 years old, he married a 16-year-old girl. King John III made this marriage very public. The king also secretly got the Pope to cancel the marriage.

The End of an Era

When Jorge de Lencastre died in July 1550, King John III acted quickly. He took control of the military orders. The Pope appointed King John III as the master of both the Order of Santiago and the Order of Aviz.

A year later, the Pope made the Kings of Portugal the permanent masters of these orders. This ended the independence of the orders that Jorge had worked so hard to protect.

At Jorge's death, King John III also took back the title of 'Duke of Coimbra'. The king said it was because Coimbra was a royal town. But the real reason was probably to erase a title that had been held by people who challenged royal power.

The lands that came with the Duke of Coimbra title were given to the Duke of Aveiro. This was a new title created by King John III for Jorge's son, João de Lencastre. The Lencastre family line continued through the Dukes of Aveiro.

Family Life

In 1500, Jorge married Beatriz de Vilhena. She was the daughter of Álvaro of Braganza. Beatriz passed away in 1535.

Jorge and Beatriz had several children:

João de Lencastre, 1st Duke of Aveiro
Afonso de Lencastre, who became a leader in the Order of Santiago. He had a son:
- Álvaro of Lencastre, 3rd Duke of Aveiro
Luís de Lencastre, a leader in the Order of Aviz. He married Magdalena de Granada.
Jaime de Lencastre, who became the first head of the Inquisition in Portugal.
Helena de Lencastre, a nun.
Maria de Lencastre, a nun.
Filipa de Lencastre, a prioress (head nun).
Isabel de Lencastre, a nun.

Jorge also had other children born outside of his marriage.

He died at the castle of Palmela on July 22, 1550.

Images for kids

Arms of D. Jorge de Lencastre, 2nd Duke of Coimbra, from Jean du Cro's Livro do Armeiro-Mor, 1509.