List of viceroys of Portugal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Viceroy of Portugal
Residence	Ribeira Palace
Appointer	King of Portugal
Formation	18 July 1580
First holder	Duke of Alba
Final holder	Duchess of Mantua
Abolished	1 December 1640

The Viceroy of Portugal was a very important leader in the Kingdom of Portugal. This person was the highest representative of the King of Portugal during a special time called the Iberian Union. This union meant that the kings of Spain were also the kings of Portugal, but Portugal kept its own government and laws. The Viceroy acted like the king's direct manager in Portugal.

A Time of Union: Portugal and Spain

During the Iberian Union, from 1580 to 1640, the kings of Spain also ruled Portugal. Even though the same king ruled both, Portugal remained a separate kingdom. To manage Portugal, the king appointed a Viceroy.

A special meeting called the Cortes of Tomar in 1581 decided something important. It was agreed that the person ruling Portugal on behalf of the king (the regent) should always be Portuguese. If not, it had to be a member of the Royal Family. This rule was mostly followed. Sometimes, a group of people called a Government Junta of the Kingdom of Portugal acted as the regent instead of one person.

Important Viceroys and Regents

Here is a list of the people who served as Viceroy or led the Regency Councils in Portugal during the Iberian Union. They helped manage the kingdom for the Spanish kings.

Picture	Viceroy or Regent	From	Until	Monarch
	Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba	18 July 1580	11 December 1582	Philip I of Portugal
	Albert VII, Archduke of Austria	11 February 1583	5 July 1593
	1st Regency Council Led by Miguel de Castro, Archbishop of Lisbon João da Silva, 2nd Marquis of Gouveia Francisco de Mascarenhas, 1st Count of Santa Cruz Duarte de Castelo Branco, 1st Count of Sabugal Miguel de Moura	5 July 1593	1598
	Francisco Gómez de Sandoval, 1st Duke of Lerma	1598	29 January 1600	Philip II of Portugal
	Cristóvão de Moura, 1st Marquis of Castelo Rodrigo	29 January 1600	1603
	Afonso de Castelo Branco, Bishop-Count of Coimbra	1603	24 May 1605
	Pedro de Castilho, Bishop of Leiria	24 May 1605	February 1608
	Aleixo de Menezes, Archbishop-Primate of Braga	1612	1615
	Miguel de Castro, Archbishop of Lisbon	1615	10 May 1619
	Diogo da Silva e Mendonça, 1st Marquis of Alenquer	10 May 1619	1 September 1621
	2nd Regency Council Led by Martim Afonso Mexia, Bishop-Count of Coimbra Diogo de Castro, 2nd Count of Basto Nuno Álvares Pereira Colón de Portugal, 3rd Duke of Veragua	1 September 1621	30 August 1623	Philip III of Portugal
	3rd Regency Council Led by Diogo de Castro, 2nd Count of Basto Afonso Furtado de Mendonça, Archbishop of Lisbon Diogo da Silva, 5th Count of Portalegre	30 August 1623	1631
	4th Regency Council Led by António de Ataíde, 5th Count of Castanheira Nuno de Mendonça, 1st Count of Vale de Reis	1631	March 1632
	António de Ataíde, 5th Count of Castanheira	March 1632	12 May 1633
	João Manuel de Ataíde, Archbishop of Lisbon	12 May 1633	4 July 1633
	Diogo de Castro, 2nd Count of Basto	4 July 1633	23 December 1634
	Margaret of Savoy, Duchess of Mantua	23 December 1634	1 December 1640

See also

In Spanish: Virreyes de Portugal para niños

• Iberian Union
• Council of Portugal