Afonso, Prince of Beira

Afonso of Braganza (born 25 March 1996) is the eldest son and heir of Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza and Isabel de Herédia, being a member of the House of Braganza he bears the title of Prince of Beira.

Afonso de Bragança
BornAfonso de Santa Maria Miguel Gabriel Rafael
(1996-03-25) 25 March 1996
Lisbon, Portugal
Names
Afonso de Santa Maria de Bragança
HouseBraganza
FatherDuarte Pio de Bragança
MotherIsabel de Herédia
ReligionCatholic

Early life

Afonso de Santa Maria de Bragança was born in Lisbon, the eldest child of Duarte Pio de Bragança, and Dª. Isabel Inês de Castro Curvello de Herédia.[1] His baptismal name ends with Miguel Gabriel Rafael, a family tradition of the House of Braganza that honors the three archangels in the Catholic Church.

On 1 June 1996, in the Cathedral of Braga, Afonso was baptised by Eurico Dias Nogueira, Archbishop of Braga, Primate of all the Spains.

His godparents are Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo and his maternal uncle, Afonso Miguel de Herédia.[2]

Immediately after his baptism at the Sé Cathedral of Braga, the young prince was consecrated in nearby Guimarães to Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, (Our Lady of the Olive Tree), where his ancestor King John I (founder of the House of Aviz), along with his illegitimate son Afonso, Duke of Braganza (founder of the House of Braganza), had been to thank her for his victory at the battle of Aljubarrota, in 1385, against his niece Queen Beatrice of Portugal and her husband John I of Castile.

Education

Afonso was educated at St. Julian's School on the Portuguese Riviera, Colégio Planalto in Lisbon, and The Oratory School, a Catholic Public School in the United Kingdom.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and International Relations from the Catholic University of Portugal at the Institute for Political Studies in Lisbon.

Succession

Afonso is first in the line of succession to the Portuguese Crown, as heir to his father, the Duke of Braganza.

In 2015, Portuguese tradition was followed and Afonso was consecrated crown prince after completing 18 years of age.[3] The ceremony took place at the Sanctuary of Lapa, in Sernancelhe.[3]

Public role

In recognition of his family's connections to Timor, particularly his father's role in supporting that country, Afonso was made an honorary Liurai in September 2014,[4] when his family and himself visited the country to attend the second Senate session of the Liurais Association, which represents the descendants of the island's tribal kings.

As a public figure himself, Afonso has interacted with European royalty and other public figures throughout his life. In 2017, both his brother Dinis and him, as well as their parents, accompanied their sister Maria Francisca to the Bal des débutantes in Paris.[5]

In August 2018, Afonso joined as an intern in the Social and Pre-Hospitalar Emergency Department, the Voluntary Fire Brigade of Lisbon,[6][7] following in the foot steps of Afonso, Duke of Porto, who was Honorary Commander of the same brigade. The decision to join the fire brigade came after discussing Portugal's summer fires with his family and friends.

Afonso regularly volunteers in activities in the interior of Portugal aimed at the environment. In 2019, he participated in a reforestation action in Cova da Beira.[8]

Awards with his name

Afonso has sponsored awards recognizing accomplishments in several areas. The Prince of Beira Trophy is an equestrian award first established in 2008; the winner in 2010 was Portuguese Olympic dressage rider Daniel Pinto and Afonso personally handed him the award.[9][10] The Prince of Beira Award in Biomedical Sciences is an award that distinguishes researchers of excellence in the field of biomedical sciences; it is a partnership of the Universidade do Minho and the Municipality of Guimarães.[11][12]

Honours
Foreign
Dynastic

Ancestry

References
  1. "L'infant du Portugal est né", Point de Vue (3 au 10 avril, 1996): 9.
  2. "Le Portugal baptise l'héritier de la couronne", Point de Vue (5 au 11 juin, 1996): 12–15.
  3. "Afonso consagrado príncipe herdeiro". www.vidas.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  4. "Afonso, filho dos duques de Bragança, investido 'liurai' numa visita a Timor". Caras. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  5. "Como eles cresceram! Filhos de D. Duarte arrasam no Baile de Debutantes, em Paris". www.flash.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  6. Ferreira, Marta Leite. "D. Afonso de Bragança está a estagiar num quartel, mas para já não pode combater fogos". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  7. Delas, Revista (8 August 2018). ""Filhos de grandes políticos de férias, Dom Afonso ao serviço da sociedade"".
  8. Interior, Jornal O. (15 February 2019). "Afonso de Bragança em ação de reflorestação na Cova da Beira". Jornal o Interior (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  9. "Caras | Afonso de Bragança celebra aniversário e apadrinha prova equestre na Comporta". Caras (in European Portuguese). 2 April 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  10. "Daniel Pinto venceu o Grande Prémio Especial da Comporta". EQUISPORT (in European Portuguese). 27 March 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  11. "Candidaturas abertas para o Prémio Príncipe da Beira". www.cm-guimaraes.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  12. Ribeiro, Filipa (11 January 2023). "Ciências Biomédicas: Candidaturas abertas para o Prémio Príncipe da Beira". Guimarães, agora! (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  13. "ORDEM DE MALTA: Dom Duarte de Bragança consagra filho Dom Afonso a Nossa Senhora da Lapa". ORDEM DE MALTA. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  14. Menezes, Maria. "Família Real Portuguesa: DEZANOVE ANOS DE CASAMENTO DOS DUQUES DE BRAGANÇA". Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  15. "Comunicado: A propósito das ordens imperiais brasileiras". 8 February 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  16. Constantinian
  17. "Família Real Portuguesa on Instagram: "HH Infanta Dona Maria Francisca Duchess of Coimbra with her father HRH Dom Duarte Pio Duke of Bragança and older brother, HRH Dom Afonso Prince of Beira, during the reception of @grand_duke_george_of_russia and @rebecca_bettarini wedding at the Russian Ethnographic Museum, which was founded by Russia's last tsar, Nicholas II. SA a Infanta Dona Maria Francisca Duquesa de Coimbra com seu pai SAR Dom Duarte Pio Duque de Bragança e o seu irmão mais velho, SAR Dom Afonso Príncipe da Beira, durante a recepção do casamento do @grand_duke_george_of_russia e @rebecca_bettarini , no Museu Etnográfico Russo, que foi fundado pelo último Czar da Rússia, Nicolau II #portugueseroyalfamily #familiarealportuguesa #duquedebragança #casadebragança #duquesdebragança #domduarte #royals #portugal #monarchy #monarquia #realeza #royalfamily #monarchies #houseofbraganza #kingofportugal #monarquiaportuguesa #monarquico #monarquista #casareal #europeanroyals #nobility #reideportugal #domafonsodebragança #donamariafrancisca #marcelorebelodesousa #republica #republicaportuguesa #presidenciadarepublica"". Instagram. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
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