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The Duchy of Bragança,or '''Braganza''', is the seat of the Portuguese noble family, the House Of Braganza , and is one of the most important Dukedoms Of Portugal . Created in 1442 by King Afonso V Of Portugal for his uncle Afonso , Count of Barcelos (natural son of John I Of Portugal ), it is one of the oldest Fief doms in Portugal. After the accession of the House of Bragança to the Portuguese throne in 1640, following the Philippine Dynasty of Spanish Habsburgs, the heir of the Portuguese Crown has been known as the Duke Of Bragança together with, or alternately to Prince Of Beira . After the foundation of the Portuguese Republic in 1910, the tradition of the heir to the throne being titled Duke of Braganza was revived by various pretenders to signify their claims to the throne. HISTORY The Duchy of Bragança, a Royal Dukedom , was created in 1442 by king Afonso V Of Portugal for his uncle Afonso , Count of Barcelos (natural son of John I Of Portugal ). Along with the duchies of Coimbra and Viseu created by João I for his sons Dom Pedro and Dom Henrique after their capture of Ceuta from the Moors in 1415, it is one of the first duchies of Portugal . By 1640, Portugal was on the verge of rebellion and a new Portuguese king had to be found. The choice fell upon the eighth duke, João II Of Bragança , who had a claim both through his grandmother, Princess Catarina, and through his great-great-grandfather, the 4th duke, nephew of King Manuel. The duke was a modest man without particular ambitions to the crown. Legend says that his wife, Leonor of Guzman, daughter of the duke of Medina-Sidónia, urged him to accept the offer saying, ''I'd rather be Queen for one day than duchess for a lifetime''. He accepted the leadership of the rebellion, which was successful, and was acclaimed João IV of Portugal on December 1 1640 . After the accession of the Braganças to the throne, the duchy was linked to the Crown and the Duke of Bragança became the traditional title of the heir to the Crown, together with or alternate to Prince of Beira , much as Prince Of Wales is in the United Kingdom . In 1910 , a republic was instituted and the king was exiled. King Manuel II settled in England. After this, the duchy of Bragança allegedly passed to Miguel II , son of the exiled king Miguel I Of Portugal , who was living in the Austrian Empire. His branch of the Bragança family became heir to the crown in 1932 when Manuel II died without children. The Braganças were officially allowed to return to the country in 1950 and have lived there ever since. Presently, the duke of Bragança and Portuguese heir is Duarte Pio Of Bragança (born 1945). Unlike some European countries like Greece, which continues to forbid the presence of the heirs of former royal houses in their lands, republican Portugal and its claimants to the throne have long been reconciled, a fact shown when among the guests at his wedding was the Portuguese President of the Republic and the country's prime minister. SEE ALSO
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