Early life Sebastian of Portugal

1 life

1.1 accession minor
1.2 education
1.3 marriage plans

early life

sebastian new-born in sentenças para ensinança e doutrina príncipe, 1554.

sebastian born shortly after 8 in morning of 20 january 1554 (the feast of saint sebastian), , given saint s name in commemoration. name sebastian highly unusual members of european royal family @ time.

shortly after birth, doctor, fernando abarca maldonado, had come portugal in entourage of mother , had helped deliver him, cast horoscope. among other things, maldonado predicted sebastian attracted women, marry , have many children. none of these predictions ever came pass.

accession minor

sebastian born heir-apparent throne of portugal, since birth occurred 2 weeks after death of father. succeeded throne @ age of three, on death of king john iii, paternal grandfather. after birth, mother joanna of spain left infant son serve regent of spain father, emperor charles v. after abdication in 1556, served in same capacity brother philip ii of spain. joanna remained in spain until death in 1573, never see son again.

since sebastian still child, regency necessary. handled first paternal grandmother, catherine of austria, , great-uncle, cardinal henry of Évora. period saw continued portuguese colonial expansion in angola, mozambique, , malacca, annexation of macau in 1557.

sebastian bright , lively boy. reports fearless due great physical strength. tall, slim, , blond, brought grandmother catherine, domineering woman exercised firm control on grandson. obedient child, became obstinate , impulsive in later life.

education

portrait of sebastian of portugal; alonso sanches coelho, 1562.

the young king grew under guidance , heavy influence of jesuits. aleixo de meneses, military man of solid reputation , former tutor , guardian of prince john, appointed tutor sebastian boy s grandmother. other teachers included priest luís gonçalves da câmara , assistant, priest amador rebelo.

his upbringing made sebastian extremely devout. carried copy of thomas aquinas on belt @ waist , accompanied 2 monks of theatine order intent on preserving king s innocence. child, sebastian reportedly react visitors running off hiding monks until visitors had gone.

marriage plans

sebastian died young , did not marry. however, involved in several proposed marriage alliances. in particular, queen dowager of france, catherine de medici, nurtured plan long time marry youngest daughter, margaret of valois, sebastian, plan supported sebastian s maternal uncle, king philip ii of spain, on occasion.

sebastian himself, however, put end plan, declaring unimpressed mild suppression of huguenot protestants in france, , not bind himself house of valois until had seen how situation develop. later, agreed — being persuaded emissaries of pope — marry margaret in order prevent marrying huguenot henry of navarre; time, however, french king , mother intent on margaret marrying henry. margaret married henry in 1572. then, sebastian s proposal rejected.

sebastian offered cousin elisabeth of habsburg, daughter of emperor maximilian ii. sebastian himself made proposal in 1577 first cousin isabella clara eugenia, daughter of philip ii of spain.