The highest hereditary title in the Portuguese nobility. By tradition, there are a total of five royal and seven non-royal dukes in Portugal, out of 28 dukedoms that have ever been created. In the majority of cases, the title of duke was attributed to members of the high nobility, usually relatives of the
Portuguese royal family, such as the second son of a monarch.
All of these dukedoms are inherited, but only some of them are titles de juro e herdade – this meant that the reigning monarch was obliged to renew the title for its rightful heir whenever a titleholder died. Only Aveiro, Lafões, Terceira, Palmela, Saldanha and Loulé were dukedoms de juro e herdade. Some of these dukes (Cadaval, Terceira and Saldanha) enjoyed Honras de Parente, i.e. certain honours (of
style and/or
precedence) associated with being an officially recognised relative of the king.
Duke of Cadaval, family Álvares Pereira de Mello, branch of the House of Braganza before they were kings;
Duke of Caminha and
Duke of Vila Real (both extinguished following executions for high treason of their titleholders for supporting the right of the Spanish Habsburg kings to the Portuguese throne after the revolution of 1640;
Duke da Vitória (this
victory title, meaning in Portuguese "Duke of the Victory", was given to
Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington. This is the only Portuguese dukedom granted to a foreigner and whose titleholders remained foreign citizens living outside of Portugal).