Afonso V of Portugal

✶January 24, 1432

†September 6, 1481

3 candles burning, 11 lit in all

About their life

Afonso V, also known as the African, was King of Portugal from 1438 until he died in 1481, with a brief interruption in 1477. The son of Edward, King of Portugal, and Eleanor of Aragon, Afonso acceded to the throne when he was only six years old. His early reign was marked by a struggle over the regency between his mother, Eleanor, and his uncle, Pedro, Duke of Coimbra. Pedro was appointed sole regent in 1439, but the Braganza faction at court continued to challenge his authority. Influenced by his other uncle, Afonso I, Duke of Braganza, the King dismissed Pedro in 1448 and defeated him in the Battle of Alfarrobeira in 1449.

King of Portugal from 1438 to 1481

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Biography from the article Afonso V of Portugal on the English Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.