Teodósio, Prince of Brazil

Dom Teodósio, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza (Teodósio de Bragança; ; 8 February 1634 – 15 May 1653) was the eldest son of John IV of Portugal and heir apparent to the Portuguese throne from 1640 until his death. In 1645, he was created Prince of Brazil and 9th Duke of Braganza. Biography Born on 8 February 1634 in Vila Viçosa, Teodósio was the first child of John IV of Portugal and Luisa de Guzmán, then the Duke and Duchess of Braganza. Shortly after birth, he was granted the title Duke of Barcelos. In December 1640, John was proclaimed King John IV of Portugal by the Portuguese nobility, marking the end of the 60-year-old Iberian Union and establishing the House of Braganza on the Portuguese throne. A month later, on 28 January 1641, Teodósio was sworn in as heir apparent by the Portuguese Cortes. Seeking to grant a more prestigious title that would reflect the grandeur of the new dynasty, John IV created the title Prince of Brazil and bestowed it, alongside the title of Duke of Braganza, upon Teodósio in a royal decree issued 27 October 1645. In 1646, John IV attempted to secure a dynastic alliance with France by proposing Teodósio marry Louis XIII’s niece, La Grande Mademoi