Duke of Cadaval

The Dukes of Cadaval have their origins in Álvaro of Braganza, Lord of Tentúgal, Póvoa, Buarcos and Cadaval, 4th male son of Ferdinand I, 2nd Duke of Braganza. "Dom" Álvaro maried "Dona" Phillipa of Melo, the rich daughter and heir of Rodrigo of Melo, 1st. Count of Olivenza.

The title was created in April 26, 1645, by King John IV of Portugal to his distant cousin, Nuno Álvares Pereira de Melo (1638-1727), who was already 3rd Marquis of Ferreira and 5th Count of Tentúgal.

List of the Dukes of Cadaval

#Nuno I Álvares Pereira de Melo, 1st Duke of Cadaval (1638-1727)
#Luis Ambrósio de Melo, 2nd Duke of Cadaval (1679-1700)
#Jaime I Álvares Pereira de Melo, 3rd Duke of Cadaval (1684-1749)
#Nuno II Álvares Pereira de Melo, 4th Duke of Cadaval (1741-1771)
#Miguel Álvares Pereira de Melo, 5th Duke of Cadaval (1765-1808)
#Nuno III Álvares Pereira de Melo, 6th Duke of Cadaval (1799-1837)
#Maria da Piedade Álvares Pereira Melo, 7th Duchess of Cadaval (1827- ? )
#Jaime II Álvares Pereira de Melo, 8th Duke of Cadaval (1844-1913)
#Nuno IV Álvares Pereira de Melo, 9th Duke of Cadaval (1888-1935)
#Jaime III Álvares Pereira de Melo, 10th Duke of Cadaval (1913-2001)
#Diana Álvares Pereira de Melo, 11th Duchess of Cadaval (born 1978)

Other Titles

*Count of Tentúgal (in 1504, by King Manuel I of Portugal);
*Marquis of Ferreira (in 1533, by King John III of Portugal).

Family Name

The Dukes family name was "Álvares Pereira de Melo".

"Dom" Nuno Álvares Pereira, the remarkable Constable of Portugal, is among their ancestors.

A new title: Cadaval-Hermès

When Jaime III Álvares Pereira de Melo, 10th Duke of Cadaval died in 2001, he left four daughters: two from his first (civil) mariage, and two other from his second (religious) mariage. The title and the Cadaval House was disputed by the eldest daughters of each mariage:
*Rosalinda Álvares Pereira de Melo (born 1936), eldest daughter of the Duke's first (civil) mariage;
*Diana Álvares Pereira de Melo (born 1978), eldest daughter of the Duke's second (religious) mariage.

Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, in his quality of Head of the Royal House of Portugal, recognized Diana Álvares Pereira de Melo as 11th Duchess of Cadaval.

However, he also granted to her eldest half-sister, Rosalinda Álvares Pereira de Melo, the new title of Duchess of Cadaval-Hermès (she is married to the House Hermès heir). "Dona" Rosalinda also obtained both titles of Marquess of Ferreira and Countess of Tentúgal, normaly allocated to the Duke of Cadaval heir. Therefore, Rosalinda (or her heirs) will succed her younger half sister as Duchess of Cadaval.

This is a controversial issue once the title was granted during the Republican regimen (in Portugal, the Republic abolished all nobility titles in 1910).

Genealogical Summary

Fernando I Rodrigo of Melo (1403-1478) (1430-1487) 2nd.Duke of Braganza 1st.Count of Olivença

_______________________|___________________
| |
Fernando II Afonso ÁLVARO<-------------->Philippa of Melo (1430-1506) (1435- ? ) (1440- ? ) | (1460-1516) 3rd.Duke of Braganza 1st.Count of Faro Lord of Tentúgal |
2nd.Count of Odemira and Cadaval |
|
| |
| Rodrigo de Melo
| (1468-1545)
| 1st.Count of Tentúgal
| 1st.Marquis of Ferreira
|
|
"House of Braganza" "Counts of Faro" Francisco I de Melo "Counts of Odemira" (1520-1588) "Counts of Vimieiro" 2nd.Count of Tentúgal 2nd.Marquis of Ferreira

Nuno Álvares Pereira de Melo (1555-1597) 3rd.Count of Tentúgal

Francisco II de Melo (1588-1645) 4th.Count of Tentúgal 3rd.Marquis of Ferreira

Nuno I Álvares Pereira de Melo (1638-1727) 5th.Count of Tentúgal 4th.Marquis of Ferreira 1st.Duke of Cadaval

"House of Cadaval"

ee also

*Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval (Évora)
*List of dukedoms in Portugal

External Links

* [http://www.geneall.net/P/tit_page.php?id=290 Genealogy of the Dukes of Cadaval]
* [http://www.casacadaval.com/ Casa Cadaval | Site Oficial]
* [http://www.casacadaval.pt/ Actividades da Casa Cadaval]

Bibliography

*”Nobreza de Portugal e do Brasil” – Vol. II, pages 459-463. Published by Zairol Lda., Lisbon 1989.