Infanta Branca, Viscountess of Huelgas

Infanta Branca of Portugal (pron. IPA2|'bɾɐ̃kɐ), Blanche in English, was a Portuguese infanta, eldest daughter of King Afonso III and his second wife Beatrice of Castile. She was named after her great-aunt Blanche of Castile, queen of France.

Branca was born in Guimarães on February 25 1259. She as a nun at the Convent of Lorvão and after that she became the Abbess of the Convent of Huelgas where she was called "the Lady and Keeper" of the Convent. She was titled Viscountess of Huelgas.

She died on April 17 1321 in Burgos, Spain.

According to Argote de Molina and de Gandara she had a natural son by a Castilian Nobleman named Pedro Esteves Carpinteiro:
* Dom João Nunes de Prado, who was a Master of the Order of Calatrava and served King Alfonso XI of Castile and his son King Pedro of Castile, who had him killed at Almagro. He had two sons who originated family "de/do Prado". [Manuel João da Costa Felgueiras Gaio, "Nobiliário das Famílias de Portugal", Tomo Vigésimo Quarto, Título de Prados, § 1]

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