Constable of Portugal

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Constable of Portugal (Portuguese: Condestável) or Constable of the Kingdom (Portuguese: Condestável do Reino) was a title created by the King of Portugal Ferdinand I in 1382, to substitute the title Alferes Mór do Reino. The constable was the second person in power in the kingdom, after the King of Portugal. The constable's responsibility was to command the military in the absence of the king. Another responsibility was to maintain the discipline in the army. As a result, the constable would be present at all military tribunals. After the reign of John IV of Portugal, the title ceased to have military or administrative connotations, and was simply an honorific title.

[edit] Constables of Portugal

Álvaro Pires de Castro, 1st Count of Arraiolos and 1st Count of Viana da Foz do Lima (brother of Inês de Castro) (1310-1384)
Nuno Álvares Pereira, the Constable Saint, 38th Lord Chamberlain (Mordomo-Mor) of Portugal (to King John I), 2nd Count of Arraiolos, 3rd Count of Ourém and 7th Count of Barcelos (1360-1431)
João of Portugal, Prince of Portugal and Lord of Reguengos and of Colares and Belas (1400-1442)
Diogo of Portugal, son of the former, Prince of Portugal (1425-1443)
Pedro of Portugal, King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona, Grand Master of the Order of Aviz (1429-1466)
Fernando, 2nd Duke of Viseu, Prince of Portugal (1433-1470)
João, Marquis of Montemor-o-Novo, son of Fernando I, Duke of Braganza (n.1430)
Afonso of Viseu, grandson of Fernando, Duke of Viseu (1480-1504)
Luís, 5th Duke of Beja, Prince of Portugal (1506-1555)
Duarte II, 5th Duke of Guimarães, grandson of King Manuel I of Portugal (1541-1576)
John, 6th Duke of Braganza (1543-1583)
Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba (1581-1582) (disputed).
Teodósio II, 7th Duke of Braganza (1568-1630)
João IV, King of Portugal (1604-1656)
Francisco de Melo, 3rd Marquis of Ferreira, 4th Count of Tentúgal (1588-1645)
Pedro II, King of Portugal (1648-1706)
Nuno Álvares Pereira de Melo, 1st Duke of Cadaval, 4th Marquis of Ferreira, 5th Count of Tentúgal (1638-1727)
Francisco, 7th Duke of Beja, Prince of Portugal (1691-1742)
João VI, King of Portugal (1767-1826)
Miguel, King of Portugal (1802-1866)
Nuno Caetano Álvares Pereira de Melo, 6th Duke of Cadaval, 9th Count of Tentúgal, 8th Marquis of Ferreira (1799-1837)
António de Vasconcelos e Sousa Câmara Caminha Faro e Veiga, 8th Count of Calheta, 4th Marquis of Castelo Melhor (1816-1858)
Luís I, King of Portugal (1838-1889)
João, 8th Duke of Beja, Prince of Portugal (1842-1861)
Afonso, Duke of Porto, Prince of Portugal (1865-1920)