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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 married Dona Phillipa of Melo, the rich daughter and heir of Rodrigo of Melo, 1st. Count of Olivenza.
The title was created on 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.
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The Dukes family name was Álvares Pereira de Melo.
Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira, the remarkable Constable of Portugal, is among their ancestors.
When Jaime III Álvares Pereira de Melo, 10th Duke of Cadaval died in 2001, he left four daughters: two from his first (civil) marriage, and two other from his second (religious) marriage. The title and the Cadaval House was disputed by the eldest daughters of each marriage:
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, normally allocated to the Duke of Cadaval heir. Therefore, Rosalinda (or her heirs) will succeed 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).
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