Duke of Cadaval

Ducal House of Cadaval
Ducal House of Cadaval
Parent house	Braganza
Country	Portugal
Founded	1648
Founder	Nuno Álvares Pereira de Melo, 4th Marquis of Ferreira
Current head	Diana Álvares Pereira de Melo, 11th Duchess of Cadaval
Titles	Duke of Cadaval; Marquis of Ferreira; Count of Tentúgal;
Estate(s)	Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval

Duke of Cadaval is a title of Portuguese nobility. It was created on 26 April 1648 by King John IV of Portugal for his distant cousin, Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira de Melo (1638–1725), who was already 4th Marquis of Ferreira and 5th Count of Tentúgal.

The Dukes of Cadaval trace their origins to Dom Álvaro of Braganza, Lord of Tentúgal, Póvoa, Buarcos and Cadaval, fourth son of Dom Ferdinand I, 2nd Duke of Braganza. Dom Álvaro married Dona Filipa de Melo, the rich daughter and heiress of Rodrigo Afonso de Melo, 1st Count of Olivença.

List of dukes of Cadaval

D. Nuno Álvares Pereira de Melo (1638–1725)
D. Luís Ambrósio Álvares Pereira de Melo (1679–1700)
D. Jaime Álvares Pereira de Melo (1684–1749)
D. Nuno Caetano Álvares Pereira de Melo (1741–1771)
D. Miguel Caetano Álvares Pereira de Melo (1765–1808)
D. Nuno Caetano Álvares Pereira de Melo (1799–1837)
D. Maria da Piedade Álvares Pereira de Melo (1827–1859)
D. Jaime Segismundo Álvares Pereira de Melo (1844–1913)
D. Nuno Maria José Caetano Álvares Pereira de Melo (1888–1935)
D. Jaime Álvares Pereira de Melo (1913–2001)
D. Diana Álvares Pereira de Melo (b. 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 ducal family's name is Álvares Pereira de Melo.

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

Duchess of Cadaval-Hermès

When Jaime Álvares Pereira de Melo, 10th Duke of Cadaval died in 2001, he left four daughters: two from his first (civil) marriage (with Antoinette Louise Schweisguth, ex-wife of René Durrieu, 4th Baron Durrieu), and two others from his second (religious) marriage (with Claudine Marguerite Marianne Tritz). Leadership of the house and its possessions was disputed by the elder daughters of each marriage:

Rosalinda Álvares Pereira de Melo (born 1936), elder daughter of the Duke's first (civil) marriage;
Diana Álvares Pereira de Melo (born 1978), elder daughter of the Duke's second (religious) marriage.

Duarte Pio de Bragança, in the de jure capacity of Head of the historical Royal House of Portugal, recognized Diana Álvares Pereira de Melo as the 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, because she is married to Hubert Guerrand-Hermès, the House of Hermès's heir. Dona Rosalinda also obtained both titles of Marquise of Ferreira and Countess of Tentúgal, historically allocated to the heir of the Duke of Cadaval. But Rosalinda (or her heirs) isn't the designated heir to the Duchy and the person to succeed her younger half sister as Duchess of Cadaval will be chosen by the Duke of Braganza at the time of the death of the current Duchess.

There is some controversy about the Cadaval-Hermès title, as effectively it constitutes a new creation since the inauguration of the republican regime in Portugal. The Republic abolished all titles of Portuguese nobility in 1910.

Genealogical summary

Fernando I
(1403–1478)
2nd.Duke of Braganza

Rodrigo de Melo
(1430–1487)
1st.Count of Olivença

Fernando II
(1430–1506)
3rd.Duke of Braganza

Afonso
(1435- ? )
1st.Count of Faro
2nd.Count of Odemira

Álvaro
(1440- ? )
Lord of Tentúgal and Cadaval

Philippa de Melo
(1460–1516)

Rodrigo de Melo
(1468–1545)
1st.Count of Tentúgal
1st.Marquis of Ferreira

House of Braganza

Counts of Faro
Counts of Odemira
Counts of Vimieiro

Francisco I de Melo
(1520–1588)
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

References

Bibliography

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

External links

Information on the Dukes of Cadaval (in Portuguese)
Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy of the Dukes of Cadaval". Genealogy.EU.
Casa Cadaval | Official Site