Dom Antonio Prior of Crato

[Leo van de Pas]

The legitimacy of Antonio has been discussed a long time ago. Chico has come forward and maintained he was illegitimate. Personally I do not know, I can only present what I found in a Dutch book which, because it is in Dutch, is not accessible to most. This book is scholarly put together and much history has been preserved BUT we may think that the author had an axe to grind----he is a descendant.

Mr. Dr. J. L. J. van de Kamp, "Emanuel van Portugal en Emilia van Nassau",
published in 1980 ISBN 90 232 1745 4

This book goes into great detail in all aspects of the lives of the two mentioned.
Jhr. Mr. R.C.C. de Savornin Lohman produced the genealogy displayed in the end of the book. There is also a chapter on Christina von Dietz.

I will try to translate relevant details.

In the year 1529, Sacramentsday (28 May), a procession, including the King Joao III, Queen Catharina and other members of the royal family, including the 23-year-old Luis, Duke of Beja, went through the streets of Lisboa. Then came past the house of a widow, Ana Gomez, who lived there with her daughters, Violante, Guiomar and Brance, (known as "as Pellicanas" possibly because her hair <I presume Ana Gomez> was as white as the feathers of the pelican, which was proflicic in Portugal in those days <Chico has a better explanation>) Luis, who saw Violante, was fascinated by the 16-year-old Violante, who was extraordinarily beautiful, intelligent, graceful but also very shy.

Then this book claimes that Luis sent his servant, Lionel Pinto, to Ana Gomez
with a 'proposal'. However, both, Ana and Violante, disagreed as they preferred Violante to be the wife of an un-important person rather than to be the mistress of a prince. After a period of wooing Violante, Luis and another servant, Alvaro Botelho, went to the house of Ana Gomez where Luis asked for Violante's hand in marriage.
He declared that he took her as his wife "according to the rules of our Holy Mother the Church" and promised he would not take another wife. Violante was then told to make the same declaration. At the time this took place, Violante's sister was being married to Antonio Carlos, and as a result there were many people in the house and some witnessed the 'marriage' of Luis and Violante.
Through their exchange of vows, Luis and Violante had become legally married, as only from 11 November 1563 onwards the Concilie of Trente demanded the presence of a priest as well as of two or three witnesses.

The 4th Lateran Concilie (November 1215) had demanded that before a wedding took place this had to be announced in the church in advance but, not adhering to this, did not make the marriage invalid.

Luis did not want his marriage to be known as he was the eldest brother of the King and his prestige would suffer if it became known he had married someone of so low a class. As a result, during the day Violante was in the hous of Lionel Pinto who for the night took her to the palace. However, after a period Luis took her to the palace of Almeirim, north of Lisboa. Here she gave birth to a son on 17 January 1531. As they realised the marriage could not remain a secret, Violante decided to enter the convent of Santa Maria in Almoster near Santarem where she remained till her death. Luis remained a regular visitor and wrote to her constantly. On a regular basis he provided for her and this was, after his death, continued by his brother King Joao III.

Queen Catharina, with her senior lady-in-waiting, Joana de Eca, visited her in the convent and 'honoured her more than what she used to in regards of other Duchesses'. King Joao III, as a token of his knowledge that Antonio was legitimate, allowed him his father's coat-of-arms without the 'bar-sinister', but added a white St.John cross on a black square as a sign of his being a member of the St.John of Jerusalem order, an honour the king had not even bestowed upon his own bastard. Duarte, who at age 19 had been appointed Archbishop of Braga.

King Joao III and Queen Catharine, in their regards for him as being legitimate, treated Antonio as a legitimate member of the family, in private but also in public.
However, notwithstanding this treatment, he was made to believe he was illegitimate and brought up for the religious life.

Many years later, his father's younger brother Cardinal Enrique became King and he could not acknowledge Antonio's legitimacy as then he would acknowledge that he was a usurper and not the legal king. Enrique then gathered as much proof as possible and had it destroyed.

This is basically the story as it is told in this book. It is a very good book, and a pity it has never been translated.
Best wishes
Leo van de Pas
ry as it is told in this book. It is a very =
good book, and a pity it has never been translated.
Best wishes
Leo van de Pas