Duke of Guarda

The title of Duke of Guarda (in Portuguese, Duque da Guarda) was granted by a royal decree dated from October 5, 1530, by King John III to his younger brother, Infante Ferdinand.

Whatever the truth of this, it is certain that Infante Ferdinand was the sole bearer of the title of Duke of Guarda.

But when the Infante's marriage was announced, the Marquis of Torres Novas (who later became the 1st Duke of Aveiro) declared that he had already secretly married the rich heiress.

The scandal in the Court ended when King John III ordered the imprisonment of the marquis for several years, allowing the celebration of the Infante Ferdinand's marriage.

The marriage was short but apparently happy: the couple had two children (a boy and a girl), who died at a very young age, before their parents.