The title of Duke of Guarda

Guarda, Portugal

Guarda is a city in Guarda Municipality, Portugal. The city has a population of 32 111Guarda was founded in 1199 by the second king of Portugal, Sancho I....

(in Portuguese, Duque da Guarda) was granted by a royal decree dated from October 5, 1530, by King John III of Portugal

John III of Portugal

John III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile...

 to his younger brother, Infante Ferdinand.

Some authors say the Infante was also made Duke of Trancoso

Trancoso

Trancoso may refer to:*Trancoso Municipality, Zacatecas, one of the municipalities of Zacatecas, Mexico*Trancoso Municipality, Portugal*Trancoso, Brazil, a town in Porto Seguro, Bahia...

(in Portuguese, Duque de Trancoso) in the same date (according to Arquivo do Conselho Nobiliárquico de Portugal, Vol I, 78).

However, the majority of historians defend that the Dukedom of Trancoso did not exist, and the confusion comes from the fact that Infante Ferdinand (Fernando, in Portuguese) was also Lord of Trancoso

Trancoso

Trancoso may refer to:*Trancoso Municipality, Zacatecas, one of the municipalities of Zacatecas, Mexico*Trancoso Municipality, Portugal*Trancoso, Brazil, a town in Porto Seguro, Bahia...

.

Finally, others say he was Duke of Guarda and Trancoso (a jointly Dukedom).

One thing is for sure: Infante Ferdinand was the sole to bear the title of Duke of Guarda.

According to his father's (King Manuel I

Manuel I of Portugal

Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...

) will, Infant Ferdinand should married the richest and prestigious heir Dona Guiomar Coutinho, 5th Countess of Marialva

Count of Marialva

Count of Marialva was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, issued in 1440, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to Vasco Fernandes Coutinho, 3rd...

 and 3rd Countess of Loulé

Count of Loulé

Count of Loulé was a Portuguese title of nobility granted to Henrique de Menezes by royal decree issued on November 12, 1471, by King Afonso V of Portugal....

.

But when the Infante marriage was announced, the 1st Marquis of Torres Novas

Marquis of Torres Novas

The title Marquis of Torres Novas was created by royal decree, dated from March 27, 1520, by King Manuel I of Portugal, to Dom John of Lencastre , eldest son of Infante George, Duke of Coimbra....

 (who later became the 1st Duke of Aveiro

Duke of Aveiro

The Royal Dukedom of Aveiro was an aristocratic Portuguese title, granted in 1535 by King John III of Portugal to his 4th cousin, John of Lencastre, son of Infante George of Lencastre, a natural son of King John II of Portugal....

) declared he had secretly married the richest heir. The scandal in the Court ended when King John III

John III of Portugal

John III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile...

ordered the Marquis imprisonment for several years, allowing the celebration of the Infante Ferdinand's marriage.

In spite of their short but happy marriage, they had two children (a boy and a girl), who died in very young age, before their parents.