Page "Afonso IV of Portugal" Paragraph 1

Afonso, born in Lisbon, was the rightful heir to the Portuguese throne.

However, he was not, according to several sources, Dinis ' favourite son ; his half-brother, the illegitimate Afonso Sanches, enjoyed full royal favour.

From early in life, the notorious rivalry led to several outbreaks of civil war.

On 7 January 1325, Afonso's father died and he became king, taking full revenge on his brother.

His rival was sentenced to exile in Castile, and stripped of all the lands and fiefdoms donated by their father.

Afonso Sanches, however, did not sit still.

From Castile, he orchestrated a series of attempts to usurp the crown for himself.

After a few failed attempts at invasion, the brothers signed a peace treaty, arranged by Afonso's mother Queen Elizabeth.