Her final, absolute independence came after the Battle of São Mamede, on June 24, 1128. This is where Afonso I proclaimed himself Prince of Portugal – eleven years later he would declare himself King. In 1143 Portugal's independence was recognized by the Holy See and in 1179 the Pope confirmed Afonso as King.
In 1386 came the Treaty of Windsor, the start of the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance and her first time meeting England. The two hit it off immediately, the start of a romance that would last until the time of the Iberian Union in the latter part of the 16th and into the 17th century.
Portugal was there at the start of her empire, when her King John and his entire family traveled to the Islamic trading city Ceuta on the North African coast across from Gibraltar. It was a family-affair conquest, the first of Portuguese imperial holdings. One of the royal sons on that first trip, Prince Henry the Navigator, later became the pioneer of maritime exploration – he is remembered today as Henry the Navigator, and Portugal traveled with as many of his captains as she could, learning everything they had to teach. After Henry's death, she had trouble involving herself in later expeditions – his support had been crucial – but she got around this by dressing as a boy and sneaking aboard anyway, to the frustration of whoever happened to be her king at the time. In this way she was directly involved in some of the conquests of her people, though few ever realized it. One who did was Brazil – Brazil was her little brother, who she named Afonso, and hoped to have a second chance at a proper sibling bond with. (By this time her relations with her brother, Spain, were abysmal.)
As noted above, the Iberian Union temporarily broke the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance. The reason for this is because in 1580, Portugal's king died without a clear heir. Philip II of Spain, a claimant through his mother, a Portuguese princess, claimed the throne. Though Portugal was technically autonomous, all foreign policy was made to match that of Spain, and at the time Spain and England were enemies. Centuries later, that is the one thing she won't forgive Spain for, though she is trying to forgive the other things.
The Iberian Union broke in 1640, after later Spanish kings treated the Portuguese – particularly the nobles – worse and worse. They lost Ceuta when the city refused to give up allegiance to Spain, and Spain did not recognize Portuguese independence until 1668. During this century, enough Portuguese citizens emigrated to Brazil that such emigration was banned, and Brazil gained enough importance to be elevated to vice-kingdom status rather than just being a colony. Portugal herself was thrilled to see her brother growing up, and with her people there she assumed he would grow to be like her.
Re: [Fandom OC] Portugal/Madalena Almeida|| Axis Powers Hetalia || no reserve || 1 of ?
In 1386 came the Treaty of Windsor, the start of the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance and her first time meeting England. The two hit it off immediately, the start of a romance that would last until the time of the Iberian Union in the latter part of the 16th and into the 17th century.
Portugal was there at the start of her empire, when her King John and his entire family traveled to the Islamic trading city Ceuta on the North African coast across from Gibraltar. It was a family-affair conquest, the first of Portuguese imperial holdings. One of the royal sons on that first trip, Prince Henry the Navigator, later became the pioneer of maritime exploration – he is remembered today as Henry the Navigator, and Portugal traveled with as many of his captains as she could, learning everything they had to teach. After Henry's death, she had trouble involving herself in later expeditions – his support had been crucial – but she got around this by dressing as a boy and sneaking aboard anyway, to the frustration of whoever happened to be her king at the time. In this way she was directly involved in some of the conquests of her people, though few ever realized it. One who did was Brazil – Brazil was her little brother, who she named Afonso, and hoped to have a second chance at a proper sibling bond with. (By this time her relations with her brother, Spain, were abysmal.)
As noted above, the Iberian Union temporarily broke the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance. The reason for this is because in 1580, Portugal's king died without a clear heir. Philip II of Spain, a claimant through his mother, a Portuguese princess, claimed the throne. Though Portugal was technically autonomous, all foreign policy was made to match that of Spain, and at the time Spain and England were enemies. Centuries later, that is the one thing she won't forgive Spain for, though she is trying to forgive the other things.
The Iberian Union broke in 1640, after later Spanish kings treated the Portuguese – particularly the nobles – worse and worse. They lost Ceuta when the city refused to give up allegiance to Spain, and Spain did not recognize Portuguese independence until 1668. During this century, enough Portuguese citizens emigrated to Brazil that such emigration was banned, and Brazil gained enough importance to be elevated to vice-kingdom status rather than just being a colony. Portugal herself was thrilled to see her brother growing up, and with her people there she assumed he would grow to be like her.