Portugal, Kingdom of / Dom Henrique (King Henry)

Cardinal Henry (Portuguese: Henrique) was King of Portugal and the Algarves and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He ruled Portugal between 1578 and 1580 and was known as Henry the Chaste (Portuguese: Henrique o Casto) and the Cardinal-King. As a clergyman, he was bound to chastity, and as such, had no children to succeed him, and thus an end to the Royal House of Aviz. His death led to the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580 and ultimately to the 60-year Iberian Union that saw Portugal share a monarch with that of Spain. The next native monarch of Portugal would be John IV, who took the throne after 60 years of Spanish rule.