Overcoming Illegitimacy: the Material and Symbolic Resources of Dom Jorge, 2nd Duke of Coimbra, and Dom Jaime, 4th Duke of Bragança
Abstract
In the late Middle Ages, emblems gained prominence as instruments for asserting the power of princes and, at the same time, as visual links with the circles of relatives and courtiers surrounding them. This paper seeks to highlight two exemplary cases of emulation of royal heraldic representation.
The first concerns Dom Jorge, 2nd Duke of Coimbra: both his arms and his personal device established a privileged connection with those of his father, King João II, and with the emblems of the military orders of which he was master. In this way, Dom Jorge underlined his status as the sole descendant of this king and as the holder of vast patrimonial and symbolic resources, seeking to reinforce his image as a member of the Royal House.
The second case concerns Dom Jaime, 4th Duke of Bragança, who was restored to this dignity and to the corresponding possessions by King Manuel I. Dom Jaime also pursued an approach to royal heraldic imagery, abandoning the traditional arms of his House and adopting instead a device that reinforced his bond with the sovereign.
In both cases, therefore, a visual strategy can be discerned, consisting of the emulation of the heraldic and para-heraldic emblems of the kings, with the aim of signalling closeness, royal favour, and even possible rights of succession to the Crown.
