Portugal's greatest threat does not lie within however.ĭespite some of the Kings and Emirs of the Iberian Peninsula supporting religious tolerance, the Christian and Islamic faiths do not appear to be able to share these lands peacefully. As if being recognised as the sovereign of a land were not hard enough at the best of times, Afonso's own mother attempted to seize power for herself before he was forced to defeat and then exile her!Īs grim as Portugal's first years have been, there is no doubting that these shameful acts of betrayal within his own family have ensured that Afonso is a true survivor - and only a man that has endured through such troubles is likely to turn his fledgling Kingdom into a western power. As is typical at this stage of life, there have been more than a few growing pains for Portugal, and its inaugural King, Afonso Henrique.

Of all of the European royal courts, Portugal is the youngest, having only just recently come of age, growing from county to Kingdom.