Palmela, Duke of
Palmela, Duke of
(Pedro de Souza Holstein). Born May 8, 1781, in Turin; died Oct. 12, 1850, in Lisbon. Portuguese political figure; constitutional liberal. Duke from 1833.
Palmela entered the diplomatic service in 1802 and served as minister of foreign affairs in the years 1817–21, 1823–24, and 1834–35. He was minister of internal affairs in 1824–25. In 1830 he became head of the regency council on Terceira Island, which prepared the fall of the absolutist regime of Miguel de Braganza. Palmela was president of the chamber of peers in 1833 and 1841–42 and prime minister in 1834, 1842, and 1846.