
Henrique I of Portugal and Navarre (1040-1164) was the King of Portugal and Navarre from 1080 until his death. The first monarch of the Kingdom of Portugal and Navarre, he was succeeded by Affonso I of Portugal.
Biography[]
Henrique was born to the House of Navarre in Pamplona, northern Spain. He succeeded to the throne of Navarre by his birthright, and in 1080 he conquered Portugal from the Cordoba Caliphate, becoming the King of the newly-formed Kingdom of Portugal and Navarre. Henrique led his kingdom in a war against the rebellious lord of Zaragoza, Diego, and his general Johao the Mean captured Zaragoza in 1082.
With his conquest of Zaragoza, Henrique expanded his kingdom around Spain. He expanded north into France against the rebellious barons of Bordeaux and Rennes, and Henrique also conquered the Moorish sultanates in southern Spain. Henrique partook in a crusade against Cairo in the 1150s and took over Egypt, recruiting priests to convert the Muslims to Christianity. Henrique proclaimed himself King of Portugal and Navarre, Count of Zaragoza, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Brittany, and King of Egypt in the aftermath. He died in 1164 in Cairo, and his son Affonso became the new king.