The Royal Assassination

On February 1, 1908, right here in Praça do Comércio, two bullets ended a monarchy that had ruled Portugal for nearly 800 years. King Carlos I and his eldest son, Crown Prince Luís Filipe, were shot dead in their open carriage as they returned from Vila Viçosa. The royal family was completely exposed that afternoon. Two men, Alfredo Costa and Manuel Buíça, members of a secret republican group, rushed from the crowd and fired at close range. The king was hit in the neck and died instantly.

His 20 year old son tried to defend him but was shot multiple times and died minutes later. Queen Amélia fought back desperately, striking the attackers with her bouquet of flowers while trying to shield her younger son, Manuel. The 18 year old prince survived with only a minor wound and became king that same day.

But his reign would last barely two years. Both assassins were killed immediately by royal guards, but their mission succeeded. The attack came after years of political chaos, economic collapse, and the king's increasingly authoritarian decisions. Public anger had been building, and this violence in the heart of the capital shocked Europe. Manuel II fled to England in 1910 when the republic was declared, ending centuries of Portuguese monarchy.