Council of Portugal



The Council of Portugal, officially, the Royal and Supreme Council of Portugal (Portuguese: Real e Supremo Conselho de Portugal; Spanish: Real y Supremo Consejo de Portugal), was the ruling body and a key part of the government of the Kingdom of Portugal during the Iberian Union. The council was founded in 1582 by Philip I of Portugal following the model of the Council of Castile. It provided Portugal with a large degree of autonomy from the House of Habsburg.

Apart from administering the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves, the council administered Portugal's colonial empire.

The council ceased to exist after the conclusion of the Portuguese Restoration War in 1668.