PC: Could João III Have Married His Widowed Stepmother

AIUI, the short answer would be no. But apparently when Manuel lay dying he felt the need to reiterate this stipulation that there would be "no marriage between his heir and the Dowager Queen".*

So, could/would the pope have issued a dispensation for such a marriage?

*I'm going off a line from Carlos, Rey Emperador here.
 
AIUI, the short answer would be no. But apparently when Manuel lay dying he felt the need to reiterate this stipulation that there would be "no marriage between his heir and the Dowager Queen".*

So, could/would the pope have issued a dispensation for such a marriage?

*I'm going off a line from Carlos, Rey Emperador here.

Likely that was an in invention of the writers of the show.
I think pretty unlikely who Charles and João would be able to get the needed dispensation
 
That would be possible maybe if Manuel died just after his wedding, so Eleanor could claim that it was not consumated, thus that marriage could be regarded as null and void, otherwise no chance for dispensation even for Habsburg.
 

Dolan

Banned
This sounds to be a great plot for a Romantic Comedy tho...

Not everyone could marrying their stepmother.
 
This sounds to be a great plot for a Romantic Comedy tho...

Not everyone could marrying their stepmother.

Having watched further, I suspect @isabella is right in that it was made up for the episode, since Maria of Viseu is Manuel's POSTHUMOUS child (and implied to be D. João III's by his widowed stepmom) when IRL she was born six months before Manuel died.
 
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