SnipJust as the first two kings of Jerusalem were "greatly obligated" to the Order of Sion for their positions, so prince Afonso was said to be "greatly obligated to members of the Order [of the Knights Templar]." This relationship became all too clear in 1129 when the king-in-waiting reissued the charter for the castle of Souré, -- the one his father had donated to the Templars before they were thought to exist. Afonso's wording on the reconstituted charter to the Knights Templar unequivocally reveals why he was so "greatly obligated" to the order: "I make this donation, not by force or by persuasion, but for the love of God, and for the good of my soul, and of my parents, and by the cordial love that I have for you, and because within your Brotherhood and in all your works I am a Brother."
The Templars had placed one of their own on the throne of Portugal, and more to the point, Afonso was also the nephew of their main benefactor and spiritual compass, Bernard de Clairvaux.
http://www.viewzone.com/templar/templar.htmlIt would appear that the Templars were in with the bricks ... hung around for centuries ... and still provide an attraction for social climbers in modern day Portugal.
One wonders exactly what influence they are still seen to hold and how it is exercised.