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1. estΓͺvΓ£o de la cruz 2. twenty-three years old
3. younger sister, brother, and older cousin elig
ible for throne after him, in that order 4. has a
nonprof charity that focuses on improving peop
les' lives in rural villages 5. speaks english, spa
nish, french (and portuguese!) 6. swims and pl
ays tennis for fun 7. referred to as steven info
rmally 8. 5'8", 155 lbs 9. fc; franciso lachowskione wrong answer is all it takes to turn your country against you. until his eighteenth birthday estΓͺvΓ£o had never faced opposition as heir of portugal, nor had he questioned willingness to be it. some months after his party estΓͺvΓ£o accepted an interview with a national news outlet that wanted to get to know what life was like for him as an adult. estΓͺvΓ£o expected to talk about his future plans as king, but that was not what the news wanted. they wanted gossip, something they could make a juicy headline out of. all the other princes were causing drama and their countries' documented it without shame, putting a real strain on portugal, who's royal family was unfortunately too tame to be of interest.
so, they mentioned nothing to estΓͺvΓ£o, and when the cameras started rolling, interrogated him about increasingly outlandish rumors, not at all what he had prepared for. he was polite despite his confusion, tried being honest without sounding defensive, but when asked why he wanted to be king estΓͺvΓ£o was too nervous about slipping up and said the first thing he could think of. "it's my responsibility as the eldest child."
that was five years ago and the people haven't forgotten. there was a great amount of discourse in portugal about whether their prince cared about them or not. the royal family did their best to sweep all comments aside, but estΓͺvΓ£o was already in as much doubt as his country. why had he said that? he liked being heir. he'd never not. but it was true, he'd been groomed for it since birth. everything he had ever done was always in favor of the crown. who was he really, besides the prince of portugal? it was title and nothing more.
currently estΓͺvΓ£o is still hesitant of his purpose and feels he must prove his worth to his country, even if he doesn't know it's what he truly desires. being in the company of other royals could boost his image, or bring it down depending how he handles marrying a foreigner. he just needs to remind himself "quem vΓͺ cara nΓ£o vΓͺ coraΓ§Γ£o". he who sees the face does not know the heart. how can the public judge him, if they don't know his story?