Manuel de Moura Corte Real (1590-28 January 1651) was Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1644 to 1647, succeeding Francisco de Melo and preceding Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria.
Biography[]
Manuel de Moura Corte Real was born to a Portuguese aristocratic family in the service of Spain, and he became Gentleman of the Chamber of the future Philip III of Portugal in 1615. He became rivals with Gaspar de Guzman, the powerful royal favorite, and he was sent as ambassador to Rome before being removed from that post in 1640 as Portugal revolted against Spanish rule. From 1644 to 1647, he served as Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, and he served as Philip's trusted minister until his 1647 recall. He died in Madrid in 1651 at the age of 61.