Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why is Prince Henry the Navigator’s nickname considered inaccurate?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
European exploration
Map depicting the European exploration of the New World in the 15th and 16th centuries, including the voyages made by Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci, Pedro Álvares Cabral, Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián del Cano, Giovanni da Verrazzano, Jacques Cartier, Sir Francis Drake, and others. The lines of demarcation represent an early division between the territory of Spain (to the west) and Portugal (to the east).
The nickname "the Navigator," which was applied to Prince Henry by the English, is considered a misnomer because he never personally embarked on any voyages of discovery.1
While he is historically significant for his role as a patron who sponsored numerous expeditions along the western coast of Africa and to the Madeira Islands, he remained primarily in Portugal to manage these ventures rather than participating in the maritime travel himself.12