This is a list of the individuals who were, at any given time, considered the next in line to inherit the throne of Spain, should the incumbent monarch die. Those who actually succeeded (at any future time) are shown in bold.
From the personal union of the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon until the accession of the first Bourbon monarch in 1700, the heir to the Spanish throne was the person closest to the Spanish monarch according to the male-preference cognatic primogeniture. From the accession of Philip V until the Pragmatic Sanction of 1830, the heir to the Spanish throne was the person closest to the Spanish monarch according to the Salic law. [1] The heir, whether heir apparent or heir presumptive, was often granted the title of Prince of Asturias.
Significant breaks in the succession, where the designated heir did not in fact succeed (due to usurpation, conquest, revolution, or lack of heirs) are shown as breaks in the table below.
House of Trastámara (1516–1555) and House of Habsburg (1516–1700) | ||||||
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Monarch | Heir | Relationship to monarch | Became heir (Date; Reason) | Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) | Next in line of succession | |
Juana I | King Carlos I | Son | 14 March 1516 Became joint monarch with his mother | 12 April 1555 Mother died, became sole monarch | Ferdinand I, Archduke of Austria, 1516–1527, brother | |
Felipe, Prince of Asturias , 1527–1555, son | ||||||
Carlos I | Ferdinand I, Archduke of Austria | Brother | 14 March 1516 Brother became joint monarch with their mother | 21 May 1527 Son born to king | Leonor, Queen Dowager of Portugal, 1516–1526, sister | |
Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, 1526–1527, daughter | ||||||
Felipe, Prince of Asturias | Son | 21 May 1527 Born | 16 January 1556 Father abdicated, became king | Ferdinand I, Archduke of Austria, 1527–1528, uncle | ||
Infanta María, 1528–1529, sister | ||||||
Infante Fernando, 1529–1530, brother | ||||||
Infanta María, 1530–1537, sister | ||||||
Infante Juan, 1537–1538, brother | ||||||
Infanta María, 1538–1545, sister | ||||||
Infante Carlos, 1545–1556, son | ||||||
Felipe II | Carlos, Prince of Asturias | Son | 16 January 1556 Father became king | 24 July 1568 Died | María, Holy Roman Empress, 1556–1566, aunt | |
Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia, 1566–1568, half-sister | ||||||
Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia | Daughter | 24 July 1568 Half-brother died | 4 December 1571 Son born to king | Infanta Catalina Micaela, sister | ||
Fernando, Prince of Asturias | Son | 4 December 1571 Born | 18 October 1578 Died | Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia, 1571–1573, half-sister | ||
Infante Carlos Lorenzo, 1573–1575, brother | ||||||
Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia, 1575, half-sister | ||||||
Infante Diego, 1575–1578, brother | ||||||
Diego, Prince of Asturias | Son | 18 October 1578 Brother died | 21 November 1582 Died | Infante Felipe , brother | ||
Felipe, Prince of Asturias | Son | 21 November 1582 Brother died | 13 September 1598 Father died, became king | Isabel Clara Eugenia, Co-Sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, half-sister | ||
Felipe III | Isabel Clara Eugenia, Co-Sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands | Half-sister | 13 September 1598 Half-brother became king | 22 September 1601 Daughter born to king | Filippo Emanuele, Prince of Piedmont, nephew | |
Infanta Ana | Daughter | 22 September 1601 Born | 8 April 1605 Son born to king | Isabel Clara Eugenia, Co-Sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, 1601–1603, aunt | ||
Infanta María, 1603, sister | ||||||
Isabel Clara Eugenia, Co-Sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, 1603–1605, aunt | ||||||
Felipe, Prince of Asturias | Son | 8 April 1605 Born | 31 March 1621 Father died, became king | Infanta Ana, 1605–1607, sister | ||
Infante Carlos, 1607–1621, brother | ||||||
Felipe IV | Infante Carlos | Brother | 31 March 1621 Brother became king | 14 August 1621 Daughter born to king | Cardinal-Infante Fernando, brother | |
Infanta María Margarita | Daughter | 14 August 1621 Born | 15 August 1621 Died | Infante Carlos, uncle | ||
Infante Carlos | Brother | 15 August 1621 Niece died | 25 November 1623 Daughter born to king | Cardinal-Infante Fernando, brother | ||
Infanta Margarita María Catalina | Daughter | 25 November 1623 Born | 22 December 1623 Died | Infante Carlos, uncle | ||
Infante Carlos | Brother | 22 December 1623 Niece died | 21 November 1625 Daughter born to king | Cardinal-Infante Fernando, brother | ||
Infanta María Eugenia | Daughter | 21 November 1625 Born | 21 July 1627 Died | Infante Carlos, uncle | ||
Infante Carlos | Brother | 21 July 1627 Niece died | 31 October 1627 Daughter born to king | Cardinal-Infante Fernando, brother | ||
Infanta Isabel María Teresa | Daughter | 31 October 1627 Born | 1 November 1627 Died | Infante Carlos, uncle | ||
Infante Carlos | Brother | 1 November 1627 Niece died | 17 October 1629 Son born to king | Cardinal-Infante Fernando, brother | ||
Baltasar Carlos, Prince of Asturias | Son | 17 October 1629 Born | 9 October 1646 Died | Infante Carlos, 1629–1632, uncle | ||
Cardinal-Infante Fernando, 1632–1634, uncle | ||||||
Infante Francisco Fernando, 1634, brother | ||||||
Cardinal-Infante Fernando, 1634–1636, uncle | ||||||
Infanta María Ana Antonia, 1636, sister | ||||||
Cardinal-Infante Fernando, 1636–1638, uncle | ||||||
Infanta María Teresa, 1638–1646, sister | ||||||
Infanta María Teresa | Daughter | 9 October 1646 Brother died | 28 November 1657 Son born to king | Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans, 1646–1651, first cousin | ||
Infanta Margarita Teresa, 1651–1657, half-sister | ||||||
Felipe Próspero, Prince of Asturias | Son | 28 November 1657 Born | 1 November 1661 Died | Infanta María Teresa, 1657–1658, half-sister | ||
Infante Fernando Tomás Carlos, 1658–1659, brother | ||||||
Infanta María Teresa, 1659–1660, half-sister | ||||||
Succession uncertain [lower-alpha 1] , 1660–1661 | ||||||
Succession uncertain, 1–6 Nov 1661 | ||||||
Carlos, Prince of Asturias | Son | 6 November 1661 Born | 17 September 1665 Father died, became king | Succession uncertain | ||
Since the validity of the renunciation of María Teresa on her rights to the Spanish throne was contested, the succession was disputed among the heirs by cognatic primogeniture and the heirs established under the will of Felipe IV. The will entailed the throne on the heirs of his younger daughter Margarita Teresa. The following are the leaders of both lines: | ||||||
Carlos II | María Teresa, Queen of France | Half-sister | 17 September 1665 Half-brother became king | 30 July 1683 Died | Louis, Dauphin of France, son | |
Louis, Dauphin of France | Nephew | 30 July 1683 Mother died | 2 October 1700 Renounced claim to the throne together with eldest son | Louis, Duke of Burgundy, son | ||
Philippe, Duke of Anjou | Grandnephew | 2 October 1700 Father and brother renounced | 1 November 1700 Granduncle died, became king on 16 November | Charles, Duke of Berry, brother | ||
Margarita Teresa, Holy Roman Empress | Sister | 17 September 1665 Brother became king | 12 March 1673 Died | Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, 1665–1667, first cousin [2] | ||
Archduke Ferdinand Wenzel of Austria, 1667–1668, son | ||||||
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, 1668–1669, first cousin [3] | ||||||
Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, 1669–1670, daughter | ||||||
Archduke Johann Leopold, 1670, son | ||||||
Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, 1670–1673, daughter | ||||||
Maria Antonia, Electress of Bavaria | Niece | 12 March 1673 Mother died | 24 December 1692 Died | Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, 1673–1689, first cousin once removed [4] | ||
Electoral Prince Leopold Ferdinand of Bavaria, 1689, son | ||||||
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, 1689–1690, first cousin once removed [5] | ||||||
Electoral Prince Anton of Bavaria, 1690, son | ||||||
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, 1690–1692, first cousin once removed [6] | ||||||
Electoral Prince Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria, 1692, son | ||||||
Electoral Prince Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria | Grandnephew | 24 December 1692 Mother died | 6 February 1699 Died | Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, first cousin twice removed [7] | ||
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor | First cousin | 6 February 1699 First cousin twice removed [8] died | 1 November 1700 First cousin died, rival claimant became king on 16 November | Joseph I, King of the Romans, son | ||
House of Bourbon (1700–1808) | ||||||
Monarch | Heir | Relationship to monarch | Became heir (Date; Reason) | Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) | Next in line of succession | |
Felipe V | Charles, Duke of Berry | Brother | 16 November 1700 Brother became king | 25 August 1707 Son born to king | Succession uncertain | |
Luis, Prince of Asturias | Son | 25 August 1707 Born | 15 January 1724 Father abdicated, became king | Charles, Duke of Berry, 1707–1709, uncle | ||
Infante Felipe, 1709, brother | ||||||
Charles, Duke of Berry, 1709–1712, uncle | ||||||
Infante Felipe Pedro, 1712–1719, brother | ||||||
Infante Fernando , 1719–1724, brother | ||||||
Luis I | Infante Fernando | Brother | 15 January 1724 Brother became king | 31 August 1724 Brother died, father restored as king on 6 September | Infante Carlos , half-brother | |
On 31 August 1724, Luis I died childless at age 17, just months after the abdication of his father, Felipe V. His heir would be his brother, Infante Fernando, who was only 10. Six days later, to avoid a regency and after much convincing and pressure, especially from Queen Dowager Isabel, Felipe V reluctantly accepted to be restored to the Spanish throne. | ||||||
Felipe V | Fernando, Prince of Asturias | Son | 6 September 1724 Father restored as king | 9 July 1746 Father died, became king | King Carlos VII & V of Naples and Sicily , half-brother | |
Fernando VI | King Carlos VII & V of Naples and Sicily | Half-brother | 9 July 1746 Half-brother became king | 10 August 1759 Half-brother died, became king | Felipe, Duke of Parma, 1746–1747, brother | |
Infante Felipe, Duke of Calabria 1747–1759, son | ||||||
Carlos III | Infante Felipe, Duke of Calabria | Son | 10 August 1759 Father became king | 5 October 1759 Excluded from succession | Infante Carlos , brother | |
Carlos, Prince of Asturias | Son | 5 October 1759 Brother excluded | 14 December 1788 Father died, became king | King Fernando I of the Two Sicilies, 1759–1771, brother | ||
Infante Carlos Clemente, 1771–1774, son | ||||||
King Fernando I of the Two Sicilies, 1774–1780, brother | ||||||
Infante Carlos Domingo, 1780–1783, son | ||||||
King Fernando I of the Two Sicilies, 1783, brother | ||||||
Infante Carlos Francisco de Paula, 1783–1784, son | ||||||
Infante Fernando , 1784–1788, son | ||||||
Carlos IV | Fernando, Prince of Asturias | Son | 14 December 1788 Father became king | 19 March 1808 Father abdicated, became king | Infante Carlos María Isidro, brother | |
Fernando VII | Infante Carlos María Isidro | Brother | 19 March 1808 Brother became king | 6 May 1808 Father and brother abdicated | Infante Francisco de Paula, brother | |
House of Bonaparte (1808–1813) | ||||||
Monarch | Heir | Relationship to monarch | Became heir (Date; Reason) | Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) | Next in line of succession | |
José I | Zenaida Bonaparte | Daughter | 6 June 1808 Father became king | 11 December 1813 Father deposed | Carlota Bonaparte, sister | |
House of Bourbon (first restoration) (1814–1868) | ||||||
Monarch | Heir | Relationship to monarch | Became heir (Date; Reason) | Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) | Next in line of succession | |
Fernando VII | Infante Carlos María Isidro | Brother | 4 May 1814 Brother restored as king | 10 October 1830 Daughter born to king | Infante Francisco de Paula, 1813–1818, brother | |
Infante Carlos Luis, 1818–1830, son | ||||||
Isabel, Princess of Asturias | Daughter | 10 October 1830 Born | 29 September 1833 Father died, became queen | Infante Carlos María Isidro, 1830–1832, uncle | ||
Infanta Luisa Fernanda, 1832–1833, sister | ||||||
Isabel II | Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier | Sister | 29 September 1833 Sister became queen | 12 July 1850 Son born to queen | Infante Carlos María Isidro, 1833–1837, uncle | |
Infante Francisco de Paula, 1837–1848, uncle | ||||||
Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans, 1848–1850, daughter | ||||||
Fernando, Prince of Asturias | Son | 12 July 1850 Born | 12 July 1850 Died | Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier, aunt | ||
Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier | Sister | 12 July 1850 Nephew died | 20 December 1851 Daughter born to queen | Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans, daughter | ||
Isabel, Princess of Asturias | Daughter | 20 December 1851 Born | 28 November 1857 Son born to queen | Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier, 1851–1854, aunt | ||
Infanta María Cristina, 1854, sister | ||||||
Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier, 1854–1855, aunt | ||||||
Infanta Margarita, 1855, sister | ||||||
Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier, 1855–1857, aunt | ||||||
Alfonso, Prince of Asturias | Son | 28 November 1857 Born | 30 September 1868 Mother deposed | Infanta Isabel, 1857–1866, sister | ||
Infante Francisco de Asís Leopoldo, 1866, brother | ||||||
Infanta Isabel, Countess of Girgenti, 1866–1868, sister | ||||||
House of Savoy (1870–1873) | ||||||
Monarch | Heir | Relationship to monarch | Became heir (Date; Reason) | Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) | Next in line of succession | |
Amadeo I | Manuel Filiberto, Prince of Asturias, Duke of Apulia | Son | 16 November 1870 Father elected as king | 11 February 1873 Father abdicated, monarchy abolished | None, 1870 | |
Prince Víctor Manuel, Count of Turin, 1870–1873, brother | ||||||
House of Bourbon (second restoration) (1874–1931) | ||||||
Monarch | Heir | Relationship to monarch | Became heir (Date; Reason) | Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) | Next in line of succession | |
Alfonso XII | Isabel, Princess of Asturias | Sister | 29 December 1874 Monarchy restored | 11 September 1880 Daughter born to king | Infanta María del Pilar, 1874–1879, sister | |
Infanta María de la Paz, 1879–1880, sister | ||||||
María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias | Daughter | 11 September 1880 Born | 25 November 1885 Father died, mother pregnant | Infanta Isabel, Countess of Girgenti, 1880–1882, aunt | ||
Infanta María Teresa, 1882–1901, sister | ||||||
On 25 November 1885, Alfonso XII died while Queen María Cristina was pregnant, so the throne went vacant, depending on whether the unborn child was a male or a female: a male would make that child king, while a female would make the eldest daughter (María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias) queen. During this period, María Cristina ruled as regent until her third child, a son, was born on 17 May 1886; he was King Alfonso XIII from birth. | ||||||
Alfonso XIII | María de las Mercedes, Princess of Asturias | Sister | 17 May 1886 Posthumous son born to the late king | 17 October 1904 Died | Infanta María Teresa, 1882–1901, sister | |
Infante Alfonso, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, 1901–1904, son | ||||||
Infante Alfonso, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies | Nephew | 17 October 1904 Mother died | 10 May 1907 Son born to king | Infante Fernando, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, 1904–1905, brother | ||
Infanta Isabel Alfonsa, Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, 1905–1907, sister | ||||||
Alfonso, Prince of Asturias | Son | 10 May 1907 Born | 14 April 1931 Monarchy abolished | Infante Alfonso, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, 1907–1908, first cousin | ||
Infante Jaime, 1908–1931, brother | ||||||
House of Bourbon (third restoration) (1975–present) | ||||||
Monarch | Heir | Relationship to monarch | Became heir (Date; Reason) | Ceased to be heir (Date; Reason) | Next in line of succession | |
Vacant | No recognised heir, 1947–1969 [lower-alpha 2] | |||||
Juan Carlos, Prince of Spain | None | 22 July 1969 Appointed heir to the throne | 22 November 1975 Head of State died, became king | Infante Felipe , son | ||
Juan Carlos I | Felipe, Prince of Asturias | Son | 22 November 1975 Father became king | 19 June 2014 Father abdicated, became king | Infanta Elena, sister | |
Infanta Leonor, 2005–2014, daughter | ||||||
Felipe VI | Leonor, Princess of Asturias | Daughter | 19 June 2014 Father became king | Incumbent | Infanta Sofía, sister |
Prince or Princess of Asturias is the main substantive title used by the heir apparent, or heir presumptive to the Spanish Crown. According to the Spanish Constitution of 1978:
Article 57.2: The Crown Prince, from the time of his birth or the event conferring this position upon him, shall hold the title of Prince of Asturias and the other titles traditionally held by the heir to the Crown of Spain.
Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, was a claimant to the Spanish throne as Juan III. He was the third son and designated heir of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg. His father was replaced by the Second Spanish Republic in 1931. Juan's son Juan Carlos I became king when Spain's constitutional monarchy was restored in 1975.
An heir apparent or simply heir is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more eligible heir is known as heir presumptive.
An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir apparent, whose claim on the position cannot be displaced in this manner.
Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg was Queen of Spain as the wife of King Alfonso XIII from their marriage on 31 May 1906 until 14 April 1931, when the Spanish Second Republic was proclaimed. A Hessian princess by birth, she was a member of the Battenberg family, a morganatic branch of the House of Hesse-Darmstadt. She was the youngest granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Unlike other members of the Battenberg family, who were accorded the lower rank of Serene Highness, Victoria Eugenie was born with the rank of Highness due to a Royal Warrant issued in 1886 by Queen Victoria.
The Legitimists are royalists who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession to the French crown of the descendants of the eldest branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They reject the claim of the July Monarchy of 1830–1848 which placed Louis Philippe, Duke of Orléans, head of the Orléans cadet branch of the Bourbon dynasty, on the throne until he too was dethroned and driven with his family into exile.
Alfonso, Duke of Anjou, Duke of Cádiz, Grandee of Spain was a grandson of King Alfonso XIII of Spain, a potential heir to the throne in the event of the restoration of the Spanish monarchy, and a Legitimist claimant to the throne of France.
Infante, also anglicised as "infant" or translated as "prince", is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain and Portugal to the sons and daughters (infantas) of the king, regardless of age, sometimes with the exception of the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the throne who usually bears a unique princely or ducal title. A woman married to a male infante was accorded the title of infanta if the marriage was dynastically approved, although since 1987 this is no longer automatically the case in Spain. Husbands of born infantas did not obtain the title of infante through marriage, although they were occasionally elevated to the title de gracia at the sovereign's command.
The Spanish royal family constitutes the Spanish branch of the House of Bourbon, also known as the House of Bourbon-Anjou. The royal family is headed by King Felipe VI and currently consists of the King; Queen Letizia; their children, Leonor, Princess of Asturias, and Infanta Sofía; and Felipe's parents, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía. The royal family lives at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, although their official residence is the Royal Palace of Madrid. The membership of the royal family is defined by royal decree and consists of: the King of Spain, the monarch's spouse, the monarch's parents, his children, and the heir to the Spanish throne.
Don Carlos of Spain or Infante Carlos of Spain may refer to:
Alfonso, Prince of Asturias, was heir apparent to the throne of Spain from birth until the abolition of the monarchy in 1931. He renounced his rights to the defunct throne in 1933. Alfonso was the eldest son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg.
Don Carlos María Alfonso Marcelo de Borbón-Dos Sicilias y Borbón-Parma, Infante of Spain, Duke of Calabria was, at his death, the last male infante of Spain during the reigns of his cousins King Juan Carlos I and King Felipe VI.
The House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies is a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon that ruled Southern Italy and Sicily for more than a century in the 18th and 19th centuries. It descends from the Capetian dynasty in legitimate male line through Philip, Duke of Anjou, a younger grandson of Louis XIV of France (1638–1715) who established the Bourbon dynasty in Spain in 1700 as Philip V (1683–1746). In 1759, King Philip's younger grandson was appanaged with the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, becoming Ferdinand IV and III (1751–1825), respectively, of those realms. His descendants occupied the joint throne, merged as the "Kingdom of the Two Sicilies" in 1816, until 1861, claimed it thereafter from exile, and constitute the extant Bourbon-Two Sicilies family.
Archduke Karl Pius of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, Prince of Tuscany, known as Carlos Pío de Habsburgo-Lorena y de Borbón in Spanish, was a member of the Tuscan branch of the Imperial House of Habsburg and a Carlist claimant to the throne of Spain under the assumed name of "Carlos VIII". He was the tenth and youngest child of Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria, Prince of Tuscany and Infanta Blanca of Spain.
Louis XIV (1638–1715), the Bourbon monarch of the Kingdom of France, was the son of King Louis XIII of France and Queen Anne.
After the death of the last Habsburg monarch of Spain in 1700, the childless Charles II, the Spanish throne was up for grabs between various dynasties of Europe despite Charles having left a will naming his heir. In this will, Charles left Philip, Duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV of France, the possessions of the Spanish Crown.
Infanta Blanca of Spain was the eldest child of Infante Carlos, Duke of Madrid, Carlist claimant to the throne of Spain and his wife Princess Margherita of Bourbon-Parma. Blanca was a member of the House of Bourbon and - according to the Carlists - an Infanta of Spain by birth. In 1889 she married Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria, Prince of Tuscany. The couple had ten children. The family left Austria after the end of the Monarchy and finally settled in Barcelona. When the male line of Blanca's family died out at the death of her uncle, Alfonso Carlos, Duke of San Jaime, some of the Carlists recognized her as the legitimate heiress to the Spanish throne.
The Law of Succession to the Headship of the State was the fifth of the eight Fundamental Laws of the Realm organizing the powers of the Francoist regime in Spain. It established provisions for the restoration of the Spanish monarchy, appointed Francisco Franco as the Head of State of Spain for life. It provided that his successor would be proposed by Franco himself with the title of King or Regent of the Kingdom, but that would have to be approved by the Cortes Españolas.