Titles of the Royal Family

All's quiet on the Felipe front. Is he on vacation or something? By the way, I read somewhere that he was an Infante(?) before he was made Crown Prince. I also noticed that his sisters are referred to as Infantas. What exactly is the difference between a prince/princess and and infante/infanta?

Oh and just as an aside, I saw the queen during her visit to Manila this week. She was at this school for streetchildren I was volunteering at. She had this really nice suit on and it was a very hot day but she still managed to look sooo regal and cool. She also seems like a really nice person. I think Felipe looks like her.

[samitude]

That's very nice that you were able to see the queen. I would love to have the opportunity of seeing any royal. She always manages to look very well even if she's in disagreeable circumstances, ie: hot weather.

Felipe does indeed look like his mother, but has the build and basic appearance of his father when his father was young.

Here's a picture of Felipe taken yesterday. He's definitely out and about.

Felipe Photo

[Teresa]

Infante/Infanta is the title for the monarch's children that are not the 1st in succession to the throne. It is the same as Price/Princess in other countries.
Felipe's title is Prince of Asturias, as he is the heir to the throne.

[mashed potatoes]

what is the difference between infante and princess? why are elena and christina infantes? and not princesses? Are infantes higher or lower than the title of princess? what is the history behind this title and what does it mean?

[carlota]

the word infante is only used in spain to describe the other children of the king and queen of spain that do not inherit the throne. it means "son/daughter of spain". i think it's the same title as prince or princess...

[mashed potatoes]

thank you for a very swift reply.

[elenaris]

I think that Felipe is to be considered as an Infant too, as son of King... It is not limited to the others children of the royal couple.
Elena

[Alexandria]

Originally Posted by elenaris

I think that Felipe is to be considered as an Infant too, as son of King... It is not limited to the others children of the royal couple.
Elena

As Felipe is the eldest son and will succeed his father he bears the Prince of Asturias title. But if there had also been a younger son, he, like his sisters would've had the Infante title. In the King's case he had a younger brother (now deceased) who was Infante Alfonse, while their sisters were Infantas Pilar and Margarita (brain block-- is that his dark-haired sister's name?).

Originally Posted by elenaris

I think that Felipe is to be considered as an Infant too, as son of King... It is not limited to the others children of the royal couple.
Elena

felipe was an infante of Spain until he was created Prince of the Asturias. He is no longer styled as an Infant of Spain

Children of the King (apart from the heir, who would be styled Prince of the Asturias, or Princess of the Asturias - yes, a female heir is known as this) are Infants of Spain - and the children of the heir - are Infants of Spain.

[Conde Valleverde]

Yes, Infante means son of the King (Infanta in case of a daughter), whereas the title of Príncipe de Asturias is reserved for the Crown Prince. A person is not entitled to hold both titles.

King Alfonso XIII (1886-1941) had six children born of Queen Victoria Eugenia. The eldest was Príncipe de Asturias and the rest were Infantes or Infantas. Nevertheless, King Alfonso XIII had an extramarital relationship with actress Carmen Ruiz-Moragas. Leandro, one of the children of that relationship, born in the 1920s, has successfully claimed his last name as Borbón (he used his mother´s last name until 2003, when the Spanish Supreme Court acknowledged that he had the right to use Borbón as his last name). After that, don Leandro de Borbón apparently claims that he is an Infante too, because all the recognized children of Spanish monarchs are Infantes.

[Conde Valleverde]

Article 56.2 of the Constitution states that the official title of the King is "King of Spain", although he may also use the other titles of the Crown. Here is the full list of the titles of the King. Some of then refer to territories which don´t belong anymore to the Crown (like the East and West Indies), but the King still holds the titles. The list in Spanish:

Majestad Católica, Rey de Castilla, de León, de Aragón, de Las Dos Sicilias, de Jerusalén, de Navarra, de Granada, de Toledo, de Valencia, de Galicia, de Mallorca, de Menorca, de Sevilla, de Córdoba, de Murcia, de Jaén, de los Algarves, de Algeciras, de Gibraltar, de las Islas Canarias, de las Indias Orientales y Occidentales, de las islas y tierra firme de la mar océana; Archiduque de Austria; Duque de Borgoña, de Brabante, de Milán, de Atenas y de Neopatria; Marqués de Oristan; Conde de Habsburgo, de Flandes, del Tirol, del Rosellón, de Gocéano, de Cerdeña y de Barcelona; Señor de Vizcaya y de Molina.

[ILoveCristina]

I know that Felipe is Prince of Asturias and Letizia is Princess of Asturias, but do they have any other title? And did Letizia become Princess of Asturias automaticaly when she and Felipe were declared husband and wife, did she have to sign anything, or what?

[lucys]

His titles are: Príncipe de Asturias, Príncipe de Girona y Príncipe de Viana, Duque de Montblanc, Conde de Cervera y Señor de Balaguer.

She acquired them all the moment they said "I do.'

[ILoveCristina]

Originally Posted by lucys

His titles are: Príncipe de Asturias, Príncipe de Girona y Príncipe de Viana, Duque de Montblanc, Conde de Cervera y Señor de Balaguer.

She acquired them all the moment they said "I do.'

Thanks!! Everywhere I looked they were refered to as the Prince and Princess of Asturias. I know, it would be too long saying or writing all these titles each time...

[MoonlightRhapsody]

Originally Posted by lucys

She acquired them all the moment they said "I do.'

Wow, that's a pretty good deal. You get a gorgeous man, a prince to boot, plus titles and riches...Dang...

[ILoveCristina]

Originally Posted by Moonlightrhapsody

Wow, that's a pretty good deal. You get a gorgeous man, a prince to boot, plus titles and riches...Dang...

Yes, he IS gorgeous, although I didn't like his beard...

[Josefine]

tell me more about these titles where do they come from?
and why does he have al of them

[Elsa M.]

Those are the same honour titles that Felipe received from the kings of Castille, Aragon and Navarre.
In the following link, you can find the whole explanation for the title of Prince of Asturias:

http://www.fpa.es/ing/fundacion/principado/index.html

[Josefine]

thank you so much

but what about the other titles besides Prince of Asturias