Death and Funeral of HRH The Infanta Alicia of Spain - 2017

[baena]

Thank you very much for explaining the decree and the legalization of the Infanta's title.

Was the official title of Prince Elias hereditary? The royal decree is here:
http://boe.es/datos/pdfs/BOE//1920/234/A00704-00704.pdf
Vengo en reconocer la nacionalidad española a D. Elías Roberto Carlos de Borbón de Parma, con la facultad de user en estos Reinos el título de Príncipe de Borbón, con el tratamiento de Alteza Real.

You are correct, and my post was poorly worded, as the royal family never recognized Gonzalo as a Royal Highness and Franco indeed never created him a Royal Highness in a decree. However, I have read that he was accorded the style of Royal Highness in his Spanish passport until 1987.

Alfonso XIII recognized the nationality to Elías and gave him the permission to use the title and the Style. As the title was not given to him ad personam and the decree did not said that neither their spouses nor their children shall be so entitled, it was able to be used by his family members and also recognized the nationality to them.

I never read about the Style given to Gonzalo in his spanish pasaport, but its weird because hi was never considered part of the Royal family or part of the kings family (familia del rey). And he was never considered RoyaI highness in Spain. I had read that Alfonso, Gonzalo and Luis Alfonso had that Style in their french passports, not in spanish ones. Only Alfonso was Royal Highness in Spain.

The decree was made to recognized the titles and to stop some titles and Styles used from some family members of the King, that were not recognized by Don Juan or Alfonso XIII. For example:

1-the use of the title of infanta and RH style from Emmanuella de Dampierre, she was never recognized an infanta and RH, she only had the permission of Alfonso XIII to use the title of duchess of Segovia.

2-The titles and styles that Alfonso and Gonzalo used of Princes of Borbón and RH, they never had recognized any title from Alfonso XIII and Don Juan and for the SRF that titles were fantasy titles. Only when Francisco Franco recognized Alfonso duke of Cádiz and RH the SRF recognized him as a Royal.

3-The titles and styles used by Carlos Hugo de Borbón-Parma and his family in their pretense to the spanish crown of the Carlist branch. Carlos Hugo Style his self as Prince of Asturias during the Francos régime, and for the SRF the only Prince of Asturias is the heir to the trone and that time was JC as his father Don Juan was the Chief of the SRH and "King un exile".

 

[Tatiana Maria]

That makes perfect sense.

Was there any reason why King Juan Carlos did not issue the decree until 1987?

 

[baena]

That makes perfect sense.

Was there any reason why King Juan Carlos did not issue the decree until 1987?

When JC became King in 1975, the polítical situation in Spain was very difficult. It was the end of the dictatorship for 40 years, the population wanted a democracy and a pacefull change to the new democracy. JC had to establish de monarchy again, in a country that there was not a monarchy since 1931, in 1978 a new constituon was made and vote, until 1977 the Chief of the Royal House was don Juan, there was a attempted coup in 1981... the democracy started in a very difficult situation, and when JC became King for the RH the official titles were the ones that Don Juan and Alfonso XIII agreed.

During that difficult start of the reign I think that JC had much bigger issues that the titles of his family, when he became King all the titles of his family members became officials. In that difficult years some of his family members still usted titles that never were recognized by Alfonso XIII and Don Juan.

In 1987 the monarchy was established, the democracy as well, the country overcome the transition in a pacefull way... The hard times passed and maybe JC thought that was time to end with the titles that some family members used and were not officials. Alfonso entlited his sons as Princes of Borbón and RH, Gonzalo as well, the Borbón-Parma Carlist branch Style their self as infantes of Spain, Emmanuella...

 

[An Ard Ri]

HRH Princess Cristina de Borbón-Dos Sicilias accompanied her mother HRH the Dowager Duchess of Calabria to a Memorial Mass for the late Infanta Alicia which was celebrated in the church of St. Augustine in Madrid.

http://www.hola.com/imagenes/realeza/casa_espanola/2017060195308/funeral-alicia-borbon-cristina-borbon/0-455-355/beatriz-orleans1-t.jpg

HRH Princess Beatriz of Orleans

http://www.hola.com/imagenes/realeza/casa_espanola/2017060195308/funeral-alicia-borbon-cristina-borbon/0-455-355/beatriz-orleans1-a.jpg

 

[Blog Real]

Video:

 

[Tatiana Maria]

It literally translates to child. The title was used to refer to the children, but in the past also spouses and male line grandchildren of the king.

Why do you specify "male line"? As far as I can see, there was no discrimination between grandchildren of kings by sons and grandchildren of kings by daughters. Grandchildren of unequal marriages and grandchildren who were expected to be raised outside of Spain were not created Infantes. Grandchildren of equal marriages who were expected to be raised within the kingdom were created Infantes.

https://www.heraldica.org/topics/royalty/infantes.htm