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.
- ^ In 1660, Infanta María Teresa renounced her claim to the throne, in order to marry King Louis XIV of France. Later, the validity of her renunciation was contested, based on the fact that Spain failed to pay the dowry, which was pivotal for the succession of King Felipe V in 1700.
- ^ In 1933, Alfonso XIII's eldest two sons (Alfonso, Prince of Asturias and Infante Jaime) renounced their claims to the throne, so from then on Alfonso XIII's heir would be his third son, Infante Juan. In 1947, Francisco Franco restored the monarchy, confirmed by referendum, while appointing himself as Head of State for life. Having the power to appoint his successor, who would be king, Franco did not do so with Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, and in 1969 he appointed Infante Juan's eldest son, Juan Carlos, Prince of Asturias, considering him to be more likely to preserve the Francoist regime after his death, which did not happen, as in 1975, Juan Carlos I promptly promoted Spanish transition to democracy. Finally, in 1977, Infante Juan renounced his headship of the Royal House of Spain, recognising his son, the King, as such.
See also
References
- ^ Blinkhorn, Martin (1975). Carlism and crisis in Spain, 1931-1939. CUP Archive. ISBN 0-521-20729-0.
- ^ Also her maternal uncle and her husband
- ^ Also her maternal uncle and her husband
- ^ Also her father
- ^ Also her father
- ^ Also her father
- ^ Also his maternal grandfather
- ^ Also his grandson
