Infante (Spanish:[iɱˈfante],Portuguese:[ĩˈfɐ̃tɨ];f.infanta), alsoanglicised as "infant" or translated as "prince", is the title and rank given in theIberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms ofAragon,Castile,Navarre, andLeón) and Portugal to the sons and daughters (infantas) of the king, regardless of age, sometimes with the exception of theheir apparent orheir presumptive to the throne who usually bears a unique princely or ducal title.[1] A woman married to a maleinfante was accorded the title ofinfanta if the marriage wasdynastically approved (e.g.,Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma), although since 1987 this is no longer automatically the case in Spain (e.g.,Princess Anne d'Orléans).[1] Husbands of borninfantas did not obtain the title ofinfante through marriage (unlike mosthereditary titles ofSpanish nobility), although they were occasionally elevated to the titlede gracia ("by grace") at the sovereign's command.[1][2]
While the title belonged by right to all sons and daughters of a monarch (even when they ceased to be children of the reigning sovereign), it was also often accorded to sons-in-law and male-line grandchildren of the sovereign (e.g.,Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria,Infante Pedro Carlos of Spain and Portugal), sometimes to otheragnates of the ruling dynasty (e.g.,Infante Enrique, Duke of Seville), and to female-line relatives of the monarch (e.g.Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain,Infante Alfonso de Orléans-Borbón).
Although the title is derived from the same root as "infant", inRomance languages the term may be more broadly interpreted to mean "child" (cf. Frenchenfants de France), and historically indicated that theinfante orinfanta was the child of the nation's monarch.
Like theenfants de France, allinfantes in the various Iberian kingdoms wereprinces of the blood royal, although since 1987 the Spanish sovereign may also confer the titleinfantado by decree upon a person (typically the spouse of aninfante orinfanta) who is not of royal descent.
In the Spanish royal family, the dynastic children of the monarch and of theheir apparent are entitled to the designation and rank ofinfante with the style ofRoyal Highness (infantes by birth). A second category ofinfantes may be granted that title by royal decree (infantes by grace), but only bear the style ofHighness.[3] Previously, the title and rank ofinfante of Spain was often granted to relatives and in-laws of Spain's monarchs, but unlike those created under the 1987 decree, their dynastic wives were automaticallyinfantas and bearers of the title wereRoyal Highnesses.
In addition, some distant relatives of Spanish sovereigns, usually children ofinfantes by grace, were accorded the "honours and treatment" ofinfante orinfanta, but were not granted the title itself,[1][2] Included in this category were the children ofInfante Carlos de Borbón-Dos Sicilias' second marriage toPrincess Louise d'Orléans, those ofInfante Fernando de Bavaria y Borbón's marriage withInfanta Maria Teresa of Spain,[2] and those ofInfante Alfonso de Orléans-Borbón's marriage toPrincess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (e.g.,Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Countess of Barcelona,Prince Alvaro de Orléans-Borbón, Duke di Galliera).[1]
The current infantes of Spain are (by precedence):
Infante had no feminine form at first in Portugal and may be compared to theinfanções of the lowerPortuguese nobility, who were alsocadets of their families with no prospect of inheriting the main possessions of the noble families to which they belonged, being distinguished in law by some prerogatives, but littlepatrimony.
Later, the wordinfanta emerged in Portugal as a feminised form applied to Portuguese princesses after the 16th and 17th centuries. Also, afterEdward, King of Portugal, in the 15th century, the heir apparent and his eldest son, or daughter if there was no son, came to be styled "prince" or "princess". The first prince in Portugal was the futureAfonso V, his eldest son, maybe adopting the French royal style by an English influence imported byPhilippa of Lancaster's retinue.
After the accession of theHouse of Braganza to the throne, thehonorific of "Most Serene" (Sereníssimo) was prefixed to the title ofinfante (Sereníssima for aninfanta), since the complete appellation of this dynasty was "Most Serene House of Braganza" (Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), a style granted by thePope. The style, however, does not seem to have been used with the title ofPrince Royal.
Portugal has been a republic since 1910. Close relatives ofDuarte Pio, Duke of Braganza, head of the Portuguese royal house, using the title are:[1][4]
Afonso, Prince of Beira, Duarte Pio's eldest son and heir apparent, is styledPrince of Beira, notinfante.
Portuguese royalty | ||
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List of heirs to the Portuguese throne -Portuguese nobility | ||
