Infante

Infant or Infanta (. Span. / Port Infante (male), Infanta (female) ) is the title that is worn in the 13th century by the children of Spanish and Portuguese monarchs or was. The king can also give to other members of the royal family the title. The leadership of the title is regulated in Spain since 1987 by a royal decree.

The title is derived from the Latin Infans ( " child ", " toddler " ) from which (not and speak ) composed of in and fari, and can be translated as prince or princess. A Infante or Infanta deserves the title " Royal Highness " (Su Alteza Real).

A special feature relates to the designation of the Spanish Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. In the Kingdom of Castile, the heir to the throne was no longer described as Infante since the reign of John I of Castile (1379-1390), but were given the title of Prince of Asturias ( Prince of Asturias). After the union of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, the Kingdom of Spain at the turn of the 16th century, this title was passed on to the respective Spanish Crown Prince.

Today living Infante of the Spanish royal family are the daughters of King Juan Carlos I, Elena and Cristina, his sisters, María del Pilar and Margarita and the daughters of the Prince of Asturias, Infanta Leonor and Sofia. In 1994, Carlos was awarded of Bourbon- Sicily, the representative of no longer reigning House of Bourbon - Two Sicilies, the title of a Infantes of Spain.