Spanish Royal Family

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Arms of the King of Spain

The Spanish Royal Family consists of the present king, the queen consort, their children and their parents. The Spanish royal family belongs to the House of Bourbon. The membership of the Royal Family is defined by royal decree and consists of: the King of Spain, the monarch's spouse, the monarch's parents, and the heir to the Spanish throne.[1]

The Spanish Royal Family should not be confused with the Family of the King, which refers to the extended family of the monarch.

Italy[edit]

Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Prince Aimone, Duke of Apulia
Prince Umberto of Savoy-Aosta
Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont

Titles and styles[edit]

The titles and styles of the Royal Family are as follows:[2]

  • The occupant of the Throne is The King or The Queen, together with other titles pertaining to the Crown or belonging to members of the Royal Family. He or She is styled His or Her Majesty.
  • The King's wife bears the title of Queen with the style Her Majesty.
  • The husband of the Queen regnant bears the title of Prince and is styled His Royal Highness.
  • The King's heir apparent or heir presumptive bears the title Prince or Princess of Asturias with the style His or Her Royal Highness.
  • A King's sons and daughters, not being the Prince or Princess of the Asturias, as well as the children of the Prince or Princess, bear the title Infante or Infanta of Spain, and are styled as His or Her Royal Highness. The children of an Infante or Infanta have the rank (but not the title) of Grandees, and the style of His or Her Excellency.
  • Spouses and widows/widowers of the monarch's sons and daughters, other than those of the Prince or Princess of Asturias, are entitled to the form of address and honours the monarch may grant them.
  • The sovereign may also grant the dignity of Infante or Infanta with the style of Highness.
  • If the heirs of King Juan Carlos I were to be extinguished, the 1978 Constitution reserves the right for the Cortes Generales to designate the successor to the throne as may be suitable for Spain.

Members of the Royal Family[edit]

Members of the King's Family[edit]

House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies[edit]

Arms of the royal family of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

HRH Don Carlos María Alfonso Marcelo de Borbón-Dos Sicilias y Borbón-Parma, Infante of Spain, Prince of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria (born 1938- died 2015), double cousin of King Juan Carlos, received the title Infante of Spain by Royal Decree 2412 dated 16 December 1994.[3] Although it is often stated that this title was given in recognition of Don Carlos' status as head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, the decree refers rather to "Las circunstancias excepcionales que concurren (the exceptional circumstances that concur) in Don Carlos." The decree then cites Don Carlos' representation of the ties between his family and the Spanish Crown as one of those circumstances. Although Don Carlos claimed to be the rightful heir to the prerogatives of the defunct crown of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, his position was disputed. Don Carlos was also the senior heir of Doña Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, the eldest sister of King Alphonso XIII of Spain who was heiress presumptive to the Spanish throne throughout her life (Alphonso XIII was born months after the death of his father, Alphonso XII; if a second daughter had been born instead, Maria de las Mercedes would have immediately become queen regnant).

Since 1936 Don Carlos' mother, née Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma, has been recognised as an infanta of Spain by marriage to Infante Alfonso (30 November 1901 - 3 February 1964), eldest child of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and his wife Doña Mercedes, Princess of Asturias.

Royal family tree[edit]

See also: Kings of Spain family tree


 
 
 
 
 
 Queen María de las Mercedes
 
 King Alfonso XII
 
 Queen María Cristina
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
 
 Mercedes, Princess of Asturias
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 King Alfonso XIII
 
 Queen Victoria Eugenia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria
 
 Princess Alicia, Dowager Duchess of Calabria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona
 
 Princess María de las Mercedes, Countess of Barcelona
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria
 
 Princess Anne, Dowager Duchess of Calabria
 
 Luís Gómez-Acebo, Duke of Badajoz and Viscount de la Torre
 
 The Duchess of Badajoz
 
 King Juan Carlos I*
 
 Queen Sofía*
 
 The Duke of Soria and Hernani
 
 The Duchess of Soria and Hernani
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Jaime de Marichalar
(div. 2010)
 
 The Duchess of Lugo
 
 
 
 
 
 Iñaki Urdangarin
 
 Infanta Cristina
 
 
 
 
 
 The King*
 
 The Queen*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Don Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón
 
 Doña Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón
 
 Don Juan Urdangarín y de Borbón
 
 Don Pablo Urdangarín y de Borbón
 
 Don Miguel Urdangarín y de Borbón
 
 Doña Irene Urdangarín y de Borbón
 
 The Princess of Asturias*
 
 Infanta Sofía*
 
Notes

* Member of the Royal Family (as opposed to the Family of the King, or extended family)

Public role[edit]

Members of the Spanish Royal Family are often asked by non-profit charitable, cultural, or religious organizations within and without Spain to become their patrons, a role the Spanish constitution recognizes and codified in Title II Article 62 (j). It is incumbent for the monarch "to exercise the High Patronage of the Royal Academies".[4] Royal patronage conveys a sense of official credibility as the organization is scrutinized for suitability. A royal presence often greatly raises the profile of the organization and attracts media publicity and public interest that the organization may not have otherwise garnered, aiding in the charitable cause or cultural event. Royalty make use of their considerable celebrity to assist the organization to raise funds or to promote government policy.

Additionally, members of the royal family may also pursue their own charitable and cultural interests. Queen Sofía devotes much of her time to the Queen Sofia Foundation (Fundación Reina Sofía);[5] while King Felipe chairs the Prince of Asturias Foundation (Fundación Príncipe de Asturias), which aims to promote "scientific, cultural and humanistic values that form part of mankind's universal heritage."[6]

The Prince of Asturias Foundation holds an annual awards ceremony acknowledging the contributions of individuals, entities, and/or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, or public affairs. King Felipe serves as president of the Codespa Foundation, which finances specific economic and social development activities in Latin American and other countries, and serves as president of the Spanish branch of the Association of European Journalists, which is composed of achieving communications professionals.[7] King Felipe also serves as honorary chair of the Ministry of Culture National Awards Ceremonies.[8]

Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo, Juan Carlos' elder daughter, is the Director of Cultural and Social Projects of Mapfre Foundation,[9] while Infanta Cristina, Juan Carlos' younger daughter, served as the Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations for the 2nd World Assembly on Ageing, and is a member of the Dali Foundation Board of Trustees, president of the International Foundation for Disabled Sailing, and Director of Social Welfare at the La Caixa Foundation in Barcelona where she lives with her family.[10]

King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, and Infanta Cristina are all members of the Bilderberg Group, an informal think-tank centered on United States and European relations, and other world issues.[11][12][13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Real Decreto 2917/1981, de 27 de noviembre, sobre Registro Civil de la Familia Real - website Noticias Juridicas
  2. ^ Royal Decree 1368/1987, dated 6 November, regulating titles, forms of address and honours pertaining to the Royal Family and to the Regents - Official site of the Royal Household of HM the King
  3. ^ Real Decreto 2412/1994
  4. ^ Constitución española de 1978 Título II. De la Corona
  5. ^ Queen Sofia Foundation
  6. ^ Prince of Asturias Foundation
  7. ^ Codespa Foundation
  8. ^ Delivery of the National Awards of the Ministry of Culture 2008
  9. ^ Infanta Elena
  10. ^ Infanta Cristina
  11. ^ Mark Oliver (4 June 2004). "The Bilderberg group". The Guardian. 
  12. ^ "Bilderberg Meeting of 1997 Assembles". PR Newswire. 13 June 1997. 
  13. ^ "Bilderberg Group Meets In Athens Amid Tight Security". NASDAQ. 
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