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. The Spanish Royal Family should not be
confused with the Family of the King, which refers to the extended family of
the monarch. Ancestral Royal Houses
House of Silva María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James
Stuart y SilvaEugenia Martínez de Irujo, 12th Duchess of Montoro
House of Savoy Prince Amedeo, Duke of AostaVittorio
Emanuele, Prince of NaplesPrince Aimone, Duke of ApuliaPrince Umberto of
Savoy-AostaEmanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont
Titles and styles The titles and styles of the Royal
Family are as follows: 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 of Asturias with the style His or Her Royal
Highness. The spouse of a Prince or Princess of Asturias holds the title
Princess or Prince of Asturias with the style 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 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 HM Don Felipe VI, King of Spain
HM Doña Letizia, Queen of Spain HRH Doña Leonor, The Princess of
Asturias, Infanta of Spain HRH Doña Sofía, Infanta of Spain
HM King Don Juan Carlos I HM Queen Doña Sofia
Members of the King's Family HRH Doña Elena, Duchess of Lugo, Infanta
of Spain HE Don Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón
HE Doña Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón HRH Doña Cristina, Infanta of Spain
HE Don Iñaki Urdangarin HE Don Juan Urdangarín y de Borbón
HE Don Pablo Urdangarín y de Borbón HE Don Miguel Urdangarín y de Borbón
HE Doña Irene Urdangarín y de Borbón HRH Doña Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz,
Dowager Viscountess de la Torre, Infanta of Spain
HE Doña Simoneta Gómez-Acebo y de Borbón HE Don Juan Gómez-Acebo y de Borbón,
Viscount de la Torre HE Don Bruno Gómez-Acebo y de Borbón
HE Don Luis Gómez-Acebo y de Borbón HE Don Fernando Gómez-Acebo y de Borbón
HRH Doña Margarita, Duchess of Soria and Hernani, Infanta of Spain
HE Don Carlos, Duke of Soria and Hernani HE Don Alfonso Zurita y de Borbón
HE Doña María Zurita y de Borbón = House 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, double
cousin of King Juan Carlos, received the title Infante of Spain by Royal Decree
2412 dated 16 December 1994. 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 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.
Since 1936 Don Carlos' mother, née Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma, has
been recognised as an infanta of Spain by marriage to Infante Alfonso, eldest
child of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and his wife Doña Mercedes,
Princess of Asturias. HRH Doña Alicia, Dowager Duchess of
Calabria, Infanta of Spain = Royal family tree =
Notes * Member of the Royal Family
Public role 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. It is incumbent for the
monarch "to exercise the High Patronage of the Royal Academies". 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; while King Felipe chairs the Prince of Asturias
Foundation, which aims to promote "scientific, cultural and humanistic
values that form part of mankind's universal heritage."
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. King Felipe also serves
as honorary chair of the Ministry of Culture National Awards Ceremonies.
Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo, Juan Carlos' elder daughter, is the Director
of Cultural and Social Projects of Mapfre Foundation, 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.
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. See also
Line of succession to the Spanish Throne References