Infante
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses, see infanta (disambiguation).
In the Spanish and former Portuguese monarchies, Infante (masculine) or Infanta (feminine) is the title given to a son or daughter of the reigning monarch who is not the heir-apparent to the throne. Other, more distantly related, members of the Spanish and Portuguese royal families are also granted the title. Note that infante is also used for a hereditary title of nobility as in los infantes de Carrión in The Lay of the Cid.
The name derives from the same root as "infant," but this means simply "child" in Romance languages, and in this case indicates that the Infante or Infanta is the child of the monarch. The current Infantas of Spain are Leonor, the daughter of Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia, Elena and Cristina, daughters of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía, and Pilar and Margarita, daughters of Juan de Borbón, Count of Barcelona. Prince Felipe, son of King Juan Carlos, is heir apparent to the throne and therefore Prince of Asturias.
