Line of succession to the Spanish Throne

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Spain uses the same system of (male-preference) primogeniture as the United Kingdom. Male children of a parent succeed before female, and otherwise in order of age. If descent from male children of a parent does not exist (ever or any longer), female and her heirs succeed. Dynasts who marry against the express prohibition of the king or the Cortes are excluded from the succession together with their descendants. Disputes about the succession are to be settled by legislation. The Spanish government has announced plans to adopt a gender-blind succession rule like that used in Sweden, but the change will only apply to future generations and will not alter the list given below.

1 Line of succession
2 Succession to the Spanish Throne
3 Presumed lines
4 See also

[edit] Line of succession

Current Monarch: Juan Carlos I of Spain

HRH The Prince of Asturias (Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso y de la Santísima Trinidad y de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia), son of King Juan Carlos.
HRH The Infanta Leonor de Todos los Santos, daughter of The Prince of Asturias and The Princess of Asturias
HRH the unborn second daughter of The Prince and Princess of Asturias [1]
HRH The Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo (Elena María Isabel Dominica de los Silos de Borbón y Grecia), eldest daughter of King Juan Carlos.
HE Felipe Juan Froilán de Todos los Santos de Marichalar y de Borbón, son of Infanta Elena.
HE Victoria Federica de Todos los Santos de Marichalar y de Borbón, daughter of Infanta Elena.
HRH The Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca (Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y Grecia), younger daughter of King Juan Carlos.
HE Juan Valentín de Todos los Santos Urdangarín y de Borbón, eldest son of Infanta Cristina.
HE Pablo Nicolás Sebastián Urdangarin y de Borbón, middle son of Infanta Cristina.
HE Miguel Urdangarín y de Borbón, youngest son of Infanta Cristina.
HE Irene Urdangarín y de Borbón, daughter of Infanta Cristina.

[edit] Succession to the Spanish Throne

Section 57 of the Spanish Constitution provides that "The Crown of Spain shall be inherited by the successors of H. M. Juan Carlos I de Borbón." To date, the Spanish government has not seen fit to clarify whether this provision includes anyone beyond the descendants of King Juan Carlos. "Successor" is not the same as "descendant" but can be understood to mean such successors as brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. Presumably in the line of Borbón which surname is mentioned in the constitution. The king's two sisters renounced their rights of succession but those renunciations took place before the adoption of the Constitution and were not ratified by the Cortes as required by Section 57. The rights of earlier generations are similarly clouded by numerous renunciations and unapproved marriages which may or may not exclude the individuals involved from the throne.

Section 57 further provides that "Abdications and renunciations and any doubt in fact or in law that may arise in connection with the succession to the Crown shall be settled by an organic act." Presumably, legislation would be adopted to clarify the situation if all the descendants of Juan Carlos die off. As a final catch-all provision, Section 57 states that "Should all the lines designated by law become extinct, the Cortes Generales shall provide for succession to the Crown in the manner most suitable to the interests of Spain."

King Juan Carlos' three children are married and of child-bearing age. His daughters have already given him six grandchildren and his son, the Prince, has one daughter. As a result, it seems unlikely that Spain will need to look beyond the descendants of Juan Carlos to find future monarchs. Unless and until an organic act clarifies the rights of other members of the king's family, there is no way to determine who, if anyone, follows Infanta Cristina's descendants in the Line of Succession.

[edit] Presumed lines

King's elder sister Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón, Duchess of Badajoz, and her descendants (Uncertain).
King's younger sister Infanta Doña Margarita de Borbón, Duchess of Soria, and her descendants (Uncertain).
Descendants of daughters of Alfonso XIII (Uncertain).
Descendants of Doña María de las Mercedes de Borbón (1880–1904), Princess of Asturias, eldest daughter of Alfonso XII. This line is represented by Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria.
Descendants of Doña María Teresa de Borbón (1882–1912), Infanta of Spain, younger daughter of Alfonso XII.
Descendants of Doña María de la Paz de Borbón (1862–1946), Infanta of Spain, younger daughter of Isabella II, etc.