Prince of Asturias (Spanish: Príncipe de Asturias, Asturian: Príncipe d'Asturias) is the historical (and under the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the official) title given to the heir to the Spanish throne. It was also the title under the earlier Kingdom of Castile. The current Prince of Asturias is Felipe, son of King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sofía. Contrary to practice in non-Iberian countries, should there be no heir apparent, the title can be (but is not necessarily) given to the heir presumptive - a daughter, sibling or matrilineal descendant of the monarch.
Other associated titles originate from the rest of the kingdoms that formed Spain: Prince of Viana (for Navarre), Prince of Girona (for Aragon), Duke of Montblanc (for Catalonia), Count of Cervera (for Valencia) and Lord of Balaguer (for Majorca).
Military dictator Francisco Franco appointed Juan Carlos de Borbón as his "successor with the title of King" but gave him the new title of Prince of Spain instead of Prince of Asturias.
The current Prince of Asturias has instituted the Prince of Asturias Awards.
Príncipe de Asturias Peak in Vinson Massif, Antarctica is named after the Prince of Asturias.
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After the death of King Peter of Castile in 1369, the kingdom was drawn yet deeper in a civil war, disputes and long rivalled between English claimant, John, Duke of Lancaster, and two successive Trastamare claimants, Kings Henry II of Castile and his son John I of Castile. After two decades of conflicts of varying intensity, the parties arrived at compromise through means of marriage: the future Henry III of Castile (1379–1406) was married to Catherine of Lancaster in 1388. A part of the pact ("Accord of Bayonne") was to elevate the young couple to a title, Prince and Princess of Asturias, which was modelled after that of Prince of Wales in English kingdom. The title was to belong to the official successor of the Castilian throne. Thus the first Prince and Princess of Asturias were the young Henry of Castile and Catherine of Lancaster.
In the first years the title was not only honorary, as it included the ownership of the territory of Asturias; the Prince ruled the Principality in representation of the King and was able to appoint judges, mayors, etc. This was changed by the Catholic Monarchs, who limited the scope of the title making it merely honorary; this decision was upheld by the members of the House of Habsburg and the House of Bourbon until the present day.
| Image | Name | Heir to | From | Until | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Cause | ||||
| Henry of Castile (1379-1406) |
John I (father) |
1388 | 1390 | ascended the throne as Henry III | |
| Maria of Castile (1401-1458) |
Henry III (father) |
1402 | 1405 | displaced by the birth of brother | |
| John of Castile (1405-1454) |
1405 | 1406 | ascended the throne as John II | ||
| Catherine of Castile (1422-1424) |
John II (father) |
1423 | 1424 | died | |
| Eleanor of Castile (1423-1425) |
1424 | 1425 | displaced by the birth of brother | ||
| Henry of Castile (1425-1474) |
1425 | 1454 | ascended the throne as Henry IV | ||
| Joanna of Castile (1462-1530) |
Henry IV (father) |
1462 | 1464 | disinherited in favour of half-aunt | |
| Alfonso of Castile (1453-1468) |
Henry IV (half-brother) |
1465 | 1468 | died | |
| Isabella of Castile (1451-1504) |
1468 | 1470 | disinherited in favour of half-niece | ||
| Joanna of Castile (1462-1530) |
Henry IV (father) |
1470 | 1475 | crown assumed by Isabella I | |
| Isabella of Aragon (1470-1498) |
Isabella I (mother) |
1476 | 1480 | displaced by the birth of brother | |
| John of Aragon (1478-1497) |
1480 | 1497 | died | ||
| Isabella of Aragon (1470-1498) |
1498 | 1498 | died | ||
| Michael of Portugal (1498-1500) |
Isabella I (grandmother) |
1499 | 1500 | died | |
| Joanna of Aragon (1479-1555) |
Isabella I (mother) |
1502 | 1504 | ascended the throne | |
| Charles of Austria (1500-1558) |
Joanna (mother) |
1504 | 1516 | ascended the throne as Charles I | |
| Philip of Austria (1527-1598) |
Charles I and Joanna (father and grandmother) |
1528 | 1556 | ascended the throne as Philip II | |
| Charles of Austria (1545-1568) |
Philip II (father) |
1560 | 1568 | died | |
| Ferdinand (1571-1578) |
1573 | 1578 | died | ||
| Diego of Austria (1575-1582) |
1580 | 1582 | died | ||
| Philip of Austria (1578-1621) |
1584 | 1598 | ascended the throne as Philip III | ||
| Philip of Austria (1605-1665) |
Philip III father) |
1608 | 1621 | ascended the throne as Philip IV | |
| Balthasar Charles of Austria (1629-1646) |
Philip IV | 1632 | 1646 | died | |
| Philip Prosper of Austria (1657-1661) |
1658 | 1661 | died | ||
| Charles of Austria (1661-1700) |
1661 | 1665 | ascended the throne as Charles II | ||
| Louis of Spain (1707-1724) |
Philip V | 1709 | 1724 | ascended the throne | |
| Ferdinand of Spain (1713-1759) |
1724 | 1746 | ascended the throne as Ferdinand VI | ||
| Charles of Spain (1716-1788) |
Charles III (father) |
1760 | 1788 | ascended the throne as Charles IV | |
| Ferdinand of Spain (1784-1833) |
Charles IV | 1789 | 1808 | ascended the throne as Ferdinand VII | |
| Isabella of Spain (1830-1904) |
Ferdinand VII (father) |
1830 | 1833 | ascended the throne as Isabella II | |
| Isabella of Spain (1851-1931) |
Isabella II (mother) |
1851 | 1857 | displaced by the birth of brother | |
| Alfonso of Spain (1857-1885) |
1857 | 1868 | mother's deposition | ||
| Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy (1869-1931) |
Amadeus | 1871 | 1873 | father's abdication | |
| Isabella of Spain (1851-1931) |
Alfonso XII (brother) |
1875 | 1880 | displaced by the birth of niece | |
| Mercedes of Spain (1880-1904) |
Alfonso XII (father) Alfonso XIII (brother) |
1881 | 1904 | died | |
| Alfonso of Spain (1907-1938) |
Alfonso XIII (father) |
1907 | 1933 | renounced his succcession rights | |
| Juan, Count of Barcelona (1913-1993) |
Alfonso XIII (father) |
1933 | 1977 | Recognized as heir apparent to the Spanish throne and held the title Prince of Asturias from 21 June 1933, but preferred to use the title Count of Barcelona; renounced his claim to the throne in favour of his son, Juan Carlos on 14 May 1977 | |
| Felipe of Spain (1968-) |
Juan Carlos I | 1977 | incumbent | — | |