Princesses of Asturias

[umigon]

In another thread Prince Lieven asked if ever in Spain a woman had been styled as Princess of Asturias in her own right. Well, Prince, I am writing here my response, all the Princesses of Asturias since Henry III of Castile (who was the first Spanish prince to be styled as such in 1388):

1. Doña María, daughter of Henry III (1402-1405)

2. Doña Catalina, daughter of Juan II (1422-1422)

3. Doña Leonor, daughter of Juan II (1424-1424)

4. Doña Juana, daughter of Enrique IV (1462-1464 and 1470)

5. Doña Isabel, daughter of Juan II (1468-1474), she became Queen Isabella I in 1474, the wife of Ferdinand of Aragon.

6. Doña Isabel, daughter of Isabella (1476-1478 and 1498)

7. Doña Juana, daughter of Isabella (1502-1504), she became Queen Joan I, the Mad, in 1504.

8. Doña María Teresa, daughter of Felipe IV (1655-1657)

9. Doña Isabel, daughter of Fernando VII (1833-1833), she became Queen Isabella II in 1833.

10. Doña Isabel, daughter of Isabella II (1851-1857 and 1875-1880)

11. Doña María de las Mercedes, daughter of Alfonso XII (1881-1904)


There were also some women that were heiress presumptive:

1. Doña Isabel Clara Eugenia, daughter of Felipe II (1568-1571)

2. Doña Ana Mauricia, daughter of Felipe III (1601-1605)

3. Doña María Teresa, daughter of Felipe IV (1646-1655; when she was formally styled as Princess of the Asturias)

4. Doña Margarita, daughter of Felipe IV (1-6 nov 1661 and 1665-1673)

4. Doña María Antonia, daughter of Doña Margarita and Emperor Leopold I (1673-1692)

5. Doña Luisa Fernanda, daughter of Fernando VII (1833-1851)

All of them could have become Queens of Spain had the King who was reigning when they were named died!

[cimbrio]

What about those who came after Umigon? Like Isabel II's eldest daughter, María Isabel Francisca "la Chata" or Alfonso XII's sister María de las Mercedes? When she died it was her son and not her younger sister María teresa who inherited the title of Príncipe de Asturias, isn't that right? Because his father was also Infante of Spain...

[Lord_Arthur]

What about those who came after Umigon? Like Isabel II's eldest daughter, María Isabel Francisca "la Chata" or Alfonso XII's sister María de las Mercedes? When she died it was her son and not her younger sister María teresa who inherited the title of Príncipe de Asturias, isn't that right? Because his father was also Infante of Spain...

I think he inherited the title of Prince of Asturias because of his mother, not his father...

[cimbrio]

I think he inherited the title of Prince of Asturias because of his mother, not his father...

I agree Arthur, but hat I meant was that since he was also the son of an Infante of Spain, he was able to inherit the title.

[Eurohistory]

I do not believe that the late Infante don Alfonso de Borbón-Dos Sicilias (1901-1964) was ever officially proclaimed Príncipe de Asturias, as was the case with his mother.

Arturo Beéche

[umigon]

I think he inherited the title of Prince of Asturias because of his mother, not his father...

I agree Arthur, but hat I meant was that since he was also the son of an Infante of Spain, he was able to inherit the title.

Yes, but Alfonso's father, Carlos, was Infante de Gracia (the title was given by the King; by the queen regent in this case). So, Carlos de Borbón Dos Sicilias still had a claim on the throne, but very distant, based on his Bourbon blood, and not on his title of Infante.

For another example: Maria Teresa, younger sister of María Mercedes, had married her cousin Ferdinand of Bavaria. After Teresa's death, Ferdinand married María Luisa de Silva, who was created Infanta de España by Alfonso XIII. She was honoured as an Infanta, but she had no rights to the throne.

I do not believe that the late Infante don Alfonso de Borbón-Dos Sicilias (1901-1964) was ever officially proclaimed Príncipe de Asturias, as was the case with his mother.

No, Alfonso de Borbón-Dos Sicilias was never created Prince of Asturias, but he was heir pressumptive from October 1904, when his mother died, until May 1907, when Alfonso, eldest child of Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia, was born. If Alfonso XIII had died before his son's birth or if this son had been stillborn after Alfonso XIII's death, Alfonso de Borbón-Dos Sicilias would have been the next King of Spain!

[crotalo]

Is there any chance of posting a list with all the women who had been princesses of Asturias?

[umigon]

There is one at the start of this thread!

[crotalo]

I meant the consorts too. there must be over twenty including these.

[umigon]

Consorts of the Princes of Asturias :

•      Catherine of Lancaster, born in 1373, married Enrique of Castile in 1388 and was Princess of the Asturias until 1390, when Enrique became Enrique III.
•      Blanche of Aragon, born in 1424, was Princess of the Asturias after her marriage tyo Enrique of Castile (future Enrique IV) in 1440 and until the annulment of their marriage in 1453.
•      Margarita of Austria, born in 1480. Married Prince Juan in 1497 and became a widow the same year.
•      María Manuela of Portugal, born in 1527, married the future Felipe II in 1543. Died in childbirth in 1545.
•      Mary Tudor, born in 1516, married the future Felipe II in 1554. Felipe became king in 1556 and Mary died two years after.
•      Isabel of Bourbon, born in 1603. Married the future Felipe IV in 1615. He became king in 1621 and Isabel died in 1644.
•      María Luisa of Parma, born in 1751, married the future Carlos IV in 1765. He became king in 1788 and they would be deposed in 1808. They both died in 1819.
•      María Antonia of Naples, born in 1784. She married the future Fernando VII in 1802. She died in 1806.
•      María of Bourbonb-Two Sicilies, born in 1910. She married the future Juan III (who never reigned) in 1935. She is the mother of Juan Carlos I and died in 2000.
•      Letizia Ortiz y Rocasolano, born in 1972. She married the future Felipe VI in 2004.