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The title of Prince or Princess of Girona (Aragonese: Prencipe/Princesa de Chirona, Catalan: Príncep/Princesa de Girona, Spanish: Príncipe/Princesa de Gerona) is one of the titles given to the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the Crown of Aragon. The current title-holder is Leonor, Princess of Girona.
Origin of the title
It originated in 1351 when King Peter IV of Aragon named his successor, to whom he conceded the title of Duke of Girona; the title embraced territories of the counties of Girona, Besalú, Empúries and Ausona.
In part I of the Constitucions i Altres Drets de Cathalunya, the section headed Genealogia dels Reys d'Aragó i Comtes de Barcelona speaks of the genealogy of John I of Aragon, son of Peter IV, saying that John and Violant had a son named James, "lo qual intitularen Delphi de Girona". On 19 February 1416, Ferdinand I of Aragon, considering the title of duke insufficient, raised it to the rank of Principality of Girona.[2] However, these titles fell into gradual disuse until the 20th century as the heir of the King of Spain became better known by the hereditary title of the Crown of Castile, "Prince of Asturias."
Modern usage
In 1961, when announcing the wedding the future Juan Carlos I of Spain and Sofia of Greece, the Spanish Royal House issued the young prince, as titles of pretense, the style of "Prince of Asturias," "Prince of Girona," and "Prince of Viana" — these three titles referring to his status as heir apparent to the kingdoms of Castile, Aragon and Navarre respectively. He started using the titles of "Prince of Girona" on his passport during the dictatorship of Franco, to avoid the more contentious title Prince of Asturias which was well known to be reserved for the heir of the throne of Spain. His grandfather had adopted a similar tactic, styling himself Juan, Count of Barcelona; using the title of King of Spain would have been seen as directly subersive to the dictatorship of General Franco. However, calling himself Count of Barcelona was a clear attempt at asserting his hereditary rights to then defunct Spanish throne, as there had been no Count of Barcelona who was not either King of Aragon or of Spain since the Middle Ages.
When Juan Carlos was finally given an official capacity in the Spanish state as heir to the kingdom by General Franco, he received the title of "Prince of Spain" and thus began to use this until he became King of Spain. On 21 January 1977 his son, Felipe, would be the first to use all of these titles in any official capacity for over 250 years.
Holders
Picture |
Name |
Heir of |
Birth |
Became heir to the Crown |
Created Duke of Girona |
Ceased to be Duke of Girona |
Death |
Other titles before/whilst Duke |
Duchess of Girona |
|
Infante Juan
later John I |
Peter IV |
27 December 1350 |
1351 |
6 January 1387
became King |
19 May 1396 |
Count of Cervera |
Martha of Armagnac |
Yolande of Bar |
80px |
Infante James |
John I |
1382 |
6 January 1387 |
1388 |
Count of Cervera |
|
80px |
Infante Ferdinand |
1389 |
October 1389 |
Count of Cervera |
|
80px |
Infante Peter |
1394 |
1394 |
Count of Cervera |
|
|
Infante Alfonso
later Alfonso V |
Ferdinand I |
1396 |
25 June 1412 |
January 1414 |
19 February 1416
Raised to Principality |
27 June 1458 |
Count of Cervera |
Maria of Castile |
|
Prince Charles |
John II |
29 May 1421 |
27 June 1458 |
23 September 1461 |
Prince of Viana
Duke of Gandia
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera |
|
|
Prince Ferdinand
later Ferdinand II |
10 March 1452 |
23 September 1461
brother's death |
20 January 1479
became King |
23 January 1516 |
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer
Duke of Gandia
Count of Ribagorza
King of Sicily
King of Castile and León
King of Upper Navarre |
Isabella I of Castile |
|
Prince John, Duke of Lorraine
(claimant) |
René |
2 August 1424 |
1466 |
16 December 1470 |
Duke of Lorraine
Duke of Calabria
Marquis of Pont-à-Mousson
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera |
Marie of Bourbon |
|
Prince Nicholas, Duke of Lorraine
(claimant) |
7 July 1448 |
16 December 1470 |
27 July 1473 |
Duke of Lorraine
Titular Duke of Calabria
Marquis of Pont-à-Mousson
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera |
- |
80px |
Prince Juan |
Ferdinand II |
28 June 1478 |
20 January 1479 |
4 October 1497 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer |
Margaret of Austria |
75px |
Prince Miguel |
24 August 1498 |
28 August 1498 |
19 July 1500
death |
Prince of Portugal
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer |
- |
|
Infanta Joanna
later Joanna I |
6 November 1479 |
1502
recognized by the Aragonese Cortes at Zaragoza |
3 May 1509
brother's birth |
12 April 1555 |
Princess of Asturias
Princess of Viana
Duchess of Montblanc
Countess of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer
Duchess consort of Burgundy, Brabant, Limburg, Lothier, Luxembourg; Countess consort of Artois, Flanders, Charolais, Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland, Burgundy; Margravine consort of Namur |
- |
80px |
Prince John |
3 May 1509 |
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer |
- |
|
Infanta Joanna
later Joanna I |
6 November 1479 |
3 May 1509
brother's death |
23 January 1516
became Queen-regnant |
12 April 1555 |
Princess of Asturias
Princess of Viana
Duchess of Montblanc
Countess of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer
Duchess consort of Burgundy, Brabant, Limburg, Lothier, Luxembourg; Countess consort of Artois, Flanders, Charolais, Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland, Burgundy; Margravine consort of Namur |
- |
80px |
Prince Charles
later Charles I |
Joanna I |
24 February 1500 |
23 January 1516 |
14 March 1516
became King |
21 September 1558 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer
Prince of Viana
Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, Limburg, Lothier and Luxembourg,
Count of Artois, Burgundy, Flanders, Hainaut,
Holland, Namur and Zeeland |
- |
|
Prince Philip
later Philip II |
Charles I |
21 May 1527 |
16 January 1556
became King |
13 September 1598 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer
King of Naples
King of England and Ireland
Duke of Milan |
Maria Manuela, Princess of Portugal |
Mary I of England |
|
Prince Carlos |
Philip II |
8 July 1545 |
16 January 1556 |
24 July 1568 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer |
- |
|
Prince Ferdinand |
4 December 1571 |
18 October 1578 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer |
- |
|
Prince Diego |
15 August 1575 |
18 October 1578
brother's death |
21 November 1582 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer
Prince of Portugal |
- |
80px |
Prince Philip
later Philip III |
14 April 1578 |
21 November 1582
brother's death |
14 April 1598
became King |
31 March 1621 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer
Prince of Portugal |
- |
80px |
Prince Philip
later Philip IV |
Philip III |
8 April 1605 |
31 March 1621
became King |
17 September 1665 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer
Prince of Portugal |
Elisabeth of Bourbon |
|
Prince Baltasar Carlos |
Philip IV |
17 October 1629 |
9 October 1646 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer
Prince of Portugal |
- |
|
Prince Philip Prospero |
20 November 1657 |
1 November 1661 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer |
- |
|
Prince Charles
later Charles II |
6 November 1661 |
17 September 1665
became King |
1 November 1700 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer |
- |
|
Prince Joseph Ferdinand |
Charles II |
28 October 1692 |
1698 |
6 February 1699 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer |
- |
80px |
Prince Felipe
later Felipe VI |
Juan Carlos I |
30 January 1968 |
22 November 1975 |
21 January 1977 |
19 June 2014 |
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Viana
Duke of Montblanc
Count of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer |
Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano |
|
Princess Leonor |
Felipe VI |
31 October 2005 |
19 June 2014 |
19 June 2014 |
Incumbent |
Princess of Asturias
Princess of Viana
Duchess of Montblanc
Countess of Cervera
Lord of Balaguer |
|
See also
Notes
External links