Succession to the Spanish throne

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.

Line of succession

Current Monarch: Juan Carlos I of Spain

1. 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.
2. The Infanta Leonor (born October 31 2005), daughter of The Prince of Asturias and The Princess of Asturias
3. HRH The Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo (Elena María Isabel Dominica de los Silos de Borbón y Grecia), eldest daughter of King Juan Carlos.
4. HE Felipe Juan Froilán de Todos los Santos de Marichalar y de Borbón, son of Infanta Elena.
5. HE Victoria Federica de Todos los Santos de Marichalar y de Borbón, daughter of Infanta Elena.
6. 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.
7. HE Juan Valentín de Todos los Santos Urdangarin y de Borbón, eldest son of Infanta Christina.
8. HE Pablo Nicolás Sebastián Urdangarin y de Borbón, middle son of Infanta Christina.
9. HE Miguel Urdangarin y de Borbón, youngest son of Infanta Christina.
10. HE Irene Urdangarín y de Borbón, daughter of Infanta Christina.

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's wife is expecting their first child. 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. If renunciations are considered to be valid, however, the next in line after the descendants of Juan Carlos is Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, who is also one of the claimants to be head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

Presumed lines

1. King's elder sister Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón, Duchess of Badajoz, and her descendants.
2. King's younger sister Infanta Doña Margarita de Borbón, Duchess of Soria, and her descendants.
3. Descendants of daughters of Alfonso XIII.
4. Descendants of María Mercedes (1880-1904), eldest daughter of Alfonso XII, etc.

See also

• List of Spanish monarchs
• Spanish Royal Family
• Francisco Franco, who, after the Spanish Civil War, ruled over the country (although Spain was formally a monarchy)
• Line of succession to the British Throne
• Line of succession to the Monegasque Throne
• Line of succession to the Norwegian Throne
• Line of succession to the Swedish throne