Everything about Infante totally explained
Infante (
masculine) or
infanta (
feminine), also
anglicised as
infant, was the title and rank given in the
medieval European kingdoms of
Aragon,
Castile,
Galicia,
Navarre,
León, and
Portugal to a son or daughter, and to a grandson or granddaughter in the male line of a reigning monarch (and also to a princess's children if she was the heir apparent to the throne), and their woman consorts. Male consorts had not, and have no right to the title, style and rank.
The name derives from the same root as "
infant," but this means simply "child" in Romance languages (cfr. French
Enfants de France), and in this case indicates that the Infante or Infanta is the child of the monarch. Like the
Enfants de France, all
Infantes in the different kingdoms were and are always royal princes, in the general meaning of the word.
Portuguese infantes
Infante had no feminine form at first in Portugal, and may be related in Portuguese to the Portuguese lower nobility, the
infanções, who were also the younger children with no prospects of heritage in the noble houses they were born to, just distinguished in law by some prerogatives, but almost no patrimony.
Afterwards, the word
Infanta emerged in Portugal as a feminised form applied to the Portuguese princesses after the 16th and 17th centuries. Also, after
Edward of Portugal, in the 15th century, the heir apparent and his older son, or daughter, were styled just as "Prince" and "Princess". The first Prince in Portugal was the future
Afonso V, his eldest son, maybe adopting the French royal style by an English influence brought by queen
Philippa of England.
After the ascension of the
House of Braganza to the royalty, it was added the title "Most Serene" (
Sereníssimo) to the title of Infante - as well as
Sereníssima to Infanta -, since the complete name of this house was "Most Serene House of Braganza" (
Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), a style granted by the
Pope. The style, however, doesn't seem to be used with the title of Prince Royal.
The current Infantes of Portugal (presently a republic) are
Dom Henrique, Duke of Coimbra and
Dom Miguel, Duke of Viseu (the brothers of
Dom Duarte, Duke of Braganza, head of the Portuguese Royal House), and his younger children
Dom Afonso, Prince of V,
Dona Maria Francisca de Bragança, Infanta de Portugal and
Dom Diniz, Duke of Porto.
Dom Afonso de Santa Maria, Prince of Beira, the eldest son and heir apparent to the Portuguese Royal House, being born the Prince, isn't styled Infante.
After its independence, Brazilian monarchy kept the use of
Infante to indicate the siblings of the heir apparent. However, its use was gradually decreased since the official style for them was, distinguishing the Brazilian Infantes from the
Imperial Prince of Brazil, the heir apparent, and the
Prince of Grão-Pará, his/her eldest born son (or daughter). It should be noted that the Brazilian title of
Prince of Brazil must not be confused with the former Portuguese homonym title.
Spanish infantes
In contemporary Spain, distantly related princes of the blood of the Spanish royal family are also granted the title. Note that
infante is also used for a hereditary title of nobility, as in
los infantes de Carrión in
The Lay of the Cid.
The current Infantas of Spain are
Leonor and
Sofia (the daughters of Prince
Felipe and Princess
Letizia),
Elena and
Cristina (daughters of King
Juan Carlos and
Queen Sofía), and
Pilar and
Margarita (daughters of
Juan de Borbón, Count of Barcelona).
Carlos de Borbón,
Duke of Calabria and King Juan Carlos' cousin, also holds the title of Infante of Spain. Prince Felipe, son of King Juan Carlos, is
heir apparent to the Spanish throne and therefore
Prince of Asturias.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Infante'.
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