Prince of Girona
{{Short description|Title accorded to the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the Crown of Aragon}}
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File:Arms of the Prince of Girona (1370-1665).svg
The Prince or Princess of Girona ({{langx|ca|Príncep o Princesa de Girona}}, {{Langx|es|Príncipe o Princesa de Gerona}}) is one of the titles of the heir of the Crown of Spain. The title was historically accorded to the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the Crown of Aragon. Current legislation mandates the title of Prince of Asturias to the heir of the Spanish throne but allows for the use of other traditional titles; the current title-holder, therefore, 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 [Dauphin] 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.Thus, there has never been a "Principality of Girona" independent of the Crown of Aragon. The city of Girona and its surrondings were part of the Principality of Catalonia.{{CN|date=December 2021}} 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 rule of caudillo 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 father had adopted a similar tactic, styling himself Juan, Count of Barcelona; using the title of King of Spain would have been seen as directly subversive of the Francoist state. 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.
With the accession of Felipe to the throne in 2014, his elder daughter Leonor became Princess of Girona, as heiress presumptive to the throne of Aragon.
The Princess of Girona Foundation was created in 2009 and is now run on behalf of Princess Leonor: it funds programmes to aid young people.{{cite web|title=Princess of Girona Foundation|url=https://en.fpdgi.org/who-we-are/presentation/}}
Holders
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2021}}
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!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 |
| align="center" rowspan="2"|80px
|align="center" rowspan="2"|Infante Juan |align="center" rowspan="2"|Peter IV |rowspan="2" colspan="2" align="center"|27 December 1350 |align="center" rowspan="2"|1351 |align="center" rowspan="2"|6 January 1387 |align="center" rowspan="2"|19 May 1396 |align="center" rowspan="2"|Count of Cervera |align="center"|Martha of Armagnac |
| align="center"|Yolande of Bar |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Infante James |align="center" rowspan="3"|John I |align="center"|1382 |align="center" colspan="2"|6 January 1387 |align="center" colspan="2"|1388 |align="center"|Count of Cervera |align="center"| |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Infante Ferdinand |align="center" colspan="3"|1389 |align="center" colspan="2"|October 1389 |align="center"|Count of Cervera |align="center"| |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Infante Peter |align="center" colspan="3"|1394 |align="center" colspan="2"|1394 |align="center"|Count of Cervera |align="center"| |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Infante Alfonso |align="center"|Ferdinand I |align="center"|1396 |align="center"|25 June 1412 |align="center"|January 1414 |align="center"|19 February 1416 |align="center"|27 June 1458 |align="center"|Count of Cervera |align="center"|Maria of Castile |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Charles |align="center" rowspan="2"|John II |align="center"|29 May 1421 |align="center" colspan="2"|27 June 1458 |align="center" colspan="2"|23 September 1461 |align="center"|Prince of Viana |align="center"| |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Ferdinand |align="center"|10 March 1452 |align="center" colspan="2"|23 September 1461 |align="center"|20 January 1479 |align="center"|23 January 1516 |align="center"|Duke of Montblanc |align="center"|Isabella I of Castile |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince John, Duke of Lorraine |align="center" rowspan="2"|René |align="center"|2 August 1424 |align="center" colspan="2"|1466 |align="center" colspan="2"|16 December 1470 |align="center"|Duke of Lorraine |align="center"|Marie of Bourbon |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Nicholas, Duke of Lorraine |align="center"|7 July 1448 |align="center" colspan="2"|16 December 1470 |align="center" colspan="2"|27 July 1473 |align="center"|Duke of Lorraine |align="center" |
| align="center"|75px
|align="center"|Prince Juan |align="center" rowspan="5"|Ferdinand II |align="center"|28 June 1478 |align="center" colspan="2"|20 January 1479 |align="center" colspan="2"|4 October 1497 |align="center"|Prince of Asturias |align="center"|Margaret of Austria |
| align="center"|75px
|align="center"|Prince Miguel |align="center"|24 August 1498 |align="center" colspan="2"| 28 August 1498 |align="center" colspan="2"| 19 July 1500 |align="center"|Prince of Portugal |align="center" |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Infanta Joanna |align="center"|6 November 1479 |align="center" colspan="2"|1502 |align="center"|3 May 1509 |align="center"|12 April 1555 |align="center"|Princess of Asturias |align="center"|Philip, Duke of Burgundy and Lord of the Netherlands |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince John |align="center" colspan="5"|3 May 1509 |align="center"|Duke of Montblanc |align="center" |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Infanta Joanna |align="center"|6 November 1479 |align="center" colspan="2"|3 May 1509 |align="center"|23 January 1516 |align="center"|12 April 1555 |align="center"|Queen of Castile and León |align="center" |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Charles |align="center"|Joanna I |align="center"|24 February 1500 |align="center" colspan="2"|23 January 1516 |align="center"|14 March 1516 |align="center"|21 September 1558 |align="center"|Prince of Asturias |align="center" |
| align="center" rowspan="2"|80px
|align="center" rowspan="2"|Prince Philip |align="center" rowspan="2"|Charles I |align="center" colspan="3" rowspan="2"|21 May 1527 |align="center" rowspan="2"|16 January 1556 |align="center" rowspan="2"|13 September 1598 |align="center" rowspan="2"|Prince of Asturias |align="center"|Maria Manuela, Princess of Portugal |
| align="center"|Mary I of England |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Carlos |align="center" rowspan="4"|Philip II |align="center"|8 July 1545 |align="center" colspan="2"|16 January 1556 |align="center" colspan="2"|24 July 1568 |align="center"|Prince of Asturias |align="center" |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Ferdinand |align="center" colspan="3"|4 December 1571 |align="center" colspan="2"|18 October 1578 |align="center"|Prince of Asturias |align="center" |
| align="center"|75px
|align="center"|Prince Diego |align="center"|15 August 1575 |align="center" colspan="2"|18 October 1578 |align="center" colspan="2"|21 November 1582 |align="center"|Prince of Asturias |align="center" |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Philip |align="center"|14 April 1578 |align="center" colspan="2"|21 November 1582 |align="center"|14 April 1598 |align="center"|31 March 1621 |align="center"|Prince of Asturias |align="center" |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Philip |align="center"|Philip III |align="center" colspan="3"|8 April 1605 |align="center"|31 March 1621 |align="center"|17 September 1665 |align="center"|Prince of Asturias |align="center"|Elisabeth of Bourbon |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Baltasar Carlos |align="center" rowspan="3"|Philip IV |align="center" colspan="3"|17 October 1629 |align="center" colspan="2"|9 October 1646 |align="center"|Prince of Asturias |align="center" |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Philip Prospero |align="center" colspan="3"|20 November 1657 |align="center" colspan="2"|1 November 1661 |align="center"|Prince of Asturias |align="center" |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Charles |align="center" colspan="3"| 6 November 1661 |align="center"|17 September 1665 |align="center"|1 November 1700 |align="center"|Prince of Asturias |align="center" |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Prince Felipe |align="center"|Juan Carlos I |align="center"|30 January 1968 |align="center"|22 November 1975 |align="center"|21 January 1977 |align="center"|19 June 2014 |align="center"|living |align="center"|Prince of Asturias |align="center"|Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano |
| align="center"|80px
|align="center"|Princess Leonor |align="center"|Felipe VI |align="center"|31 October 2005 |align="center"|19 June 2014 |align="center"|19 June 2014 |align="center"|Incumbent |align="center"|living |align="center"|Princess of Asturias |align="center"| |
See also
Notes
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Princes of Girona}}
{{Spanish royal titles}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prince of Girona}}