Infante 1305133 226168506 2008-07-17T03:29:34Z Savidan 677067 add {{redirect|infanta}} {{otheruses}} {{Unreferenced|date=May 2008}} [[Image:Infantes Crown.PNG|thumb|right|240px|Spanish Infante Crown.]] '''''Infante''''' ([[grammatical gender|masculine]]) or '''''infanta''''' ([[grammatical gender|feminine]]), also [[anglicised]] as ''infant'', was the title and rank given in the [[medieval]] European kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Aragon|Aragon]], [[Kingdom of Castile|Castile]], [[Kingdom of Galicia|Galicia]], [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]], [[Kingdom of León|León]], and [[Kingdom of Portugal|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 of Portugal|Afonso V]], his eldest son, maybe adopting the French royal style by an English influence brought by queen [[Philippa of Lancaster|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, does not seem to be used with the title of Prince Royal. The current Infantes of Portugal (presently a republic) are [[Infante Henrique, Duke of Coimbra| Dom Henrique, Duke of Coimbra]] and [[Infante Miguel, Duke of Viseu| Dom Miguel, Duke of Viseu]] (the brothers of [[Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza|Dom Duarte, Duke of Braganza]], head of the Portuguese Royal House), and his younger children [[Infante Afonso, Prince of Beira|Dom Afonso, Prince of V]], [[Infanta Maria Francisca Isabel of Portugal|Dona Maria Francisca de Bragança, Infanta de Portugal]] and [[Infante Dinis, Duke of Porto|Dom Diniz, Duke of Porto]]. [[Infante Afonso, Prince of Beira|Dom Afonso de Santa Maria, Prince of Beira]], the eldest son and heir apparent to the Portuguese Royal House, being born the Prince, is not 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 [[Prince of Brazil#Prince of Brazil: independent Brazilian Empire|Princes of Brazil]], 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 de los Condes|Carrión]]'' in ''[[Cantar de Mio Cid|The Lay of the Cid]]''. The current Infantas of Spain are [[Infanta Leonor of Spain|Leonor]] and [[Infanta Sofia of Spain|Sofia]] (the daughters of Prince [[Felipe, Prince of Asturias|Felipe]] and Princess [[Letizia, Princess of Asturias|Letizia]]), [[Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo|Elena]] and [[Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca|Cristina]] (daughters of King [[Juan Carlos of Spain|Juan Carlos]] and [[Queen Sofia of Spain|Queen Sofía]]), and [[Infanta Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz|Pilar]] and [[Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria|Margarita]] (daughters of [[Juan de Borbón, Count of Barcelona]]). [[Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria|Carlos de Borbón]], [[Dukes of Calabria|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]]. ==See also== *[[Cardinal-Infante]] * [[Infanta de Castile]] * [[Portuguese monarchy]] * [[Prince Royal of Portugal]] * [[Prince of Beira]] * [[Prince of Brazil]] * [[Prince of Asturias]] * [[Spanish monarchy]] * [[Crown Prince]] [[Category:History of Portugal]] [[Category:History of Spain]] [[Category:Noble titles]] [[Category:Princes| ]] [[Category:Portuguese language]] [[Category:Spanish language]] [[be-x-old:Інфант]] [[bs:Infant]] [[cs:Infant]] [[de:Infant]] [[es:Infante]] [[fr:Infant]] [[ko:인판테]] [[it:Infante]] [[lv:Infants]] [[nl:Infante]] [[pl:Infant]] [[pt:Infante]] [[ru:Инфант]] [[sk:Infant]] [[sv:Infant]] [[uk:Інфант]]