# Prince of Girona

The Prince or Princess of Girona (Catalan: Príncep o Princesa de Girona, Spanish: 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. 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.

## Holders

| 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 | Princess of Girona |
| Infante Juan later John I | Peter IV | 27 December 1350 | 27 December 1350 | 1351 | 6 January 1387 became King | 19 May 1396 | Count of Cervera | Martha of Armagnac |
| Infante Juan later John I | Peter IV | 27 December 1350 | 27 December 1350 | 1351 | 6 January 1387 became King | 19 May 1396 | Count of Cervera | Yolande of Bar |
| Infante James | John I | 1382 | 6 January 1387 | 6 January 1387 | 1388 | 1388 | Count of Cervera | |
| Infante Ferdinand | John I | 1389 | 1389 | 1389 | October 1389 | October 1389 | Count of Cervera | |
| Infante Peter | John I | 1394 | 1394 | 1394 | 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 | 27 June 1458 | 23 September 1461 | 23 September 1461 | Prince of Viana Duke of Gandia Duke of Montblanc Count of Cervera | |
| Prince Ferdinand later Ferdinand II | John II | 10 March 1452 | 23 September 1461 brother's death | 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 | 1466 | 16 December 1470 | 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) | René | 7 July 1448 | 16 December 1470 | 16 December 1470 | 27 July 1473 | 27 July 1473 | Duke of Lorraine Titular Duke of Calabria Marquis of Pont-à-Mousson Duke of Montblanc Count of Cervera | - |
| Prince Juan | Ferdinand II | 28 June 1478 | 20 January 1479 | 20 January 1479 | 4 October 1497 | 4 October 1497 | Prince of Asturias Prince of Viana Duke of Montblanc Count of Cervera Lord of Balaguer | Margaret of Austria |
| Prince Miguel | Ferdinand II | 24 August 1498 | 28 August 1498 | 28 August 1498 | 19 July 1500 | 19 July 1500 | Prince of Portugal Prince of Asturias Prince of Viana Duke of Montblanc Count of Cervera Lord of Balaguer | - |
| Infanta Joanna later Joanna I | Ferdinand II | 6 November 1479 | 1502 recognized by the Aragonese Cortes at Zaragoza | 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 Lady of Balaguer Duchess consort of Burgundy, Brabant, Limburg, Lothier, Luxembourg; Countess consort of Artois, Flanders, Charolais, Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland, Burgundy; Margravine consort of Namur | Philip, Duke of Burgundy and Lord of the Netherlands |
| Prince John | Ferdinand II | 3 May 1509 | 3 May 1509 | 3 May 1509 | 3 May 1509 | 3 May 1509 | Duke of Montblanc Count of Cervera Lord of Balaguer | - |
| Infanta Joanna later Joanna I | Ferdinand II | 6 November 1479 | 3 May 1509 brother's death | 3 May 1509 brother's death | 23 January 1516 became Queen-regnant | 12 April 1555 | Queen of Castile and León Duchess of Montblanc Countess of Cervera Lady of Balaguer Duchess consort of Burgundy, Brabant, Limburg, Lothier, Luxembourg; Countess consort of Artois, Flanders, Charolais, Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland, Burgundy; Margravine consort of Namur | - |
| Prince Charles later Charles I | Joanna I | 24 February 1500 | 23 January 1516 | 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 | 21 May 1527 | 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 |
| Prince Philip later Philip II | Charles I | 21 May 1527 | 21 May 1527 | 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 | Mary I of England |
| Prince Carlos | Philip II | 8 July 1545 | 16 January 1556 | 16 January 1556 | 24 July 1568 | 24 July 1568 | Prince of Asturias Prince of Viana Duke of Montblanc Count of Cervera Lord of Balaguer | - |
| Prince Ferdinand | Philip II | 4 December 1571 | 4 December 1571 | 4 December 1571 | 18 October 1578 | 18 October 1578 | Prince of Asturias Prince of Viana Duke of Montblanc Count of Cervera Lord of Balaguer | - |
| Prince Diego | Philip II | 15 August 1575 | 18 October 1578 brother's death | 18 October 1578 brother's death | 21 November 1582 | 21 November 1582 | Prince of Asturias Prince of Viana Duke of Montblanc Count of Cervera Lord of Balaguer Prince of Portugal | - |
| Prince Philip later Philip III | Philip II | 14 April 1578 | 21 November 1582 brother's death | 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 | - |
| Prince Philip later Philip IV | Philip III | 8 April 1605 | 8 April 1605 | 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 | 17 October 1629 | 17 October 1629 | 9 October 1646 | 9 October 1646 | Prince of Asturias Prince of Viana Duke of Montblanc Count of Cervera Lord of Balaguer Prince of Portugal | - |
| Prince Philip Prospero | Philip IV | 20 November 1657 | 20 November 1657 | 20 November 1657 | 1 November 1661 | 1 November 1661 | Prince of Asturias Prince of Viana Duke of Montblanc Count of Cervera Lord of Balaguer | - |
| Prince Charles later Charles II | Philip IV | 6 November 1661 | 6 November 1661 | 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 Felipe later Felipe VI | Juan Carlos I | 30 January 1968 | 22 November 1975 | 21 January 1977 | 19 June 2014 | living | 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 | living | Princess of Asturias Princess of Viana Duchess of Montblanc Countess of Cervera Lady of Balaguer | |