From the personal union

Personal union

A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...

 of the Crown of Castile

Crown of Castile

The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...

 and the Crown of Aragon

Crown of Aragon

The Crown of Aragon Corona d'Aragón Corona d'Aragó Corona Aragonum controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain and southeastern France, as well as some of the major islands and mainland possessions stretching across the Mediterranean as far as Greece...

 until the accession of the first Bourbon

House of Bourbon

The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...

 monarch in 1700, the heir to the Spanish throne was the person closest to the Spanish monarch according to the male-preference cognatic primogeniture. From the accession of Philip of France

Philip V of Spain

Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...

 as Philip V until the Pragmatic Sanction of 1830

Pragmatic Sanction of 1830

The Pragmatic Sanction of 1830 , issued March 29, 1830 by King Ferdinand VII of Spain, ratified a Decree of 1789 by Charles IV of Spain, which had replaced the semi-Salic system established by Philip V of Spain with the mixed succession system that predated the Bourbon monarchy .When Philip V,...

, the heir to the Spanish throne was the person closest to the Spanish monarch according to the Salic law

Salic law

Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...

.

The heir, whether heir apparent

Heir apparent

An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....

 or heir presumptive

Heir Presumptive

An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...

, was often granted the title of Prince of Asturias

Prince of Asturias

Prince of Asturias is the historical title given to the heir to the Spanish throne. It was also the title under the earlier Kingdom of Castile. The current Prince of Asturias is Felipe, son of King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sofía...

.

Heirs to the Catholic Monarchs

Catholic Monarchs

The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...

Isabella I

Isabella I of Castile

Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...

 and Ferdinand V of Castile

Ferdinand II of Aragon

Ferdinand the Catholic was King of Aragon , Sicily , Naples , Valencia, Sardinia, and Navarre, Count of Barcelona, jure uxoris King of Castile and then regent of that country also from 1508 to his death, in the name of...

 were already parents at the time of their accession in 1474. Their heir presumptive

Heir Presumptive

An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...

 was their daughter,

• Isabella, who was created Princess of Asturias. In 1478, she was displaced by the birth of a brother,
• John, who was created Prince of Asturias. Ferdinand V of Castile ascended the throne of Aragon as Ferdinand II in 1479, making John the heir apparent to the Aragonese throne as well as the Prince of Girone. He died childless in 1497, leaving his wife, Margaret of Austria, pregnant. She gave birth to a stilborn daughter, at which point John's older sister,
• Isabella, became heir presumptive to the Castilian throne again and heir presumptive to the Aragonese throne for the first time. She had married King Manuel I of Portugal
  Manuel I of Portugal
  Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
  
  . Upon her death in 1498, their son,
• Miguel de la Paz, became heir presumptive. Already Prince of Portugal, Miguel was created Prince of Asturias and Girona as well. The heir to the thrones of Portugal, Castile and Aragon died in infancy. After his death, his aunt
• Joanna
  Joanna of Castile
  Joanna , nicknamed Joanna the Mad , was the first queen regnant to reign over both the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon , a union which evolved into modern Spain...
  
  became heir presumptive. She had married Philip of Austria
  Philip I of Castile
  Philip I , known as Philip the Handsome or the Fair, was the first Habsburg King of Castile...
  
   and had had children by the time she became heiress.
• John
  John, Prince of Girona
  The Infante John, Prince of Girona was an Aragonese infante, only son of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Germaine of Foix. He was born heir to the throne in 1509, the long awaited male heir of his father. King Ferdinand II hope to father a new heir of Aragon, separating it from Castile...
  
  became heir apparent to the Crown of Aragon and created Prince of Girona. After his death his half-sister

Upon Isabella I's death in 1504, Joanna ascended the throne of Castile along with her husband, Philip I. Upon Ferdinand II's death in 1516, the widowed Joanna ascended the throne of Aragon as well.

Heirs to Joanna

Joanna was already mother of two sons and a daughter at the moment of her accession. She co-ruled with her husband, Philip I, until his death in 1506. Her heir apparent at the moment of her accession was her son,

• Charles
  Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
  Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
  
  , Archduke of Austria.

In 1516, Joanna's father, Ferdinand II, died. Joanna and Charles ascended the throne of Aragon together as co-rulers and Charles was recognized as Joanna's co-ruler in Castile as well. Upon Joanna's death in 1555, Charles became sole ruler.

Heirs to Charles I

Charles I became King of Castile and Aragon in 1516, but he did not become sole ruler until his mother's death in 1555. During his reign, the Spanish kingdoms were in personal union

Personal union

A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...

 with the Holy Roman Empire

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...

, Archduchy of Austria

Archduchy of Austria

The Archduchy of Austria , one of the most important states within the Holy Roman Empire, was the nucleus of the Habsburg Monarchy and the predecessor of the Austrian Empire...

, Kingdom of Germany

Kingdom of Germany

The Kingdom of Germany developed out of the eastern half of the former Carolingian Empire....

 and Seventeen Provinces

Seventeen Provinces

The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 15th century and 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France , and a small part of Western Germany.The Seventeen Provinces were originally held by...

. When Charles I became sole ruler, his son,

• Philip
  Philip II of Spain
  Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
  
  , King of England and Ireland, became heir apparent to the Spanish thrones and Prince of Asturias.

Charles I abdicated in 1556. King Philip of England ascended the Castilian throne as Philip II and Aragonese throne as Philip I.

Heirs to Philip II

Philip was already father at the moment of his accession. His heir apparent was his son,

• Charles, who was created Prince of Asturias. He died childless in 1568, leaving his sister,
• Isabella Clara Eugenia, as the heir presumptive
  Heir Presumptive
  An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
  
  . In 1571 she was displaced by the birth of her half-brother,
• Ferdinand
  Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias
  Ferdinand of Spain was the son of Philip II of Spain and Anna of Austria.When Ferdinand was born, he was proclaimed Prince of Asturias, his half-brother Charles having died three years previously. Ferdinand died when he was 6 years old and the new prince of Asturias was his younger brother...
  
  , who was created Prince of Asturias. He died as a child in 1578, leaving his brother
• Diego
  Diego, Prince of Asturias
  Diego Félix of Austria, Infante of Spain was the third son of Philip II of Spain by his fourth wife Anna of Austria.-Life:...
  
  as heir apparent. He died as a child in 1582, making his brother
• Philip
  Philip III of Spain
  Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
  
  heir apparent and Prince of Asturias.

Heirs to Philip III

Philip III was unmarried and childless at the moment of his accession in 1598. His eldest sister,

• Isabella Clara Eugenia, was the heir presumptive
  Heir Presumptive
  An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
  
   until the birth of Philip's daughter,
• Anne
  Anne of Austria
  Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...
  
  in 1601. She was heir presumptive until her brother,
• Philip
  Philip IV of Spain
  Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
  
  , replaced her in 1605. He became heir apparent upon his birth and later Prince of Asturias.

During Philip III's reign, the Spanish kingdoms were in personal union with Portugal and the Seventeen Provinces.

In 1615, Anne

Anne of Austria

Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...

 became Queen consort of France and renounced her rights to the Spanish throne as part of her marriage contract.

Heirs to Philip IV

Philip IV ascended the thrones of Spain, Portugal and the Seventeen Provinces in 1621. He had been married for six years at the moment of his accession but still childless. Therefore, Philip's brother,

• Charles, became heir presumptive upon Philip's accession. Charles was first replaced by Philip's daughter,
• Maria Margaret. Maria Margaret, heir presumptive
  Heir Presumptive
  An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
  
  , died shortly after birth in 1621 and
• Charles became heir presumptive again. In 1623, he was again replaced by a niece,
• Margaret Maria Catherine. The new heir presumptive died a little over a month after her birth and
• Charles became heir presumptive again. Two years later, almost on the same date, Charles was replaced by another daughter of Philip,
• Maria Eugenia. Maria Eugenia was heir presumptive until her death in July 1627.
• Charles became heir presumptive again and remained so until October 30 of the same year, when
• Isabella Maria Theresa was born to the King. She died 24 hours after birth, leaving her uncle
• Charles heir presumptive again. Charles would remain the heir presumptive until the birth of his nephew,
• Balthasar Charles, in 1629. Balthasar Charles immediately became heir apparent and later Prince of Asturias. He remained heir apparent until his death in 1646. His sister,
• Maria Theresa
  Maria Theresa of Spain
  Maria Theresa of Austria was the daughter of Philip IV, King of Spain and Elizabeth of France. Maria Theresa was Queen of France as wife of King Louis XIV and mother of the Grand Dauphin, an ancestor of the last four Bourbon kings of France.-Early life:Born as Infanta María Teresa of Spain at the...
  
  , became heir presumptive. She remained heir presumptive until the birth of her brother,
• Philip Prospero
  Philip Prospero, Prince of Asturias
  Philip Prospero of Spain, Prince of Asturias was the first male child of the marriage between Philip IV of Spain and Mariana of Austria to survive infancy...
  
  , in 1657. Philip Prospero was heir apparent until his death in 1661, leaving the succession unclear for five days until the birth of his brother,
• Charles
  Charles II of Spain
  Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
  
  , who was created Prince of Asturias.

Philip Prospero died on 1 November 1661. The heir presumptive between his death on November 1 and the birth of his brother Charles on November 6 was unclear. During that period, the oldest living child of Philip IV was Queen Maria Theresa

Maria Theresa of Spain

Maria Theresa of Austria was the daughter of Philip IV, King of Spain and Elizabeth of France. Maria Theresa was Queen of France as wife of King Louis XIV and mother of the Grand Dauphin, an ancestor of the last four Bourbon kings of France.-Early life:Born as Infanta María Teresa of Spain at the...

 of France. However, she had renounced her rights to the Spanish thrones upon her marriage to King Louis XIV of France

Louis XIV of France

Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...

. On the other hand, the renunciation and its validity were made conditional upon the payment of a large dowry. The dowry was never paid and it was argued that Maria Theresa therefore never legally renounced her rights. If Maria Theresa's renunciation was nevertheless valid, the heir presumptive during those five days was her younger sister Margaret Theresa

Margaret Theresa of Spain

Margaret Theresa of Spain was Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Archduchess consort of Austria, Queen consort of Hungary and Bohemia. She was the daughter of King Philip IV of Spain and his second wife Mariana of Austria...

.

Philip IV died in 1665, leaving testament

Will (law)

A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...

 in which he had given preference to his younger daughter, Holy Roman Empress Margaret Theresa

Margaret Theresa of Spain

Margaret Theresa of Spain was Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Archduchess consort of Austria, Queen consort of Hungary and Bohemia. She was the daughter of King Philip IV of Spain and his second wife Mariana of Austria...

, and her descendants regarding the succession to the Spanish thrones. In his will, he also stipulated that Margaret Theresa and her descendants should be followed by her husband, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor

Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor

| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...

, and his descendants because Leopold I was not only a member of the House of Habsburg, but also son of Philip IV's sister, Maria Anna.

Heirs to Charles II

Charles II was four years old when he succeeded his father on the thrones of Spain. The heir presumptive was either his older half-sister, Queen Maria Theresa of France, whose renunciation was considered invalid, or his older sister, Holy Roman Empress Margaret Theresa, who had been designated heir presumptive by Charles's father.

According to the will of Philip IV and if Maria Theresa's renunciation was valid, the heir presumptive to Charles II at the moment of his accession was his older sister,

• Margaret Theresa
  Margaret Theresa of Spain
  Margaret Theresa of Spain was Holy Roman Empress, German Queen, Archduchess consort of Austria, Queen consort of Hungary and Bohemia. She was the daughter of King Philip IV of Spain and his second wife Mariana of Austria...
  
  . Upon her death in 1673, her daughter,
• Maria Antonia
  Maria Antonia of Austria
  Maria Antonia of Austria was the eldest daughter and only surviving child of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I and his wife Margaret Theresa of Spain...
  
  , became heir presumptive to the Spanish thrones according to the will of Philip IV. She died in 1692, leaving her two-months-old son,
• Joseph Ferdinand
  Joseph Ferdinand of Bavaria, Prince of Asturias
  Duke Joseph Ferdinand Leopold of Bavaria, Prince of Asturias was the son of Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and his first wife, Maria Antonia of Austria, daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, maternal granddaughter of King Felipe IV of Spain.--Youth--Prince Joseph Ferdinand was...
  
  , Duke of Bavaria, as heir presumptive. He was created Prince of Asturias. The succession rights of Joseph Ferdinand were advocated by his great-grandmother, Dowager Queen Mariana of Spain
  Mariana of Austria
  Mariana of Austria was Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of King Philip IV, who was also her maternal uncle...
  
  . However, he died one year before Charles II.

Upon the death of Joseph Ferdinand, the line of descent of Holy Roman Empress Margaret Theresa went extinct. Charles II wished to be succeeded by a descendant of his older half-sister, Maria Theresa, who had died. The heir according to male-preference cognatic primogeniture was his nephew, Maria Theresa's son Louis. However, Charles II wished to avoid personal union between France and Spain. Therefore, he designated Louis's younger son Philip

Philip V of Spain

Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...

, Duke of Anjou, as heir presumptive.

While Philip of France was the rightful heir according to Charles II's will, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I was the rightful heir according to Philip IV's will. Leopold was not willing to abandon his rights and decided to pursue his claim, sparking the War of the Spanish Succession

War of the Spanish Succession

The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...

.

Heirs to Philip V

Philip V ascended the Spanish thrones on the death of his grand-uncle, Charles II, in 1700. The War of the Spanish Succession was concluded in his favour. Philip V was the first Spanish monarch of the House of Bourbon

House of Bourbon

The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...

. He changed the Spanish laws of succession to the throne, replacing the traditional male-preference cognatic primogeniture with agnatic primogeniture (also known as Salic law

Salic law

Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...

) which prohibited women from ascending the Spanish throne. During Philip V's reign, the Crown of Castile

Crown of Castile

The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...

 and the Crown of Aragon

Crown of Aragon

The Crown of Aragon Corona d'Aragón Corona d'Aragó Corona Aragonum controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain and southeastern France, as well as some of the major islands and mainland possessions stretching across the Mediterranean as far as Greece...

 merged into a single state after centuries of personal union. Philip V was forced to renounce his rights to the French throne as a part of the Treaty of Utrecht

Treaty of Utrecht

The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...

.

Philip V was unmarried and childless at the moment of his accession. According to the will of Charles II, Philip's younger brother,

• Charles, was heir presumptive until the birth of Philip's son,
• Louis.

In 1724, Philip V abdicated in favour of Louis.

Heirs to Louis

Louis was childless when he ascended the Spanish throne. His brother,

• Ferdinand
  Ferdinand VI of Spain
  Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
  
  , became his heir presumptive and was created Prince of Asturias. However, it was decied that Louis's father,
• Philip
  Philip V of Spain
  Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
  
  , should become heir presumptive instead of Ferdinand due to his young age.

Louis died childless after only seven months of reigning and his father Philip reascended the throne of Spain.

Heirs to Philip V

Philip V's heir at the moment of his second accession was his oldest surviving son,

• Ferdinand
  Ferdinand VI of Spain
  Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
  
  , already Prince of Asturias.

Upon Philip V's death in 1746, Ferdinand became King of Spain.

Heirs to Ferdinand VI

Ferdinand VI was childless. During his entire reign, his brother,

• Charles
  Charles III of Spain
  Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
  
  , King of Naples and Sicily, was heir presumptive.

Charles ascended the Spanish throne upon Ferdinand's death in 1759.

Heirs to Charles III

Charles III was already a father at the moment of his accession. His heir apparent during his entire reign was his second son,

• Charles
  Charles IV of Spain
  Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
  
  , because his eldest son Philip was mentally retarded
  Mental retardation
  Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
  
  .

Upon his death in 1788, Charles III was succeeded by his son and namesake.

Heirs to Charles IV

Charles IV was already a father at the moment of his accession. His heir apparent during his entire reign was his son,

• Ferdinand.

In 1808, Charles IV abdicated in Ferdinand's favour.

Heirs to Ferdinand VII

Ferdinand was childless at the moment of his accession. His brother,

• Charles
  Infante Carlos, Count of Molina
  The Infante Carlos of Spain was the second surviving son of King Charles IV of Spain and of his wife, Maria Luisa of Parma. As Carlos V he was the first of the Carlist claimants to the throne of Spain...
  
  , was the heir presumptive.

However, Ferdinand was forced to abdicate in favour of Joseph Bonaparte

Joseph Bonaparte

Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...

, the brother of Emperor Napoleon I of France

Napoleon I of France

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...

. After Joseph's short reign which was ended by his abdication in 1813, Ferdinand VII resumed the throne and

• Charles
  Infante Carlos, Count of Molina
  The Infante Carlos of Spain was the second surviving son of King Charles IV of Spain and of his wife, Maria Luisa of Parma. As Carlos V he was the first of the Carlist claimants to the throne of Spain...
  
  became the heir presumptive again. However, Ferdinand issued Pragmatic Sanction
  Pragmatic Sanction of 1830
  The Pragmatic Sanction of 1830 , issued March 29, 1830 by King Ferdinand VII of Spain, ratified a Decree of 1789 by Charles IV of Spain, which had replaced the semi-Salic system established by Philip V of Spain with the mixed succession system that predated the Bourbon monarchy .When Philip V,...
  
   in March 1830, which replaced the Salic law introduced by Philip V with the traditional male-preference cognatic primogeniture. Thanks to the new succession rules, Charles was replaced by Ferdinand's eldest daughter,
• Isabella
  Isabella II of Spain
  Isabella II was the only female monarch of Spain in modern times. She came to the throne as an infant, but her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognise a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. After a troubled reign, she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of...
  
  , who became heir presumptive upon her birth in October 1830 and was created Princess of Asturias.

The decision to repeal the Salic law proved to be very unpopular. Ferdinand VII died in 1833 and Isabella was proclaimed queen as Isabella II, but Charles considered himself the rightful king. The result of the decision were Carlist Wars

Carlist Wars

The Carlist Wars in Spain were the last major European civil wars in which contenders fought to establish their claim to a throne. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the Carlists — followers of Infante Carlos and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and...

.

Heirs to Isabella II

Isabella II was three years old when she ascended the throne of Spain. Her heir presumptive was her younger sister,

• Louisa Ferdinanda
  Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier
  Infanta María Luisa Fernanda of Spain was Infanta of Spain and Duchess of Montpensier. She was the youngest daughter of king Ferdinand VII of Spain and his fourth wife Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, the queen-regent, who was also his niece.-Biography:-Heiress-presumptive:When her elder...
  
  . Louisa Ferdinanda was replaced by Isabella's son,
• Ferdinand, who died a few hours after his birth in the autumn of 1850. His aunt,
• Louisa Ferdinanda
  Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier
  Infanta María Luisa Fernanda of Spain was Infanta of Spain and Duchess of Montpensier. She was the youngest daughter of king Ferdinand VII of Spain and his fourth wife Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, the queen-regent, who was also his niece.-Biography:-Heiress-presumptive:When her elder...
  
  , became heir presumptive again. However, a year later, the Queen gave birth to her namesake,
• Isabella, who was created Princess of Asturias. She was not heir presumptive for long. In 1857, the Queen gave birth to
• Alfonso
  Alfonso XII of Spain
  Alfonso XII was king of Spain, reigning from 1874 to 1885, after a coup d'état restored the monarchy and ended the ephemeral First Spanish Republic.-Early life and paternity:Alfonso was the son of Queen Isabella II of Spain, and...
  
  , who replaced his older sister, becoming heir apparent and Prince of Asturias.

Isabella II was induced to abdicate in 1870. Amadeus of Savoy was elected new monarch.

Heirs to Amadeus

During Amadeus's short reign, the heir apparent was his son,

• Emmanuel Philibert, who was created Prince of Asturias.

Amadeus abdicated in 1873 and the First Spanish Republic

First Spanish Republic

The First Spanish Republic was the political regime that existed in Spain between the parliamentary proclamation on 11 February 1873 and 29 December 1874 when General Arsenio Martínez-Campos's pronunciamento marked the beginning of the Bourbon Restoration in Spain...

 was proclaimed.

Heirs to Alfonso XII

The First Spanish Republic did not last long. In 1874, the eldest son of Isabella II was proclaimed king as Alfonso XII. He was unmarried and without legitimate children. His heir presumptive was his older sister,

• Isabella, Princess of Asturias and Countess of Girgenti. She was replaced by Alfonso's daughter,
• Mercedes
  Mercedes, Princess of Asturias
  Infanta María de las Mercedes of Spain , Princess of the Asturias, for all 24 years of her life the heiress presumptive to the Crown of Spain, was the eldest daughter of King Alfonso XII of Spain and his second wife, Maria Christina of Austria.For a period from...
  
  , who was born in 1880 and created Princess of Asturias. In 1885, Alfonso XII's wife, Maria Christina of Austria
  Maria Christina of Austria
  Maria Christina of Austria was Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of King Alfonso XII of Spain...
  
  , became pregnant with
• a son
  Alfonso XIII of Spain
  Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
  
  .

When Alfonso XII died, his widow was left pregnant. It was decided that Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, wouldn't be proclaimed queen because of the possibility that Alfonso's widow carried a son.

Heirs to Alfonso XIII

A posthumous son was indeed born to Alfonso XII and he immediately succeeded his father as Alfonso XIII. His sister,

• Mercedes
  Mercedes, Princess of Asturias
  Infanta María de las Mercedes of Spain , Princess of the Asturias, for all 24 years of her life the heiress presumptive to the Crown of Spain, was the eldest daughter of King Alfonso XII of Spain and his second wife, Maria Christina of Austria.For a period from...
  
  , Princess of Asturias, became his heir presumptive. She remained heir presumptive until her death in 1904.
• Alfonso
  Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria
  Infante Alfonso, Duke of Calabria was one of two claimants to the title of the head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies from 1960 until his death in 1964...
  
  , Duke of Calabria, succeeded his mother as heir presumptive to the throne of Spain. However, he was replaced by his cousin and namesake,
• Alfonso, son of Alfonso XIII, who was born in 1907. He was created Prince of Asturias but renounced his succession rights in 1933, due to his intended unequal marriage. His brother,
• Jaime
  Infante Jaime, Duke of Segovia
  Infante Jaime of Spain, Duke of Segovia, Grandee of Spain , was the second son of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and his wife Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg...
  
  , became the new heir apparent. Jaime himself renounced his succession rights few days later, leaving his brother,
• Juan as heir apparent.

Monarchy was abolished in 1931. Upon Alfonso XIII's death in 1941, Juan succeeded him as the titular King of Spain using the title of Count of Barcelona.

In 1947, monarchy was restored but the throne remained vacant. In 1969, Francisco Franco

Francisco Franco

Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...

 recognized

• Juan Carlos
  Juan Carlos I of Spain
  Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
  
  , son of Juan, Count of Barcelona, as heir apparent to the throne of Spain.

Heirs to Juan Carlos

Juan Carlos was father of two daughters and a son when he ascended the Spanish throne in 1975. Since his accession, his youngest child and only son,

• Felipe
  Felipe, Prince of Asturias
  Felipe, Prince of Asturias de Borbón y de Grecia; born 30 January 1968), is the third child and only son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain....
  
  , has been heir apparent to the Spanish throne.

See also

• Line of succession to the Spanish throne
  Line of succession to the Spanish Throne
  Spain uses the system of primogeniture. Male children succeed before female, and otherwise in order of age. If descent from male children does not exist , a female and her heirs succeed. Dynasts who marry against the express prohibition of the king or the Cortes are excluded from the succession...
  
  
• Line of succession to the French throne (Legitimist)