Until today, in the Spanish kingdom, the infante (infante) is a title given to the son (daughter) of the ruling monarch, who, however, do not have the right to inherit the throne of their father. It also happened that some princes of blood both in Spain and Portugal inherited this title from their parents. In addition, in the aristocratic families of these countries, children were also called infants, however, in this case, without reference to the royal family. The thing is that in Spanish, and in many Romance languages, the "infant" is an infant, child, child.
The modern meaning of the term "infant"
In the modern world, this term often refers to a recently born child, incapable of independent existence, which is completely dependent on matter. Probably, many were interested in the question: baby - how old is the infant? And this question is not so idle. He is interested in many parents precisely because infants in some public places (for example, in transport) receive significant discounts. So, for example, in England a child-infant is a baby under 7 years old, and in other countries only infants under 2 years old fall into this category. So, if the child is only 23 months old, then he does not need a ticket to stay on the plane, but a 25-month-old baby is entitled to a ticket, the cost of which is equal to the adult price.
Don Carlos - Infante Spanish
However, let's go back to historical times and recall the most famous of the Spanish infants - Don Carlos. He was born in 1545, his parents were the Spanish king Philip and his first wife Maria of Portugal. When the boy was only four days old, his mother died. The boy grew up alone, rarely met with his father, who was constantly on the road. Carlos was engaged in by his own aunt on his father - Don Juan. She also ruled the state in the absence of her crown brother.
Carlos childhood
The boy grew up sickly and frail, was moody, irritable, conceited, loved when he was flattered, subservient to him. Carlos did not have any pronounced abilities and did not like to study. However, his teacher was the famous scientist throughout the country, don Honorato Juan. Don Carlos, however, possessed positive qualities: he was generous, kind-hearted and courageous. When he was 13 years old, the father decided to marry his son to the daughter of the French king Henry the Second, Elizabeth Valois. However, soon the girl became the bride, not of her son, but of her father. The young queen was kindled by sympathy for her stepson, and he, in turn, answered her in return and bombarded her with gifts. This did not escape the king, and jealousy began to torment him.
The difficult relationship between father and son
Philip decided to remove Carlos from the court and sent him to study at the University of Alcalá. Prior to this, he demanded that the Cortes swear allegiance to the heir to the throne, Carlos. After graduation, Carlos returned to the capital and began to lead a loose lifestyle. He had many enemies. Sometimes he behaved extremely passionately with them, and sometimes he could surprise everyone with his generosity. Don Carlos despised the
Duke of Alba, who stood at the helm of power, as well as the great inquisitor Eskinoz. When in 1566 Carlos wanted to participate in government affairs, his father, Philip, did not allow this. This attitude of the king wounded the pride of the young infante.
The next time the father opposed his alliance with Queen Elizabeth's sister, and then marrying the daughter of Emperor Maximilian - Anna. Carlos became more and more acutely aware of his father’s hostility, and he himself inflamed hatred for him. The ambassador of Flanders, Montigny, who was in the Spanish capital at that time, wished to take advantage of this. He planned to attract the infant to participate in the uprising, and he succeeded. Carlos demanded from his father the post of ruler of the Netherlands, but the choice of Philip fell on the Duke of Alba. Infant took this as a personal insult, and in a rage with a dagger rushed at the duke, but he managed to dodge the blow and disarmed the prince. After this incident, Carlos was under the scrutiny of royal spies. Soon, by order of Philippe Montigny, he was arrested and executed.
Death of Carlos
Carlos decided to leave Spain. However, his father soon found out about this and ordered the infant to be arrested. Further actions of the king led the whole court and the rulers of neighboring states to bewilderment. Philip ordered indictments against his son, and some time later a rumor spread that Carlos had died. However, no one could say for sure whether his death was natural or violent. The story of Don Carlos, a Spanish infant, was so dramatic that many poets and prose writers (Schiller, Chenier, Otway, etc.) used it as a plot for their works.
Conclusion
Today the term “infant” is, as in the old days, the Spanish title given to the princes of blood. Modern infants of Spain are the cousin of the reigning king
Juan Carlos Carlos de Bourbon, as well as Prince Felippe - the son of King Juan Carlos. However, he is also the prince of Asturias, therefore he is the direct heir to the throne.