Spain's Constitution maintains male preference in royal succession

Princess Leonor of Spain remains the heir to the throne, positioned to potentially become the first reigning queen since Isabel II. However, the Spanish Constitution currently contains a legal provision that favors male heirs over female heirs within the same degree of succession.

Article 57.1 of the Constitution maintains this preference, a rule that would have relegated Leonor if she had a male sibling, similar to the experiences of her father's sisters, Cristina and Elena. This legal exception to gender equality has persisted since the Constitution was approved in 1978. During the drafting of the document, women held very little influence, representing only 4.5% of the Constituent Cortes.