Umberto II of Italy
Encyclopedia
Umberto II, occasionally anglicized as Humbert II (15 September 190418 March 1983) was the last King of Italy
for slightly over a month, from 9 May 1946 to 12 June 1946. He was nicknamed the King of May
in Piedmont. He was the third child, and the only son, of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
and Princess Elena of Montenegro.
Umberto was married in Rome
on 8 January 1930 to Marie José of Belgium (1906–2001). His children included: Maria Pia
(born 1934), Vittorio Emanuele (born 1937), Maria Gabriella
(born 1940), Maria Beatrice
(born 1943).
command belonging to Benito Mussolini
. By mutual agreement, Umberto and Mussolini always kept a distance. An attempted assassination of the Prince took place in Brussels
on 24 October 1929, the day of the announcement of his betrothal to Princess Marie José. The Prince was about to lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Belgian Unknown Soldier at the foot of the Congreskolom. With a cry of 'Down with Mussolini!' the culprit, Fernando de Rosa
, fired a single shot that missed the Prince of Piedmont. De Rosa was arrested and under interrogation claimed to be a member of the Second International
.
It has been conjectured that Mussolini had collected a secret dossier on Umberto, but this folder (which is said to have been found after the dictator was shot), was never seen publicly.
Following the Savoyards' tradition ("Only one Savoy reigns at a time"), he kept apart from active politics until he was finally named Lieutenant General of the Realm
. Only in one case, while he was in Germany
for a royal wedding, did he make an exception —Adolf Hitler
asked for a meeting. This action was not considered proper, given the international situation, and afterwards Umberto was even more rigorously excluded from political events.
On 29 October 1942, Umberto was awarded the rank of Marshal of Italy
(Maresciallo d'Italia).
In 1943, the Crown Princess Maria José, the daughter of King Albert I of Belgium
, involved herself in vain attempts to arrange a separate peace treaty between Italy and the United States
, and her interlocutor from the Vatican
was Monsignor Giovanni Battista Montini
, a senior diplomat who later became Pope Paul VI. Her attempts were not sponsored by the king and Umberto was not (directly, at least) involved in them. After her failure (she never met the American agents), she was sent with her children to Sarre
, in Aosta Valley, and isolated from the political life of the Royal House.
As the Allies freed more and more of Italy from the puppet Salo regime
, it became apparent that Victor Emmanuel was too tainted by his previous support of Fascism to have any further role. Accordingly, in April 1944, he transferred most of his powers to Umberto. This status was formalized after Rome was liberated in June, when Victor Emmanuel transferred his remaining constitutional powers to Umberto, naming his son Lieutenant General of the Realm
. However, Victor Emmanuel retained the title of king.
. As it was, Victor Emmanuel didn't formally abdicate in favor of his son until 9 May 1946.
Many Italian monarchists expressed doubts about the correctness of the referendum, claiming that millions of voters, many of them pro-monarchist, were unable to vote because they had not yet been able to return to their own local areas to register. Nor had the issue of Italy's borders been settled definitively, so the voting rights of those in disputed areas had not been satisfactorily clarified. Other allegations were made about voter manipulation, and even the issue of how to interpret the votes became controversial, as it appeared that not just a majority of those validly voting but of those votes cast (including spoiled votes), was needed to reach an outcome in the event the monarchy lost by a tight margin.
Umberto served as king for 33 days. He and his wife were both young and cultivated, and thus presented a stark contrast to Victor Emmanuel. It was to no avail, however--a decisive majority voted to make Italy a republic. Having promised to accept the election results, Umberto accepted the defeat, urging his now-former subjects to serve the new republic. The monarchy formally ended on 12 June 1946, and Umberto left the country. Prime Minister Alcide de Gasperi
assumed office as Italy's interim Head of State.
Umberto and Maria José separated in exile; it was an arranged marriage
, following a long tradition of royal families.
Some academics have explored Umberto's possible homosexuality. As early as the 1920s, Mussolini had collected a dossier on his private life for purposes of blackmail. Certainly during the war, newspapers asserted that Umberto was homosexual
, and information continued to be spread in the lead-up to the post-war referendum on the monarchy in the hope of influencing the outcome. It is, however, unclear to what extent such rumours could be substantiated. Umberto's custom of giving a fleur-de-lis
made of precious stones to favoured young officials in his entourage was well known, and Umberto's lovers may have included Luchino Visconti
and Jean Marais
; as a former army lieutenant who published details of Umberto's advances to him. Except for public appearances, Umberto and Maria Jose generally lived apart.
in Portugal
. He was a popular old gentleman, nicknamed "Europe's grandfather", seen at many of Europe's royal weddings. He never set foot in his native land again; the 1947 constitution of the Italian Republic barred all male heirs to the defunct Italian throne from ever returning to Italian soil. Female members of the Savoy family were not barred except consort queens.
Umberto traveled extensively during exile, and was often to be seen in Mexico visiting his daughter, and in the company of friends like Commendatore Flavio Mansi Tazzer.
President Sandro Pertini wanted Umberto to be allowed to return to his native country by the Italian parliament when he was dying in 1983. Ultimately, however, he died in Geneva
and was interred in Hautecombe Abbey
. No representative of the Italian government attended his funeral.
ancestry including as his ancestor Widukind
. Christian Settipani
proved through contemporary documents that Arnulf of Metz and his ancestors were Frankish
in the male line, since they were ruled by the Frankish Law.
King of Italy
King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire...
for slightly over a month, from 9 May 1946 to 12 June 1946. He was nicknamed the King of May
Biography
Umberto was born at the Castle of RacconigiCastle of Racconigi
The Royal Castle of Racconigi is a palace and landscape park in Racconigi, province of Cuneo, Italy. It was the official residence of the Carignano line of the House of Savoy, and is one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy included by UNESCO in the World Heritage Sites list.-History:The...
in Piedmont. He was the third child, and the only son, of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
and Princess Elena of Montenegro.
Umberto was married in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
on 8 January 1930 to Marie José of Belgium (1906–2001). His children included: Maria Pia
Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma
Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma is the eldest daughter of Umberto II of Italy and Marie-José of Belgium...
(born 1934), Vittorio Emanuele (born 1937), Maria Gabriella
Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy
Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy is a Savoyard princess and noted historian of Italy...
(born 1940), Maria Beatrice
Princess Maria Beatrice of Savoy
Princess Maria Beatrice of Savoy is the youngest daughter of Italy's last king, Umberto II, and his queen, Marie José of Belgium.-Life:...
(born 1943).
Prince of Piedmont
The Prince of Piedmont was educated to a military career and in time became the commander in chief of the Northern Armies, and then of the Southern ones. However, his role was merely formal, the de factoDe facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
command belonging to Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
. By mutual agreement, Umberto and Mussolini always kept a distance. An attempted assassination of the Prince took place in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
on 24 October 1929, the day of the announcement of his betrothal to Princess Marie José. The Prince was about to lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Belgian Unknown Soldier at the foot of the Congreskolom. With a cry of 'Down with Mussolini!' the culprit, Fernando de Rosa
Fernando de Rosa
Fernando de Rosa was an Italian student who attempted to assassinate Umberto Prince of Piedmont, later Umberto II of Italy in Brussels on October 24, 1929. De Rosa was born in Milan and studied law in Turin before fleeing Italy for France in order to avoid imprisonment for his political views...
, fired a single shot that missed the Prince of Piedmont. De Rosa was arrested and under interrogation claimed to be a member of the Second International
Second International
The Second International , the original Socialist International, was an organization of socialist and labour parties formed in Paris on July 14, 1889. At the Paris meeting delegations from 20 countries participated...
.
It has been conjectured that Mussolini had collected a secret dossier on Umberto, but this folder (which is said to have been found after the dictator was shot), was never seen publicly.
Following the Savoyards' tradition ("Only one Savoy reigns at a time"), he kept apart from active politics until he was finally named Lieutenant General of the Realm
Luogotenente
The Italian word luogotenente , plural luogotenenti, is an etymological parallel to lieutenant, deriving from the Latin locum tenens "holding a place", i.e...
. Only in one case, while he was in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for a royal wedding, did he make an exception —Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
asked for a meeting. This action was not considered proper, given the international situation, and afterwards Umberto was even more rigorously excluded from political events.
On 29 October 1942, Umberto was awarded the rank of Marshal of Italy
Marshal of Italy
Marshal of Italy was a rank in the Italian Royal Army . Originally created in 1924 by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini for the purpose of honoring Generals Luigi Cadorna and Armando Diaz, the rank was granted to several other general officers from 1926 to 1943...
(Maresciallo d'Italia).
In 1943, the Crown Princess Maria José, the daughter of King Albert I of Belgium
Albert I of Belgium
Albert I reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 until 1934.-Early life:Born Albert Léopold Clément Marie Meinrad in Brussels, he was the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen...
, involved herself in vain attempts to arrange a separate peace treaty between Italy and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and her interlocutor from the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
was Monsignor Giovanni Battista Montini
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
, a senior diplomat who later became Pope Paul VI. Her attempts were not sponsored by the king and Umberto was not (directly, at least) involved in them. After her failure (she never met the American agents), she was sent with her children to Sarre
Sarre, Italy
Sarre is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy....
, in Aosta Valley, and isolated from the political life of the Royal House.
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
, it became apparent that Victor Emmanuel was too tainted by his previous support of Fascism to have any further role. Accordingly, in April 1944, he transferred most of his powers to Umberto. This status was formalized after Rome was liberated in June, when Victor Emmanuel transferred his remaining constitutional powers to Umberto, naming his son Lieutenant General of the Realm
Luogotenente
The Italian word luogotenente , plural luogotenenti, is an etymological parallel to lieutenant, deriving from the Latin locum tenens "holding a place", i.e...
. However, Victor Emmanuel retained the title of king.
King of Italy
Umberto earned widespread praise for his role in the following three years. Some believe that had his father handed over the throne in 1943, the monarchy would have won the 1946 referendum on its survivalBirth of the Italian Republic
The Italian constitutional referendum which officially took place on 2 June 1946, is a key event of Italian contemporary history. Until 1946, Italy was a kingdom ruled by the House of Savoy, kings of Italy since the Risorgimento and previously rulers of Savoy...
. As it was, Victor Emmanuel didn't formally abdicate in favor of his son until 9 May 1946.
Many Italian monarchists expressed doubts about the correctness of the referendum, claiming that millions of voters, many of them pro-monarchist, were unable to vote because they had not yet been able to return to their own local areas to register. Nor had the issue of Italy's borders been settled definitively, so the voting rights of those in disputed areas had not been satisfactorily clarified. Other allegations were made about voter manipulation, and even the issue of how to interpret the votes became controversial, as it appeared that not just a majority of those validly voting but of those votes cast (including spoiled votes), was needed to reach an outcome in the event the monarchy lost by a tight margin.
Umberto served as king for 33 days. He and his wife were both young and cultivated, and thus presented a stark contrast to Victor Emmanuel. It was to no avail, however--a decisive majority voted to make Italy a republic. Having promised to accept the election results, Umberto accepted the defeat, urging his now-former subjects to serve the new republic. The monarchy formally ended on 12 June 1946, and Umberto left the country. Prime Minister Alcide de Gasperi
Alcide De Gasperi
Alcide De Gasperi was an Italian statesman and politician and founder of the Christian Democratic Party. From 1945 to 1953 he was the prime minister of eight successive coalition governments. His eight-year rule remains a landmark of political longevity for a leader in modern Italian politics...
assumed office as Italy's interim Head of State.
Umberto and Maria José separated in exile; it was an arranged marriage
Arranged marriage
An arranged marriage is a practice in which someone other than the couple getting married makes the selection of the persons to be wed, meanwhile curtailing or avoiding the process of courtship. Such marriages had deep roots in royal and aristocratic families around the world...
, following a long tradition of royal families.
Some academics have explored Umberto's possible homosexuality. As early as the 1920s, Mussolini had collected a dossier on his private life for purposes of blackmail. Certainly during the war, newspapers asserted that Umberto was homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, and information continued to be spread in the lead-up to the post-war referendum on the monarchy in the hope of influencing the outcome. It is, however, unclear to what extent such rumours could be substantiated. Umberto's custom of giving a fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
made of precious stones to favoured young officials in his entourage was well known, and Umberto's lovers may have included Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard and Death in Venice .-Life:...
and Jean Marais
Jean Marais
-Biography:A native of Cherbourg, France, Marais starred in several movies directed by Jean Cocteau, for a time his lover, most famously Beauty and the Beast and Orphée ....
; as a former army lieutenant who published details of Umberto's advances to him. Except for public appearances, Umberto and Maria Jose generally lived apart.
In exile
King Umberto lived for 37 years in exile, in CascaisCascais
Cascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. He was a popular old gentleman, nicknamed "Europe's grandfather", seen at many of Europe's royal weddings. He never set foot in his native land again; the 1947 constitution of the Italian Republic barred all male heirs to the defunct Italian throne from ever returning to Italian soil. Female members of the Savoy family were not barred except consort queens.
Umberto traveled extensively during exile, and was often to be seen in Mexico visiting his daughter, and in the company of friends like Commendatore Flavio Mansi Tazzer.
President Sandro Pertini wanted Umberto to be allowed to return to his native country by the Italian parliament when he was dying in 1983. Ultimately, however, he died in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and was interred in Hautecombe Abbey
Hautecombe Abbey
Hautecombe Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery, later a Benedictine monastery, in Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille near Aix-les-Bains in Savoy, France. For centuries it was the burial place of the members of the House of Savoy...
. No representative of the Italian government attended his funeral.
Honours
- Grand Master of the Supreme Order of the Annunziata
- Grand Master of the Order of Saints Maurice and LazarusOrder of Saints Maurice and LazarusThe Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is an order of chivalry awarded by the House of Savoy, the heads of which were formerly Kings of Italy...
- Grand Master of the Civil Order of SavoyCivil Order of SavoyThe Civil Order of Savoy was founded as an order of knighthood in 1831 by the King of Sardinia, Charles Albert, Duke of Savoy. The intention was to reward those virtues not belonging to the existing Military Order of Savoy, founded by Vittorio Emanuele I in 1815. The order has one degree, that of...
- Grand Master of the Order of the Crown of ItalyOrder of the Crown of ItalyThe Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
- Knight of the Order of the Golden FleeceOrder of the Golden FleeceThe Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
- Knight of the Order of Saint HubertOrder of Saint Hubert (Bavarian)The Bavarian Order of Saint Hubert was founded in 1444 or 1445 by Gerhard V, Duke of Jülich and Count of Ravensberg. He sought to commemorate his victory over the House of Egmond at the Battle of Linnich on 3 November, which is Saint Hubert's day....
- Knight of the Order of Saint Januarius
- Knight of the Order of the ElephantOrder of the ElephantThe Order of the Elephant is the highest order of Denmark. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in 1849, is now almost exclusively bestowed on royalty and heads of state.- History :A Danish religious...
- Knight of the Order of the SeraphimOrder of the SeraphimThe Royal Order of the Seraphim is a Swedish Royal order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Polar Star...
- Knight of the Order of Saint Andrew
- Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky
- Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
- Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Anne
- Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Imperial House of Romanov)
- Grand Cross of the Order of Carol IOrder of Carol IThe Order of Carol I is a chivalric order of the Kingdom of Romania instituted on the 10 May 1909 by King Carol I of Romania to celebrate his jubilee of 40 years of reign. Until the fall of the monarchy in 1947, the order was the highest ranking order of the kingdom...
of Romania - Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold I
- Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
- Bailiff Grand Cross of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint GeorgeSacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint GeorgeThe Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is a Roman Catholic order of chivalry. It was fictively established by Constantine the Great, though in reality it was founded between 1520 and 1545 by two brothers of the Angeli Comneni family. Members of the Angeli Comneni family remained...
Patrilineal descent
Ancestry and even the very filiation of Humbert I of Savoy is not clear, as there are four possibilities, one of them giving him a TeutonicGermanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
ancestry including as his ancestor Widukind
Widukind
Widukind was a pagan Saxon leader and the chief opponent of Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars. Widukind was the leader of the Saxons against the Frankish king Charlemagne...
. Christian Settipani
Christian Settipani
Christian Settipani is the Technical Director of an IT company in Paris and a genealogist and historian.He has a Master of Advanced Studies degree from the Paris-Sorbonne University and is currently preparing his doctoral thesis, while he often gives lectures to students undergraduates at the...
proved through contemporary documents that Arnulf of Metz and his ancestors were Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
in the male line, since they were ruled by the Frankish Law.
- Humbert I of SavoyHumbert I of SavoyUmberto I was the first Count of Savoy from 1032, when the County of Vienne, which had been sold to the Archdiocese of Vienne, was divided between the County of Albon and the Maurienne...
, 980 - 1047 - Otto of SavoyOtto of SavoyOtto was Count of Savoy from 1051 until his death. He was son of Humbert I, the first Count of Savoy, and his wife Ancilla, and ascended the throne after the death of his elder brother, Amadeus I of Savoy.Otto substantially enlarged his lands through his marriage with Adelaide of Susa,...
, 1015–1057 - Amadeus II of SavoyAmadeus II of SavoyAmadeus II was the Count of Savoy from 1078 to 1080. His life is obscure and few documents mention him. During his reign he was overshadowed by his mother, but he had good relations with the Papacy and, for a time, the Holy Roman Emperor.-Before his countship:The second son of Otto, Count of...
, 1039–1080 - Humbert II of SavoyHumbert II of SavoyUmberto II, surnamed the Fat , was Count of Savoy from 1080 until his death in 1103. He was the son of Amadeus II of Savoy....
, 1070–1103 - Amadeus III of SavoyAmadeus III of SavoyAmadeus III of Savoy was Count of Savoy and Maurienne from 1103 until his death. He was also known as the Crusader....
, 1095–1148 - Humbert III of SavoyHumbert III of SavoyUmberto III , surnamed the Blessed, was Count of Savoy from 1148 to 1189. His parents were Amadeus III of Savoy and Mahaut of Albon, the sister of Guy IV of Dauphinois. His memorial day is March 4.According to CopeHis first wife died young; his second marriage ended in divorce...
, 1135–1189 - Thomas I of SavoyThomas I of SavoyThomas I or Tommaso I was Count of Savoy from 1189-1233. He was the son of Humbert III of Savoy and Beatrice of Viennois. His birth was seen as miraculous; his monkish father had despaired of having a male heir after three wives. Count Humbert sought counsel from St...
, 1176–1233 - Thomas II, Count of Piedmont, 1199–1259
- Amadeus V, Count of SavoyAmadeus V, Count of SavoyAmadeus V , surnamed the Great for his wisdom and success as a ruler, was the Count of Savoy from 1285 to 1323. He established Chambéry as his seat...
, 1251–1323 - Aimone, Count of SavoyAimone, Count of SavoyAymon , surnamed the Peaceful, was Count of Savoy from 1329 to 1343. His father was Amadeus V, Count of Savoy and he was the younger brother of Edward, Count of Savoy....
, 1291–1343 - Amadeus VI, Count of SavoyAmadeus VI, Count of SavoyAmadeus VI , nicknamed the Green Count was Count of Savoy from 1343 to 1383. He was the eldest son of Aimone, Count of Savoy and Yolande of Montferrat....
, 1334–1383 - Amadeus VII, Count of SavoyAmadeus VII, Count of SavoyAmadeus VII , surnamed the Red Count, was Count of Savoy from 1383 to 1391.He married Bonne of Berry, daughter of John, Duke of Berry who was the younger brother of Charles V of France. They had three children: Amedeo VIII;Bonne Amadeus VII (1360, Avigliana, Piedmont – November 1, 1391),...
, 1360–1391 - Amadeus VIII, Duke of SavoyAntipope Felix V-External links:*...
, 1383–1451 - Louis, Duke of SavoyLouis, Duke of SavoyLouis I was Duke of Savoy from 1440 until his death.-Life:...
, 1402–1465 - Philip II, Duke of SavoyPhilip II, Duke of SavoyPhilip II , surnamed the Landless was the Duke of Savoy for the brief reign from 1496 to 1497.-Biography:...
, 1438–1497 - Charles III, Duke of SavoyCharles III, Duke of SavoyCharles III of Savoy , often called Charles the Good, was Duke of Savoy from 1504 to 1553, although most of his lands were ruled by the French between 1536 and his death....
, 1486–1553 - Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of SavoyEmmanuel Philibert, Duke of SavoyEmmanuel Philibert was Duke of Savoy from 1553 to 1580....
, 1528–1580 - Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of SavoyCharles Emmanuel I, Duke of SavoyCharles Emmanuel I , known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630...
, 1562–1630 - Thomas Francis, Prince of CarignanoThomas Francis, Prince of CarignanoThomas Francis of Savoy was an Italian military commander, the founder of the Savoy-Carignano branch of the House of Savoy which reigned as kings of Sardinia from 1831 to 1861, and as kings of Italy from 1861 until the...
, 1596–1656 - Emmanuel Philibert, Prince of CarignanEmmanuel Philibert, Prince of CarignanEmmanuel Philibert of Savoy , Prince of Carignano, was the son and heir of Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano. He constructed the Palazzo Carignano in Turin.-Biography:...
, 1628–1709 - Victor Amadeus I, Prince of Carignan, 1690–1741
- Louis Victor, Prince of CarignanLouis Victor, Prince of CarignanLouis Victor of Savoy was a northern Italian nobleman and the Prince of Carignano from 1741 till his death.-Biography:...
, 1721–1778 - Victor Amadeus II, Prince of CarignanVictor Amadeus II, Prince of CarignanVictor Amadeus of Savoy was a member of the House of Savoy and Prince of Carignano. He was the brother of the murdered princesse de Lamballe and grandfather of King Charles Albert of Sardinia.-Biography:...
, 1743–1780 - Charles Emmanuel, Prince of CarignanCharles Emmanuel, Prince of CarignanCharles Emmanuel of Savoy was a Prince of Savoy and later the Prince of Carignano between 1780 and 1800, and the paternal grandfather of Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of a united Italy.-Biography:...
, 1770–1800 - Charles Albert of SardiniaCharles Albert of SardiniaCharles Albert was the King of Piedmont-Sardinia from 1831 to 1849. He succeeded his distant cousin Charles Felix, and his name is bound with the first Italian statute and the First War of Independence...
, 1798–1849 - Victor Emmanuel II of ItalyVictor Emmanuel II of ItalyVictor Emanuel II was king of Sardinia from 1849 and, on 17 March 1861, he assumed the title King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878...
, 1820–1878 - Umberto I of ItalyUmberto I of ItalyUmberto I or Humbert I , nicknamed the Good , was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death. He was deeply loathed in far-left circles, especially among anarchists, because of his conservatism and support of the Bava-Beccaris massacre in Milan...
, 1844–1900 - Victor Emmanuel III of ItalyVictor Emmanuel III of ItalyVictor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
, 1869–1947 - Umberto II of Italy, 1904–1983
See also
- FascismFascismFascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
- Benito MussoliniBenito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
- Birth of the Italian RepublicBirth of the Italian RepublicThe Italian constitutional referendum which officially took place on 2 June 1946, is a key event of Italian contemporary history. Until 1946, Italy was a kingdom ruled by the House of Savoy, kings of Italy since the Risorgimento and previously rulers of Savoy...
- List of shortest reigning monarchs of all time
Additional reading
- Denis Mack Smith Italy and Its Monarchy (Yale University Press, 1989)
- Robert Katz The Fall of the House of Savoy
External links
- Royal House of Italy
- Royal House of Belgium
- Genealogy of recent members of the House of Savoy
- a portrait of his
- Website with Information on Italian Royal news stories