Double Royal Birthday

Today is a double royal birthday for the Kingdom of Italy, House of Savoy. It was on this day in 1820 that HM King Vittorio Emanuele II was born and on this same day in 1844 his son and heir HM King Umberto I was born.

The Queen of Pearls

Today in 1851 Margherita of Savoy, later Queen consort of King Umberto I of Italy was born. She was a woman of fierce loyalty to her family, of devout Catholic faith and an ardent Italian patriot.

Saintly Birthday

Today, in 1812, was the birthday of Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy, Queen consort of the Kingdom of the Two-Sicilies. This is a good day to reflect on her life and to ask for her intercession for Italy and the House of Savoy today. Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy, Pray for Us!

Birthday of Duke Emanuele Filiberto

It was on this day in 1528 that Duke Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy was born. He served in the army of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V before becoming Duke of Savoy and as most of his lands had been occupied by the French, he continued to serve in the Spanish army. During the reign of his cousin King Philip II of Spain, he led Spanish forces to one of the greatest victories of that time over the French at the battle of San Quentin in 1557. It was he who made Turin the Savoy seat of government and who changed the official court language from Latin to Italian. For a time he considered trying to become King of Portugal but bowed out in favor of his more powerful cousin the King of Spain. He died in 1580.

Birthday of Leonardo da Vinci

Today is the birthday of the great Italian artist and thinker Leonardo da Vinci, born on this day in the Republic of Florence in 1452, a genius for the ages and a credit to Italy.

Happy Birthday Princess Clotilde

Today is the birthday of HRH Princess Clotilde of Venice and Piedmont

she was born in Hauts-de-Seine, France in 1969 and

is the wife of HRH Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Venice and Piedmont.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Princess Maria Gabriella

Today HRH Princess Maria Gabriella, second daughter of Their Majesties King Umberto II and Queen Marie Jose of Italy turns 73-years-old. We wish her a very happy birthday and many, many more to come.

Birthday of Carlo Emanuele the Great

It was on this day in 1562 that the future Duke Carlo Emanuele di Savoia was born. Later known as Carlo Emanuele the Great, he had a reputation for zeal and daring and during his reign as Duke of Savoy fought battles against the French, the Swiss, the Spanish and the Republic of Genoa. For a time he was considered a possible future King of Serbia, but nothing came of that. A father of ten children, he left the ducal throne to his son Vittorio Amadeo I, the "Lion of Susa" who gained the titles of King of Cyprus and Jerusalem for the House of Savoy.

Happy Birthday Princess Olga

On this day in 1971 HRH Princess Olga of Savoy-Aosta was born to TRH Prince and Princess Michael of Greece and Denmark. In 2008 she married HRH Prince Aimone, Duke of Apulia and they now have two sons; Prince Umberto and Prince Amedeo who will carry on the name of the House of Savoy.

Happy Birthday

A happy birthday to His Royal Highness Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, born on this day in 1943, claimant to the leadership of the House of Savoy, as such potential heir to the throne of Italy and heir to the throne of the short-lived independent Croatia.

Birthday of Queen Marie-Jose

It was on this day in 1906 that Her Majesty Queen Marie-Jose, princess of Belgium, consort to His Majesty King Umberto II and beloved last Queen of Italy was born in Ostend in the Kingdom of Belgium. She married the Prince of Piedmont on January 8, 1930 and when he succeeded to the throne became Queen of Italy on May 9, 1946. Her reign was all too short and it was a great opportunity lost for the country. She was a woman of great intelligence, sound judgment, sincere faith, simple tastes, delicate beauty and kind heart. She had all of the qualities to make for an ideal queen-consort including a sense of duty that was never shaken, even during the times of greatest trial and harship. It is so sad that she was never given the opportunity to prove to Italy and the world how great she could have been. She was a dutiful wife, an attentive mother and a friend to all those who suffered. Her compassion was boundless and her sense of right and wrong was firm and unbending. Even in exile she continued to enrich the lives of many people before her sad passing on January 27, 2001. May she never be forgotten.

Birthday of the Prince of Naples

It was on this day in 1937 that HRH Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Naples was born to the future King Umberto II and Queen Marie Jose of Italy. It was also on this day in 1935 that his future bride, Marina Ricolfi-Doria, was born in Switzerland. When Prince Vittorio Emanuele was born it was an occasion of great celebration in the Kingdom of Italy. Of course it brought added stability to the monarchy by ensuring the future succession for another generation but, being 1937, it was also a time when the fortunes of Italy seemed to be riding high and PNF-media sources proudly proclaimed him the first Savoy prince to be born in the era of the "empire". He was the second child of the (then) Prince and Princess of Piedmont and the only masculine child of their four children. When the vicious factions that rose to dominance at the end of World War II began to threaten the continued life of the Kingdom of Italy, some suggested that King Umberto II abdicate, making his son "King Vittorio Emanuele IV" and appointing an acceptable regent to rule in his minority.

However, that was as close as the little prince would ever come to the throne. The monarchy was abolished, the King, Queen and their children were forced to go into exile and nearly a thousand years of Savoy rule came to an end in Europe. For Prince Vittorio Emanuele, trouble would follow him like a loyal dog for the rest of his life. In 1971 he carried out his unequal marriage to Marina Ricolfi-Doria in Iran (during festivities celebrating the anniversary of the Persian monarchy) which, many would later claim, invalidated him for the position of Head of the House of Savoy and heir to the former throne of the Kingdom of Italy. He has also been involved in numerous troubles that have caused many to regard him as having an unsavory reputation. In 1969 he even attempted to "usurp" the position of his father by declaring himself King of Italy in exile. The fact that he later renounced his claim to the throne and swore allegiance to the Italian republic in order to be able to return to Italy after the ban against the family was lifted in 2002 also caused many to regard him as having surrendered any claim to the leadership of the House of Savoy.

Those who believe that his unequal marriage (and other reasons mentioned) invalidates him as the rightful successor to his father have looked to HRH Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta for leadership. Each have their adherents and both can present evidence for their claim and point to flaws in that put forward by the other side. However, regardless of which side one may take, there is no denying the fact that Prince Vittorio Emanuele is the only son of the last King of Italy and therefore holds a special significance in the very long history of the Savoia dynasty. Whether the future of the Italian royal legacy resides with his son, Prince Emanuele Filiberto, or the son of the Duke of Aosta, Prince Aimone, is something every individual must decide for themselves at this point. For now, I only point out that the last son of a King of Italy was born 75 years ago today.