Umberto II Becomes King

It was on this day in 1946 that HM Umberto II officially became King of Italy upon the abdication of his father King Vittorio Emanuele III. He had, however, been acting in the capacity of head of state since 1944 due to the war situation and the efforts by Italy to come to terms with the Allies and break with Germany. A loyal and dedicated man, he had all the qualities to make a successful monarch yet, thanks to subversion at home and Allied opposition abroad, was never given the chance to prove himself and Italy has never recovered from his loss.