Marie-José of Belgium
Encyclopedia
Marie José of Belgium was the last Queen of Italy. Her 35-day tenure as queen consort
earned her the affectionate nickname "the May Queen".
Princess Marie José was born in Ostend
, Belgium
, the youngest child and only daughter of Albert I, King of the Belgians
and his consort, Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria. At birth, she held the title of Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
until its use was discontinued at the end of the First World War. She was named for her maternal grandmother, Infanta Maria José of Portugal.
On 8 January 1930, she married in Rome
Prince Umberto, at that time the Crown Prince of Italy
from the House of Savoy
, and so became The Princess of Piedmont
(in Italian: Principessa di Piemonte). They had four children:
After marrying Umberto, she was asked to change her name to the Italian Maria Giuseppa, but she refused to do so.
Although Marie José had been fed the romanticized fantasy of marrying a prince and living in a palace all her own, the marriage was not happy, as the princess would confess in an interview many years later: "On n'a jamais été heureux" (We were never happy). At the time her parents had steered for the marriage with the crown prince of Italy, there was no other single descendant of a reigning Catholic dynasty, with a prospect to the throne available in Europe. The couple subsequently separated after the abolition of the Italian monarchy.
In October 1939, Princess Marie-José was made President of the Red Cross in Italy. The Princess
and Duchess of Aosta
attended the ceremony where Marie-José was installed as President of the Italian Red Cross.
During the Second World War she was one of the very few diplomatic channels between the German/Italian camp and the other European countries involved in the war, as she was the sister of Leopold III of Belgium
(kept hostage by the German forces) and at the same time close to some of the ministers of Benito Mussolini
's cabinet. A British
diplomat in Rome recorded that the Princess of Piedmont was the only member of the Italian Royal Family with good political judgment.
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.
She sympathized with the partisans, and while she was a refugee in Switzerland, smuggled weapons, money and food for them. She was even proposed to be appointed as chief of a partisan brigade, but declined.
withdrew from government. Her husband became acting monarch under the title of Lieutenant General of the Realm. He and Marie José toured wartorn Italy, where they made a positive impression. It has been speculated that had Victor Emmanuel abdicated, allowing her husband to become king in 1943, the monarchical cause would have won the later referendum on the issue of republic or monarchy. However he refused to abdicate, doing so only weeks before the referendum, in a misjudgment that cost his son his throne.
Following the eventual belated abdication on 9 May 1946, Marie-José became Queen consort
of Italy, and remained such until the monarchy was abolished by plebiscite
, 2 June 1946. Following the monarchy's narrow defeat (54%-46%, far narrower than she had expected. She had feared that it might get as little as 10% support) she and her husband left the country for exile on 13 June 1946.
where she lived most of the time for the rest of her life, while Umberto remained in Portugal. However the couple never divorced, partly for political reasons; Umberto lived in hope (albeit declining over the years), of returning to the throne and a divorce was thought potentially damaging to a Catholic king. Both were also religiously devout (unusual for Italian royals where there was a strong history of anti-clericalism).
with her daughter, Princess Marie-Beatrice, and her grandchildren. Marie-José returned to Italy only after her husband had died in 1983. She died in a Geneva clinic of lung cancer
at the age of 94, surviving her two brothers and some of her nieces and nephews. Marie José's death was instrumental in influencing the Italian government to amend its constitution and allow male members of the House of Savoy
to visit Italy.
Like her mother, Queen Elisabeth, she inspired a musical contest: the Queen Marie José international musical composition prize, a bi-annual contest held in Switzerland since 2000.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
earned her the affectionate nickname "the May Queen".
Early life
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the youngest child and only daughter of Albert I, King of the Belgians
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...
and his consort, Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria. At birth, she held the title of Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha served as the collective name of two duchies, Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha, in Germany. They were located in what today are the states of Bavaria and Thuringia, respectively, and the two were in personal union between 1826 and 1918...
until its use was discontinued at the end of the First World War. She was named for her maternal grandmother, Infanta Maria José of Portugal.
Marriage
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...
Prince Umberto, at that time the Crown Prince of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
from the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
, and so became The Princess of Piedmont
Princess of Piedmont
-Princess of Piedmont:-See also:*List of Savoyard consorts*List of Sardinian consorts*List of Italian consorts...
(in Italian: Principessa di Piemonte). They had four children:
- Princess Maria Pia Louise of SavoyPrincess Maria Pia of Bourbon-ParmaPrincess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma is the eldest daughter of Umberto II of Italy and Marie-José of Belgium...
(Given names: Maria Pia Elena Elisabetta Margherita Milena Mafalda Ludovica Tecla Gennara di Savoia), born in 1934 in NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. - Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of NaplesVittorio Emanuele, Prince of NaplesVittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, formerly Crown Prince of Italy is the only son of the Umberto II, the last King of Italy. He is commonly known in Italy as Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia...
(Given names: Vittorio Emanuele Alberto Carlo Teodoro Umberto Bonifacio Amedeo Damiano Bernardino Gennaro Maria di Savoia), born in 1937 in NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. - Princess Maria Gabriella of SavoyPrincess Maria Gabriella of SavoyPrincess Maria Gabriella of Savoy is a Savoyard princess and noted historian of Italy...
(Given names: Maria Gabriella Giuseppa Aldegonda Adelaide Ludovica Felicita Gennara di Savoia), born in 1940 in NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
). - Princess Maria Beatrice Caroline of SavoyPrincess Maria Beatrice of SavoyPrincess Maria Beatrice of Savoy is the youngest daughter of Italy's last king, Umberto II, and his queen, Marie José of Belgium.-Life:...
(Given names: Maria Beatrice Elena Margherita Ludovica Caterina Ramona di Savoia), born in 1943 in NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
After marrying Umberto, she was asked to change her name to the Italian Maria Giuseppa, but she refused to do so.
Although Marie José had been fed the romanticized fantasy of marrying a prince and living in a palace all her own, the marriage was not happy, as the princess would confess in an interview many years later: "On n'a jamais été heureux" (We were never happy). At the time her parents had steered for the marriage with the crown prince of Italy, there was no other single descendant of a reigning Catholic dynasty, with a prospect to the throne available in Europe. The couple subsequently separated after the abolition of the Italian monarchy.
Princess of Piedmont
Marie-Jose had an intimate relationship with Benito Mussolini, according to love letters revealed by Mussolini's son. However, her behavior towards the allies, her sympathies with rebels, and her negative judgments of Mussolini dispute this.In October 1939, Princess Marie-José was made President of the Red Cross in Italy. The Princess
Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este
Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este is the first child of the late Prince Amedeo of Savoy and Princess Anne d'Orléans.-Marriage and issue:...
and Duchess of Aosta
Anne, Duchess of Aosta
Princess Anne of Orléans was a member of the House of Orléans and the Duchess of Aosta by marriage....
attended the ceremony where Marie-José was installed as President of the Italian Red Cross.
During the Second World War she was one of the very few diplomatic channels between the German/Italian camp and the other European countries involved in the war, as she was the sister of Leopold III of Belgium
Leopold III of Belgium
Leopold III reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of the Heir Apparent,...
(kept hostage by the German forces) and at the same time close to some of the ministers of 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....
's cabinet. A British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
diplomat in Rome recorded that the Princess of Piedmont was the only member of the Italian Royal Family with good political judgment.
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.
She sympathized with the partisans, and while she was a refugee in Switzerland, smuggled weapons, money and food for them. She was even proposed to be appointed as chief of a partisan brigade, but declined.
Queen for a month
Following Italy's defection to the Allied side in the War, her discredited father-in-law, King Victor Emmanuel IIIVictor 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...
withdrew from government. Her husband became acting monarch under the title of Lieutenant General of the Realm. He and Marie José toured wartorn Italy, where they made a positive impression. It has been speculated that had Victor Emmanuel abdicated, allowing her husband to become king in 1943, the monarchical cause would have won the later referendum on the issue of republic or monarchy. However he refused to abdicate, doing so only weeks before the referendum, in a misjudgment that cost his son his throne.
Following the eventual belated abdication on 9 May 1946, Marie-José became Queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Italy, and remained such until the monarchy was abolished by plebiscite
Birth 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...
, 2 June 1946. Following the monarchy's narrow defeat (54%-46%, far narrower than she had expected. She had feared that it might get as little as 10% support) she and her husband left the country for exile on 13 June 1946.
Separation
In exile, the family gathered for a brief time in Portugal, but she and Umberto decided to separate. She and their four children soon left for SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
where she lived most of the time for the rest of her life, while Umberto remained in Portugal. However the couple never divorced, partly for political reasons; Umberto lived in hope (albeit declining over the years), of returning to the throne and a divorce was thought potentially damaging to a Catholic king. Both were also religiously devout (unusual for Italian royals where there was a strong history of anti-clericalism).
Death
For some time, she lived in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
with her daughter, Princess Marie-Beatrice, and her grandchildren. Marie-José returned to Italy only after her husband had died in 1983. She died in a Geneva clinic of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
at the age of 94, surviving her two brothers and some of her nieces and nephews. Marie José's death was instrumental in influencing the Italian government to amend its constitution and allow male members of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
to visit Italy.
Like her mother, Queen Elisabeth, she inspired a musical contest: the Queen Marie José international musical composition prize, a bi-annual contest held in Switzerland since 2000.
Ancestry
External links
- Royal House of Belgium
- Royal House of Italy
- Genealogy:
- Genealogy of the Royal Family of Belgium (House Saxe-Coburg-Gotha)
- Genealogy of the Royal Family of Italy (House of Savoy) - contains information about Marie-José's children and grandchildren.
- "The May Queen" from eurohistory.com
- Website of the "Queen Marie José international musical composition prize"
- short biography in February 2001 issue of "La Rondine"
- Italy's last queen dies BBC report