Prince Umberto of Savoy
Encyclopedia
Prince Umberto of Savoy-Aosta (born 7 March 2009) is the elder male-line grandson of Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta
Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta
Prince Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of Aosta, is a claimant to the headship of the House of Savoy, the family which ruled Italy from 1861 to 1946, as well as the heir to the short-lived Kingdom of Croatia during World War II...
, and is in the line of succession to the disputed headship
Pretender
A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
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...
, which occupied the Italian throne until 1946, presumptive heir of both his paternal grandfather and father and also his distant cousins. He is named after the last king of Italy to reign
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
, Umberto II
Umberto II of Italy
Umberto II, occasionally anglicized as Humbert II 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 -Biography:...
. He has one younger brother, Amedeo.
Birth and christening
Umberto was born in Neuilly-sur-SeineNeuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Although Neuilly is technically a suburb of Paris, it is immediately adjacent to the city and directly extends it. The area is composed of mostly wealthy, select residential...
, the first child and son of Prince Aimone, Duke of Apulia and his wife, the former Princess Olga of Greece.
Umberto was christened in Giuggianello
Giuggianello
Giuggianello is a town and comune in the Italian province of Lecce in the Apulia region of south-east Italy....
, Lecce
Lecce
Lecce is a historic city of 95,200 inhabitants in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Lecce, the second province in the region by population, as well as one of the most important cities of Puglia...
, on 18 July 2009. His godfather is Carlo Radicati di Primeglio. His godmother is Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy
Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy
Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy is a Savoyard princess and noted historian of Italy...
, who was present not only at his parents' 2008 wedding but at that of his maternal grandparents in 1965, and is a daughter of the late Umberto II and a sister of pretender-to-the-throne
Pretender
A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
Victor Emmanuel, Prince of Naples.
His second godfather is Erik Bugulov, russian entrepreneur and politician.
Dynastic significance
Although Umberto is undisputedly in the line of succession to the Italian ThroneLine of succession to the Italian Throne
The Italian monarchy was abolished in June 1946 following a referendum which established a republic.The present pretender is in dispute between Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples and Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta.-Clashes:...
, he holds different positions in the defunct kingdom's
Abolished monarchy
Throughout history, monarchies have been abolished, either through revolutions, legislative reforms, coups d'état, or wars. The twentieth century saw a major acceleration of this process, with many monarchies violently overthrown by revolution or war, or else abolished as part of the process of...
two conflicting orders of succession
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
because of the rival claims between his grandfather
Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta
Prince Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of Aosta, is a claimant to the headship of the House of Savoy, the family which ruled Italy from 1861 to 1946, as well as the heir to the short-lived Kingdom of Croatia during World War II...
and distant cousin
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Vittorio 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...
. He is fourth in the line of succession that recognises Vittorio Emanuele as the rightful head of the House of Savoy, and second, behind his father, in the line that recognises his grandfather Amedeo as the rightful pretender.
The Italian crown was inheritable by primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
according to Salic law
Salic law
Salic law was a body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
, meaning that only males descended in the dynastic male-line could accede
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
to the throne. Vittorio Emanuele only has one child, Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont
Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont
Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont is a member of the House of Savoy and the only child and heir of Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples. He is the grandson of Umberto II, last King of Italy...
who, in turn, has only two daughters, neither of whom can succeed him as eventual head of house. If Emanuele Filiberto does not have any legitimate male heirs upon his death, the claims will pass to the Savoy-Aosta line according to Italy's last monarchical constitution.
Titles and styles
- 7 March 2009 – 9 March 2009: His Royal Highness Prince Umberto of Savoy-Aosta
- 9 March 2009 – present: His Royal Highness Prince Umberto of Savoy-Aosta, Prince of Piedmont (disputed)
On 9 March, two days after the birth, Prince Umberto was granted the title of Prince of Piedmont by his grandfather. The title is also claimed by Prince Umberto's distant cousin, Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice
Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont
Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont is a member of the House of Savoy and the only child and heir of Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples. He is the grandson of Umberto II, last King of Italy...
.
Ancestry
External links
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