Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, the son of Italy's last king, Umberto II, passed away at the age of 86 in Geneva, as announced by the Savoy Royal House. The prince had resided in Switzerland since his family's exile from Italy when he was 9 years old.
Born on February 12, 1937, in Naples, Vittorio Emanuele was the son of Umberto, Prince of Piedmont, who later briefly became Umberto II, and Princess Marie-Jose of Belgium. Umberto II's rule over Italy lasted only 34 days after his father's abdication in an effort to salvage the monarchy, which had suffered due to his support for Benito Mussolini's fascist regime during World War II.
In 1946, Italians voted to abolish the monarchy, leading Vittorio Emanuele and his family into exile. The ban on the House of Savoy members entering Italy was lifted in 2002, and efforts to bring royal remains back to Italy commenced in 2011.
In 2002, after the ban was lifted, Vittorio Emanuele and his son, Emanuele Filiberto, returned to Italy, but they later abandoned compensation claims and property return requests after a public outcry.
In 2005, Vittorio Emanuele issued a formal apology to Italy's Jewish population, acknowledging the error of the Savoy Royal Family signing the racial laws in 1938. His private life was marked by legal issues, including his 1999 acquittal of manslaughter charges related to a shooting incident in Corsica. This case inspired the 2023 Netflix series "The King Who Never Was."
In 2006, the prince faced arrest in Potenza on charges of racketeering and involvement in prostitution, but he was later acquitted. Vittorio Emanuele is survived by his wife, Marina Ricolfi Doria, and his son, Emanuele Filiberto, who now becomes the heir of the Savoy family.
