Figure 1.--The Savoys are pictured here about 1940. The children are Princess Maria-Pia and Prince Victor-Emmanuel. Their parents are Crown Princess Marie-José and Crown prince Umberto of Italy.

Umberto maried Marie-Jose of Belgium in 1930. Her parents were King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. She was born in 1906. Marie-Jose had a flair for music and history. Queen Marie-José is recognized as one of the world's leading specialists in the history of the House of Savoy. She has published several works on her husband's family and is currently writing a biography of Prince Emmanuel-Philibert, ancestor of her children. The marriage was not a happy one, for neither royal spouse was much interested in the other. The first four years of marriage were filled with constant bickering and a growing separation between Umberto and Marie-José. Their children caused the royal couple several headaches during much of the 1960s. One of their grandsons died in mysterious circumstances by falling off a window just a few years ago. Marie-José's father died tragically as a result of a climbing accident. One of her sisters-in-law, Princess Mafalda of Hesse, died while in a German concentration camp. Another sister-in-law, Queen Astrid of Belgium, died in a car accident. Marie-José remained close to her royal nephews in Belgium. She never abandoned her Belgian roots. In 1993 she attended the funeral of King Baudouin I in Brussels. She has been visited by her other nephew, King Albert II, while in Cuernavaca, Mexico where in the 1990s she has resided. From the announcment of the engagement, Princess Marie-José did not share the enthusiasm of both families and the populace in general. Still, as a daughter of kings and a royal princess, she felt obligated to fulfill her public duties. In 1930 she married the Italian royal heir and became the Princess of Piedmont. The first years of marriage were a challenge to the vastly divergent couple. At times it seemed that their union was close to reaching a complete collapse. Umberto was a playboy with peculiar tastes. Marie-José was a tremendously talented young woman with deep artistic and intellectual inclinations. Umberto (Humbert) II, Victor Emmanuel III's son, reigned briefly (1946) after his father abdicated. Italians voted to abolish the monarchy in May 1946 and Italy became a republic. For decades, the Italian Republic banned the return of the Savoys. In exile, Umberto II and his wife Marie-José separated. He settled in Cascais, Portugal; she in Switzerland. Umberto never again set foot in Italy.

Parents

Umberto's parents were King Emanuel II of Italy and Princess Elena of Montenegro. Montenegro before Workd War I was a small Balkans principality.

Childhood

Umberto was born at Racconigi, in Piedmont. He was the third child, and the only son, of King Victor Emmanuel III and thus heir to the throne. We have little information on his childhood at this time.

Education

Umberto as Prince of Piedmont was educated for a military career. He became commander in chief of the Northern Armies and subsequently of the Southern armies. This role was merely ceremomial. He was never involved in military action, including during World War II. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini maintained control of the military.

Assasination Attempt

The Prince of Piedmont was the target of an assaination attempt. He was in Brussels on the occassion of his betrothal to Princess Marie José. Umberto ws laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Belgian Unknown Soldier at the foot of the Congreskolom (October 24, 1929). Fernando de Rosa crying 'Down with Mussolini!' fired a revolver, but missed the Prince. De Rosa was arrested and under interrogation claimed to be a member of the Second International. It is not known precisely who ordered the assassination.

Marriage

Umberto maried Marie-Jose of Belgium in 1930. Her parents were King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. She was born in 1906. Marie-Jose had a flair for music and history. Queen Marie-José is recognized as one of the world's leading specialists in the history of the House of Savoy. She has published several works on her husband's family and is currently writing a biography of Prince Emmanuel-Philibert, ancestor of her children. The marriage was not a happy one, for neither royal spouse was much interested in the other. The first four years of marriage were filled with constant bickering and a growing separation between Umberto and Marie-José. Marie-José's father died tragically as a result of a climbing accident. One of her sisters-in-law, Princess Mafalda of Hesse, died while in a German concentration camp. Another sister-in-law, Queen Astrid of Belgium, died in a car accident. Marie-José remained close to her royal nephews in Belgium. She never abandoned her Belgian roots. In 1993 she attended the funeral of King Baudouin I in Brussels. She has been visited by her other nephew, King Albert II, while in Cuernavaca, Mexico where in the 1990s she has resided. From the announcment of the engagement, Princess Marie-José did not share the enthusiasm of both families and the populace in general. Still, as a daughter of kings and a royal princess, she felt obligated to fulfill her public duties. In 1930 she married the Italian royal heir and became the Princess of Piedmont. The first years of marriage were a challenge to the vastly divergent couple. At times it seemed that their union was close to reaching a complete collapse. Umberto was a playboy with peculiar tastes. Marie-José was a tremendously talented young woman with deep artistic and intellectual inclinations.

Figure 4.--Crown prince Umberto is pictured here with two of his children, probably in 1940. We think they may be Victor Emannuel and Marie Gabrielle, but we are not sure.

Children

Umberto and Marie-Jose had four children, three girls and a boy. Their children caused the royal couple several headaches during much of the 1960's. One of their grandsons died in mysterious circumstances by falling off a window just a few years ago.
Maria Pia: Their first child, Princess Maria-Pia was born in 1934.
Victor-Emmanuel: In 1937 an heir was born when Marie-José gave birth to Prince Victor-Emmanuel.
Marie-Gabrielle: Another girl was born in 1940.
Marie-Beatrice: Their last child, another girl, was born in 1943.

Fascism

Umberto's marriage to Marie-Jose was during the era that Italy was governed by Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. The Prince and Mussolini always kept a distance. Surely Mussolini would have orderd the Italian secret policr to monitor the royal family and keep a secret dossier on Umberto and his relations. There are reports that these dossiers were found after the War. They have never been released or is their exisisted known. The young Princess was lest inclined to passively except the Fascist dictatorship passively. She had been raised in the democratic atmosphere of Brussels and felt a deep aversion to the Fascist undercurrent which began in Italy expanding throughout Europe during the 1920s and 30s.

World War II

Monarchies were not uncommonly known for disagreemebnts between the king and his younger son. The Savoyards' maintained a tradition "Only one Savoy reigns at a time". As a result, the Prince of Piedmont avoided active involvement in politics. He was finally named Lieutenant General of the Realm. We note one one political involvement. He traveled to Germany to attend a royal wedding. While there German Führer Adolf Hitler asked for a meeting. The meeting did not go well. And the Prince's decesion to meet with Hitler was judged inproper in Italy by Fascist authorities. The result was that the Prince withdrew even more from public life. Umberto was awarded the rank of Marshal of Italy (Maresciallo d'Italia) (Octiober 1942). . Princess Marie-Jose clashed constantly with Italy's government, and even confronted Adolf Hitler during the Second World War. She vainly tried to obtain the freedom of Belgian prisoners of war. She put herself in danger when she became involved in attempts to arrange a separate peace treaty with the Allies. She met with Monsignor Giovanni Battista Montini, a senior diplomat and future Pope Paul VI. Neither king Victor Emanuel or Umberto were not directly involved or at least no proof of this was uncovered. The affair never prigressed to actually meet with Allied agents. Fascist authorities, however, exiled her with the children to Sarre, in Aosta Valley where they could keep her under tight surveilance and isolate her from the King and her hisband. The fact that the children were also there was not so subtle message to the royal family. Following the arrest of Mussolini (1943) King Victor Emmanuel handed over his constitutional functions to Umberto, who was made Lieutenant General of the Realm. The King left Italy for safty in British-occupied Egypt. The long Mussolini dictatorship, as well as the German alliance during the War, doomed the future of the Savoy monarchy. After the Allied invasion of Italy, old King Victor-Emmanuel III abdicated in his son's favor in a last effort to safe the Italian monarchy.

Figure 4.--The Royal family is pictured here about 1946 just before their exile.

Reign (1946)

Umberto (Humbert) II, Victor Emmanuel III's son, reigned briefly (1946) after his father abdicated. King Umberto II and Queen Marie-José became the new Italian monarchs (May 9, 1946). Their opposition to Mussolini and Fascism had earned them popularity. King Victor Emanuel's cooperation with the Fascism and Mussolini has severly tarnished the image of the Crown. And the large cand vocal Communist Party was irevocably opposed to the monarchy. The King thinking he had widespread support, chose to resolvev the issuye. Only 1 month after ascending the throne, he called for a national referendum on the country's monarchy. Italians narrowly voted to abolish the monarchy in May 1946 and Italy became a republic. The referendum of 1946 gave the republican sectors a marginal majority. Many politicians close to the Savoys tried to convince Umberto II to fight the results. Fraud seemed to have been widespread. The monarchy could have had a chance, yet taking this action would have plunged the country into civil war. Italy, already devastated by the Second World War, could hardly afford any more civil and political strife. Faced with these choices, Umberto II refused to plunge the country into any more political violence. He and Marie-José, accompanied by their family, left Italy without abdicating the crown.

Exile

The exiled monarchs joined Umberto's parents in Egypt. Some time later, Umberto settled in Cascais, Portugal. Marie-José found it impossible to live with her husband any longer, eventually settling in Switzerland. For decades, the Italian Republic banned the return of the Savoys. In exile, Umberto II and his wife Marie-José separated. He settled in Cascais, Portugal; she in Switzerland. Umberto never again set foot in Italy again. From exile in Portugal, Umberto II unsuccessfully tried to convince the Italian government to abrogate the law of exile imposed in 1947. This law singled out male members of the House of Savoy from ever entering Italian territory. As their life in exile continued without the hope of a royal restoration, Umberto II and Marie-José separated. The children were deeply affected by the collapse of family life and began to provide their parents with much grief and embarrassment. Divorces, drug-addiction, love scandals and court proceedings became commonplace among the younger generation of Savoys.

Final Years

Umberto II died in 1983. He was never able to return to his beloved Italy. His body was interred in Portugal, where it remains to this day. Marie-José has remained a constant presence in the life of her children, most of which seem to have encountered some degree of inner peace.

Created: 2:12 PM 2/13/2011
Last updated: 2:12 PM 2/13/2011