Umberto II.
Umberto II - born Prince Umberto Nicola Tommaso Giovanni of Savoy - (born September 15, 1904 at Racconigi Castle , Piedmont ; † March 18, 1983 in Geneva , Switzerland ) was a member of the House of Savoy and in 1946 the last King of Italy .
Crown Prince
Umberto was the son of King Victor Emmanuel III. from Italy and his wife Elena from Montenegro . He received military training and later command of Italian army units, which, however, was a ceremonial function without actual decision-making power. In 1929 the Crown Prince was assassinated in Brussels: The perpetrator fired a bullet with the words "Down with Mussolini!" Which Umberto missed. Umberto received the military rank of Marshal of Italy in 1942 and the title of Luogotenente Generale del Regno in 1943 , which was associated with a delegation of royal duties. During this time he became politically active and gradually took over the functions of his father.
King of Italy
On May 9, 1946, Umberto succeeded his father as King of Italy and Duke of Savoy after his abdication . Until the formal end of the monarchy in Italy on June 18, 1946, he was the last king of the country for 40 days.
On May 15, 1946, he issued the special statute for the autonomous region of Sicily , creating the first autonomous region with a special statute in Italy.
On June 2 and 3, 1946, a vote was taken on the future form of government (retention of the monarchy or conversion into a republic). Before the outcome was known, Umberto left the country under pressure from the De Gasperi government on June 13th. With the announcement of the referendum result on June 18, Umberto II was officially deposed and the monarchy in Italy ended.
In exile
Umberto of Savoy continued to call himself king in Portuguese exile and did not recognize the republic. This attitude, which he did not give up until his death, made it impossible for him to return to Italy as a normal citizen. The 1948 constitution stipulated that members of the House of Savoy would not return home. In exile, he separated from his wife.
Umberto II died on March 18, 1983 in Geneva. He was buried in the Hautecombe Abbey in France. In his will he left the Turin Shroud , which had been in the possession of the House of Savoy since 1453, to the Pope and his successors on condition that it remain in Turin.
Marriage and offspring
On January 8, 1930, Umberto married Marie José of Belgium , daughter of the Belgian King Albert I, in Rome . The marriage resulted in four descendants:
- Maria Pia (born September 24, 1934) ∞ Alexander of Yugoslavia
- Viktor Emanuel (born February 12, 1937) ∞ Marina Ricolfi Doria
- Maria Gabriella (born February 24, 1940) ∞ Robert Zellinger de Balkany
- Maria Beatrice (born February 2, 1943) ∞ Luis Reyna-Corvallán y Dillon
See also
Web links
- Newspaper article about Umberto II in the 20th century press kit of the ZBW - Leibniz Information Center for Economics .
- Umberto II. In the Internet Movie Database (English)
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Victor Emmanuel III |
King of Italy 1946 |
--- |
| Victor Emmanuel III |
Head of the House of Savoy 1946–1983 |
Victor Emmanuel |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Umberto II. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Umberto II. Nicola Tomaso Giovanni of Savoy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Italian Marshal and King of Italy (1946) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 15, 1904 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Racconigi |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 18, 1983 |
| Place of death | Geneva |