The New Murrey and Blue blog

So now, having analysed Henry VIII’s will, the Jacobites, the Roman Empire, France, Russia, Germany and Portugal, we move on to a monarchy that was still extant eighty years ago: that of Italy, which was ended by referendum in 1946.

Umberto II (pictured), who reigned for the (1861) House of Savoy’s last five weeks after being regent for his father, lived in exile until 1983, which covers almost half of the time in question so it is the succession to him that is the question. His only son, Victor Emmanuel is still alive with one son and two granddaughters, to give the easy answer to the question. However, he married without his father’s permission in 1971 and his recently deceased cousin Amadeo, Duke of Aosta disputed his position on this basis. Victor Emmanuel, though continuing to style himself as Duke of Savoy, seems to have revoked his own claim on occasion as well.

A further complication is that that a branch of the House of Bourbon and the Two Sicillies, who ruled various parts of Italy on and off from 1734 to 1860, just before Savoyard unification, still exists. Their claimants are the Dukes of Calabria and Castro, closely related to the Kings of Spain and Orleanist pretenders to the French throne, although a nineteenth century Duke of Calabria renounced his Italian claim because of his proximity to the Spanish throne.

Either way, unlike France and Russia, there is no Salic Law so Victor Emmanuel’s granddaughters would be eligible for this hypothetical throne.