The 19-year-old London student who could be Queen of Italy: the Prince of the House of Savoy says he will give up his claim to the country’s throne in order for it to pass to his influential daughter who he says will have a best hope of restoring the monarchy
- Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy predicts his 19-year-old daughter will do a better job
- The teenage model has nearly 80,000 followers on Instagram and studies in London
An Italian prince is set to give up his claim to the Italian throne so he can go straight to his teenage daughter, an influencer with a huge social media platform and following.
Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy predicts his 19-year-old daughter Vittoria, a political science and art history student at the University of London, will do a better job in the role than he does.
The teenage model has nearly 80,000 followers on Instagram, and she is affectionately referred to as the “princess of rock n roll” by her 50-year-old father due to her interest in social media and fashion.
Addressing the The telegraph of the daythe prince said he would step down “with great pleasure” and added that he was “sure she will do better than me”.
“It is important that the younger generation has the opportunity to put new, modern ideas into practice,” he added.
Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy predicts his 19-year-old daughter Vittoria, a political science and art history student at the University of London, will do a better job in the role than him
The teenage model has nearly 80,000 followers on Instagram, and she is affectionately referred to as the “princess of rock n roll” by her 50-year-old father due to her interest in social media and fashion.
The Savoy family had already changed ancient customs, known as Salic law, to allow Vittoria to inherit the throne.
Currently, Italy does not have its own royal family, having abolished the monarchy in a referendum in 1946.
But the House of Savoy, which was the birthplace of the kings of Italy from the country’s unification in the 19th century until its abolition, never gave up hope that the monarchy would be restored.
He has long pointed to Spain, where the monarchy was restored after Franco’s death in 1975. The country’s king, Felipe VI, is the son of King Juan Carlos, who led Spain’s transition to democracy. His heir apparent is 17-year-old Leonor, Princess of Asturias.
Although there is little support for the restoration of the monarchy, the prince believes that many are still fascinated by the monarchy, saying: “I think in times of crisis people see a strong, almost spiritual presence, among kings and queens.”
The prince’s decision to step down may have already been in the works. The Savoy family had already changed ancient customs, known as Salic Law, to allow Vittoria to inherit the throne.
The law previously stipulated that the royal line could only be passed on to male heirs.
But two years ago the prince’s father, Vittorio Emanuele, whose father was the last reigning king of Italy, changed the law, allowing his granddaughter to inherit the title.
Prince Emanuele added that his decision to step down saves his daughter from waiting to inherit the throne, comparing the difficult situation to that of King Charles, who waited decades to be crowned while his mother, Queen Elizabeth II , lived to be 96 years old.
‘He [Charles] is a wonderful king, but he has waited a long time,” he said. “Maybe it would have been easier if he had become king 20 years ago.”
“In a few years there will be more queens than kings in Europe,” he added. “People understand now, even if it’s a bit late, that a woman’s intelligence and sensitivity make them great leaders.”
