The former Royal Family of Italy gathers today in Turin for the funeral of Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Naples, who died at the age of 86.
His coffin was placed in the Sant’uberto Chapel on the eve of the funeral, and his wife, Princess Marina, 88, and his son, Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Venice, 51, remained at his side.
Prince Vittorio, son of Italy’s last king, Umberto II, died earlier this month.
Her funeral, which will take place at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in northern Italy, appeared to be an opulent event, with extravagant flower arrangements at the door.
Prince Vittorio’s son, Prince Emanuele Filiberto, was photographed entering the cathedral wearing a long black coat and shielding himself from the rain with an umbrella.
The former Royal Family of Italy gathers today in Turin for the funeral of Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Naples, who died at the age of 86.
Prince Vittorio’s son, Prince Emanuele Filiberto, was photographed entering the cathedral wearing a long black coat and shielding himself from the rain with an umbrella.
Marina Doria of Savoy, widow of Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia, arrives at the Duomo Cathedral
Shortly after, his mother, Princess Marina, recently widowed, arrived.
Princess Olga of Savoy-Aosta and Prince Aimone were also among the first to arrive, dressed all in black.
A host of European royals also attended, including Albert, the Prince of Monaco, who was not with his wife Charlene, and Queen Sofia of Spain.
The Prince of Naples was the son of Italy’s last king, Umberto II, who went into exile after the country voted to become a republic in 1946.
However, despite the results of the referendum, the House of Savoy always maintained its claim to the throne and cited the Spanish example to prove its case.
Spain restored its monarchy in 1975 when the nation returned to democracy following the death of General Franco.
After the House of Savoy fled Italy when he was only nine years old, Prince Vittorio Emanuele spent most of his life in exile in Switzerland and Portugal.
Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia attends the funeral of Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy
Queen Sofia of Spain arrives at the Duomo cathedral in Turin to attend the funeral ceremony of the late Prince Vittorio Emanuele.
A host of European royals attended, including Albert, the Prince of Monaco, who was not with his wife Charlene.
He then married Marina Ricolfi Doria and the couple had a son, Emanuele Filiberto.
After struggling for decades, the Prince of Naples finally returned to Italian soil in 2002 after parliament lifted a clause in the Italian Constitution that prohibited his family from setting foot in the nation.
During his visit he held an audience with Pope John Paul II, but found a cold reception from the Italian people.
Princess Olga of Savoy-Aosta and Prince Aimone were also among the first to arrive, dressed all in black.
The former Royal Family of Italy gathers today in Turin for the funeral of Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Naples, who died at the age of 86.
Her funeral, which will take place at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in northern Italy, appears to be an opulent affair, with extravagant flower arrangements at the door.
The heir to the late throne was no stranger to controversy during his life, after also being arrested in connection with the death of a German teenager in 1978.
Dirk Hamer was 19 years old and sleeping on a boat in a port in Corsica when he was shot in the right leg. He died three months later.
At that time, the Italian prince was also in the port, arguing with a group of tourists whom he accused of stealing his inflatable boat.
More than a decade later, Vittorio Emanuele was arrested in France in connection with the murder, but was acquitted in a Paris court in 1991. He was given a suspended sentence for possession of a rifle.
The Prince of Naples was the son of Italy’s last king, Umberto II, who went into exile after the country voted to become a republic in 1946.
Leka, Prince of Albania, attends the funeral of Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy
Prince Charles Louis, Duke of Chartres, attends the funeral of Prince Vittorio Emanuele
Actor Daniel McVicar attends the funeral of Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy
However, the plot thickened 20 years later when a recording emerged of the exiled king appearing to admit to killing Hamer.
The recording was filmed in Potenza prison, where he was detained before a trial for extortion and participation in prostitution (of which he was acquitted).
During the 2006 recording, he is seen telling other inmates that he had mocked the court after his acquittal.
In the video, he describes how he fired two shots that hit the tourist while he was sleeping on his boat off Cavallo Island in 1978.
After the clip surfaced, he dismissed it as “manipulated” and “fake.”
The Prince of Naples was the son of Italy’s last king, Umberto II, who went into exile after the country voted to become a republic in 1946.
Prince John of Luxembourg attending the funeral of Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
In the clip, as reported by The Independent, the exiled prince said: “I was wrong… I was wrong.”
‘I have to say that I took them for a walk… the prosecutor had asked for five years and six months. He was sure to win.
‘They gave me a six-month suspended sentence (for weapons possession); Six months later there was an amnesty, they didn’t even record (the sentence). I’m going out!’
However, Hamer’s family renewed their calls for the exiled prince to face justice following the release of the recording.
Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, flanked by Princess Marina of Savoy and her son Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy.
The exiled prince grew up between Switzerland and Portugal after his family fled Italy in 1946 when it became a republic.
The mystery surrounding Hamer’s death became a central point of the Netflix documentary The King Who Never Was.
The documentary was directed by journalist Beatrice Borromeo, daughter-in-law of Princess Carolina of Monaco.
It was later revealed that Beatrice, who also modeled for Vogue, was the person who leaked the recording.
Speaking to Tatler last year about the story, Beatrice said: “for as long as I can remember… the story of this case was part of our lives”, adding that Hamer’s mother Birgit is her own best friend. mother.