|
Prince Umberto of Savoy-Aosta (born 7 March 2009) is the elder male-line grandson of Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta, and is in the line of succession to the headship of the defunct House of Savoy, which occupied the Italian throne until 1946. He is the heir presumptive of both his paternal grandfather and father and also his distant cousins. He is named after the last king of Italy to reign, Umberto II.
Birth and christening
Umberto was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, the first child of Prince Aimone, Duke of Apulia, and his wife, the former Princess Olga of Greece.[1]
On 9 March, two days after the birth, Prince Umberto was granted the additional title of Prince of Piedmont by his grandfather. The title is also claimed by Prince Umberto's distant cousin, Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice.
Umberto was christened in Giuggianello, Lecce, on 18 July 2009. His godfather is Carlo Radicati di Primeglio. His godmother is Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy,[2] who was present not only at his parents' 2008 wedding but at that of his maternal grandparents in 1965,[3] and is a daughter of the late Umberto II and a sister of pretender-to-the-throne Victor Emmanuel, Prince of Naples. His second godfather is Russian entrepreneur and politician Erik Bugulov.[1]
Umberto has a younger brother, Prince Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi (born 24 May 2011 in Paris);[4] and a younger sister, Princess Isabella Vita Marina (born 14 December 2013 in Paris).[5]
Dynastic significance
Although Umberto is undisputedly in the line of succession to the Italian Throne, he holds different positions in the defunct kingdom's two conflicting orders of succession because of the rival claims between his grandfather, Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta and his distant cousin, Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples. He is fourth in the line of succession that recognises Vittorio Emanuele as the rightful head of the House of Savoy, and second, behind his father, in the line that recognises his grandfather Amedeo as the rightful pretender.
The Italian crown was inheritable by primogeniture according to Salic law, meaning that only males descended in the dynastic male-line could accede to the throne. Vittorio Emanuele only has one child, Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont who, in turn, has only two daughters, neither of whom can succeed him as eventual head of house. If Emanuele Filiberto does not have any legitimate male heirs upon his death, the claims will pass to the Savoy-Aosta line according to Italy's last monarchical constitution.
Titles, styles, honours, and arms
Titles and styles
- 7 March 2009 – 9 March 2009: His Royal Highness Prince Umberto of Savoy-Aosta
- In pretence 9 March 2009 – present: His Royal Highness The Prince of Piedmont
Ancestry
| Ancestors of Prince Umberto of Savoy-Aosta |
|---|
|
|
References
External links
|
|---|
| | 1st Generation | |
|---|
| | 2nd Generation | |
|---|
| | 3rd Generation | |
|---|
| | 4th Generation | |
|---|
| | 5th Generation | |
|---|
| | 6th Generation | |
|---|
| | 7th Generation | |
|---|
| | 8th Generation | |
|---|
| | 9th Generation | |
|---|
| | 10th Generation | |
|---|
| | 11th Generation | |
|---|
| | 12th Generation | |
|---|
| | 13th Generation | |
|---|
| | 14th Generation | |
|---|
| | 15th Generation | |
|---|
| | 16th Generation | |
|---|
| | 17th Generation | |
|---|
| | 18th Generation | |
|---|
| | 19th generation | |
|---|
| * member of a cadet branch of the House of Savoy
** Prince of Savoy-Genoa
*** Prince of Savoy-Aosta |
|
|
|---|
| | | | | *denotes titular Prince †dispute over succession |
|
|
.svg.png)