Umberto II of Italy

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Umberto II
Umberto, then the Prince of Piedmont, in 1944
King of Italy
Reign9 May 1946 – 12 June 1946
PredecessorVictor Emmanuel III
SuccessorMonarchy abolished
Enrico De Nicola as President
Prime MinisterAlcide De Gasperi
Born(1904-09-15)15 September 1904
Racconigi, Piedmont, Kingdom of Italy
Died18 March 1983(1983-03-18) (aged 78)
Geneva, Switzerland
Burial
Spouse
IssuePrincess Maria Pia
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Princess Maria Gabriella
Princess Maria Beatrice
Full name
Italian: Umberto Nicola Tommaso Giovanni Maria di Savoia
English: Humbert Nicholas Thomas John Maria of Savoy
HouseSavoy
FatherVictor Emmanuel III of Italy
MotherPrincess Elena of Montenegro
ReligionRoman Catholicism
SignatureUmberto II of Italy signature

Umberto II, full name Umberto Nicola Tommaso Giovanni Maria di Savoia (15 September 1904 – 18 March 1983), was the last King of Italy. He reigned for 34 days,[1] from 9 May 1946 to 12 June 1946, although he had been de facto head of state since 1944 and was nicknamed the May King (Italian: Re di Maggio).

Umberto was the only son among the five children of King Victor Emmanuel III and Queen Elena. To repair the monarchy's image after the fall of Benito Mussolini's regime, Victor Emmanuel transferred his powers to Umberto in 1944 while retaining the title of king. As a referendum on the abolition of the monarchy was in preparation, Victor Emmanuel abdicated his throne in favour of Umberto in the hope that his exit might bolster the monarchy. However, the referendum passed, Italy was declared a republic, and Umberto lived out the rest of his life in exile in Cascais, on the Portuguese Riviera.

Titles, styles and honours[change | change source]

Styles of
King Umberto II
Reference styleHis Majesty
Spoken styleYour Majesty

Titles and styles[change | change source]

  • 15 September 1904 – 29 September 1904: His Royal Highness Prince Umberto of Savoy
  • 29 September 1904 – 9 May 1946: His Royal Highness The Prince of Piedmont
  • 9 May 1946 – 12 June 1946: His Majesty The King of Italy
  • 12 June 1946 – 18 March 1983: His Majesty King Umberto II of Italy

Umberto was granted the traditional title of Prince of Piedmont at birth. This was formalised by Royal Decree on 29 September 1904.[2]

Ancestry[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. Ian Locke (1999). Magnificent Monarchs. MacMillan. p. 16. ISBN 978-0330-374965. Fact Attack series
  2. "Leggi E Decreti". 1904. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2021.

Other reading[change | change source]

Other websites[change | change source]

Umberto II of Italy
Born: 15 September 1904 Died: 19 March 1983
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Vittorio Emanuele III
King of Italy
9 May 1946 – 12 June 1946
Monarchy abolished
Alcide De Gasperi
as Provisional Head of State
Titles in pretence
Monarchy abolished — TITULAR —
King of Italy
12 June 1946 – 18 March 1983
Reason for succession failure:
monarchy abolished
Succeeded by
Vittorio Emanuele