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The Many States of Italy
     To be perfectly honest (and I ever strive to be), I have always had a sort of love-hate relationship with the nation of Italy. There is so much about the Italians that I can't help but like; I love the language, I love the landscape itself and who couldn't love the food? They have a style that shows up everywhere, and who but the Italians could even have criminals that cause admiration? (the Mafia: gangsters with strong family values--gotta love it). However, the modern Republic of Italy is a country with, in my mind, frankly illegitimate roots. As a monarchist, it is a cause of distress for me, surpassed only by my saddness at a nation once so defined by its religion becoming more and more known for its hedonism.
       When most people think of the subject of Italian monarchy they immediately think of the House of Savoy (Savoia). In truth, the modern, united Italy would not exist without them. However, as much as I support monarchism on principle, I have never been able to fully support the House of Savoy. Certainly, I have defended them when they were faced with injustice, yet I cannot help but wonder if their long exile from Italy, and being forced to shoulder the blame for the dead Mussolini, was not a little bit of Heavenly justice for the many times in recent centuries in which they jumped ship to be on what looked like the "winning team".
       Modern Italy was created through the collaboration of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Sardinia, his scheming minister Cavour and the liberal republican Giuseppe Garibaldi. The actions of this monarch against his fellow Italian sovereigns were outrageous. The conservative, and very traditional Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (aka the Kingdom of Naples) under King Francesco II was overthrown. They openly
encouraged revolution in the duchies of Modena, Parma and Tuscany and even invaded and conquered the Papal States, forcing Bl. Pope Pio Nono into exile in the Vatican just to be "Re D'Italia".
       They entered the Crimean War for the sole purpose of kissing up to the French and getting them involved in their war against Austria. Later, during World War I the Kingdom of Italy allowed itself to be bribed by the allies into betraying their former "friends" in Berlin and Vienna. Before the war, Germany, Austria and
Italy had been allies. However, when it looked like the Entente would win, and the promise of conquered Austrian territory was waved before them, Italy abandoned ship and declared war against the two kaisers.
       Given this, it is perhaps understandable why so many believed that King Vittorio Emanuele III was a willing partner in the rise of Benito Mussolini. However, in this event, I must come to the aid of the House of Savoy and stress that the king, in his well-meaning ignorance, was trying to do what he thought the "people" wanted. It is all too easy to heap blame on the Royal Family and ignore the fact that a huge number of the Italian people were firmly and enthusiastically behind the Fascist Duce. It is certainly unfair to force one family to take the blame for the mistakes of an entire people. The fact should also not be forgotten, that without the bold actions of the king, Mussolini would not have been removed from power so easily.
        Perhaps it is at this point that the Savoys were forced to pay for their past lack of loyalty. Injustice after injustice was heaped on them. In an effort to save the monarchy from his own ruined reputation, Vittorio Emanuele III abdicated, making his son King Umberto II. However, only a short time later, in a referendum which many rightly view as highly suspect, the people voted to abolish the monarchy and establish the current Republic of Italy. Furthermore, the Royal Family was exiled from the country and forbidden by law ever to return (which hardly seems 'democratic' to me). However, the trouble was not over for the Piedmontese royals.
       Although they were recently allowed to return to Italy, scandal and family feuds have become common for the Italian Royal Family. King Umberto II never renounced his crown and worked closely for restoration with the monarchists. However, there were divisions. When the Prince of Naples, Vittorio Emanuele married a commoner, in a civil ceremony in Las Vegas no less, in 1970 without the consent of Umberto II, many pointed to the family statute of 1780 and declared that Prince Amadeo d'Savoia, Duke of Aosta was thereafter the legitimate heir to the throne. The situation was not helped by the fact that King Umberto never granted any diploma of titles, or that the Prince of Naples called himself "King Vittorio Emanuele IV" while his father was still alive. He gained a reputation as a playboy among playboys, was once jailed for over a month, issued many controversial "royal decrees" which greatly hurt his public image, at one point even usurping his own father's claim to the throne. Umberto II died unhappy, leaving his archives to the Italian Republic and having his seal buried with him. Even now that the family has returned to Italy, Vittorio Emanuele IV's son, Prince Filiberto
has courted scandal through his lifestyle and recent proposal of marriage to an actress with a history as a communist, and who has appeared topless on screen. Not exactly a match made in Heaven for traditional, religious monarchists.
       Although less attention is given to the other Italian families, I believe Prince Ferdinando, Duke of Castro is the current head of the House of Bourbon Two-Sicilies. They have recognized the republic as a legitimate successor-state to their kingdom.