Descendants of Italy’s last king should not have crown jewels, court rules

A tribunal successful Italy has rejected a petition made by the descendants of the country’s past king to reclaim the crown jewels, with the justice ordering that the nationalist treasures stay the spot of the state.

In February 2022, the descendants of Italy’s past monarch sued the Italian authorities to reclaim the jewels, which for astir 78 years person been stashed successful a treasure thorax successful a information deposit container astatine the Bank of Italy – the country’s cardinal slope – amid a long-running saga implicit their ownership.

The ineligible enactment came aft the offspring of King Umberto II of Savoy failed to scope an statement with the bank to instrumentality the jewels, which comprise much than 6,000 diamonds and 2,000 pearls mounted connected brooches, necklaces and tiaras worn by assorted princesses and queens during the monarchy’s 85-year beingness and valued astatine €300m (£253m).

A diamond tiara that belonged to Princess Marie-José of Belgium, the woman of Umberto II, who was the past queen of Italy. Photograph: Eric Vandeville/Gamma-Rapho/Getty

The Rome civilian tribunal threw retired the erstwhile Savoy family’s bid connected Thursday to person their ownership rights recognised, describing the assertion arsenic “manifestly unfounded”.

Olina Capolino, a lawyer for the Bank of Italy, welcomed the ruling. “As a citizen, I present anticipation the authorities volition soon enactment these historical jewels connected show successful a museum,” she said.

The Bank of Italy took transportation of the jewels connected 5 June 1946, 3 days aft Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and 9 days earlier Umberto II, who ruled for conscionable 34 days, was banished into exile on with his antheral heirs.

Umberto II had asked Falcone Lucifero, the past curate of the royal house, to bring the jewels to Luigi Einaudi, past politician of the Bank of Italy, who aboriginal became president, for safekeeping.

The jewels are said to person been the lone portion of the royal property that were not confiscated by the Italian authorities aft the monarchy was scrapped, a information the Savoia household hoped would let them to triumph backmost possession.

After the verdict, Sergio Orlandi, lawyer for the royal descendants, announced that his clients would entreaty to the European tribunal of quality rights. In their appeal, the heirs of the erstwhile royal household volition besides request that the Italian authorities reimburse them the worth of each properties erstwhile owned by the past king of Italy.