On July 4, 2023, Netflix will release a 3-episode documentary series, titled He Principle. This series will return to the homicide committed by Prince Victor-Emmanuel of Savoy, only son of King Humbert II of Italy and current pretender to the Italian throne, in 1978 in Cavallo. The director of this film, Beatrice Borromeo, is herself a member of a ruling family. She is the daughter-in-law of Princess Caroline of Hanover, and her husband is the nephew of Prince Albert II of Monaco.
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He Principle on Netflix: a series directed by the daughter-in-law of Princess Caroline of Hanover
Astrea Films, Beatrice Borromeo’s production company, co-produced with MDE Films, a three-episode documentary series for Netflix. Beatrice Borromeo is also the director of the series. He Principle will shed light on a dark episode in the life of the Prince of Naples, the only son of the last king of Italy, now 86 years old. The trailer was uploaded to Netflix Italy’s YouTube channel this Thursday, June 15.
Beatrice Borromeo rubs shoulders with an event that took place in 1978 and the details of which are still murky today. Prince Victor-Emmanuel, his wife, Princess Marina, as well as their only son, Prince Emmanuel-Philibert of Savoy, intervene in the series. They give their version of the facts which confronts the version of Birgit Hamer, the sister of the young German victim, Dirk Hamer.
Read also: Prince Emmanuel-Philibert of Savoy wishes to abdicate in favor of his daughter Vittoria
The tragic night of August 18, 1978, the disappearance of Dirk Hamer in Cavallo, the trial of Prince Victor-Emmanuel and the reconquest of Italy by the Savoy family
The first episode of the series He Principle kicks off with the controversial 1946 referendum that ended the monarchy in Italy, resulting in the exile of the royal family. The fallen King Humbert II leaves the country with his wife, Queen Marie-José, their three daughters and their only son, Prince Victor-Emmanuel, heir to the throne. The first episode traces the young adult life of the heir, who buys a house on the island of Cavallo, in Corsica, from where he can see the Italian coast in the distance.
In 1978, a group of Italians spent their holidays in Sardinia and also visited Cavallo. They use the prince’s boat, without his permission. A fight breaks out and the violent events result in the gunshot wound and death of young Dirk Hamer.
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The death of Dirk Hamer will upset many lives, that of his family members but also that of the Savoy family. The prince risks prison for having dealt this mortal blow and Birgit Hamer, for her part, tries to find out the truth about the conditions of her brother’s disappearance.
The third episode of the series focuses on the trial of Prince Victor-Emmanuel. We also witness in this episode the return of the royal family of Savoy to Italy, after the lifting of the exile law. The prince is then overtaken by another scandal. Finally, the series shows how the new generation of the royal family, including Prince Emmanuel-Philibert and his daughters, is working to rehabilitate the image of the Savoys.
Beatrice Borromeo, of Italian origin, is a journalist. She is the daughter of the Count of Arona, himself the son of Vitaliano Borromeo-Arese, 2e Prince of Angera. The illustrious Borromeo family, originally from Lombardy, supported the Visconti family and the Sforza family when they ruled the Duchy of Milan. The family of large landowners owns many properties around Lake Maggiore and several islands of the Borromean Islands. In 2015, Beatrice Borromeo married Pierre Casiraghi, second son of Princess Caroline of Hanover, with whom she had two sons. Pierre and his sons Stefano and Francesco appear in 8th, 9th and 10th positions in the order of succession to the Monegasque throne.
Vogue Italy explains that in addition to the tragic event of August 18, 1978, which is central to the life of the prince, “a more intimate story takes shape over the episodes”. The series discusses “his tormented relationship with his parents, the love affair with Marina Doria, and the years of work in Iran until the scandals and the many other events in which he was the protagonist”.
Nicholas Fontaine
Chief Editor
Nicolas Fontaine has been a freelance web editor since 2014. After having been a copywriter and author for numerous Belgian and French brands and media, he specialized in royalty news. Nicolas is now editor-in-chief of Histoires royales. [email protected]
