Prince Emmanuel-Philibert of Savoy, grandson of King Humbert II of Italy, is today the head of the Italian royal family. Four months after the death of his father, the Prince of Venice was entitled to his first official portrait as grand master of the dynastic orders of the royal House of Savoy.
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The first portrait of Prince Emmanuel Philibert as Duke of Savoy
Prince Emmanuel-Philibert of Savoy, 51, is today the face of the Italian royal family, since the death of his father, Prince Victor-Emmanuel, only son of King Humbert II, on February 3. Prince Emmanuel-Philibert is therefore the grand master of the dynastic orders of the Royal House of Savoy and bears the title of Duke of Savoy.
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This June 3, 2024, the orders of the House of Savoy shared the very first official portrait of the Prince of Venice as Duke of Savoy and wearing all the insignia and decorations of grand master of the orders. The royal family of Savoy is a thousand-year-old dynasty, which first reigned as lords of Savoy, before becoming counts of Savoy (1033), then dukes of Savoy (1416). The Duke of Savoy obtained the principality of Piedmont (1418), then the kingdom of Sicily (1713), exchanged for the kingdom of Sardinia (1720). The King of Sardinia from the Savoy dynasty became the first king of Italy unified into a single kingdom in 1861.
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The dynastic orders were a system of distinction that the sovereign bestowed on his subjects throughout his territory. Each new territory over which a Savoy sovereign reigned maintained the honorary system of the dynasty. Upon the abolition of the monarchy in 1946, King Humbert II remained sovereign of the family orders, which his son Victor-Emmanuel inherited upon his death in 1983, and now Emmanuel-Philibert.
On his first official portrait, Prince Emmanuel-Philibert wears all the insignia of the orders of which he is the grand master. He is now the 24th grand master of the supreme order of the Most Holy Annonciade, 18th grand master of the order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus and 7th grand master of the civil order of Savoy. In addition to the insignia of the dynastic orders, he wears the badge of the Order of Malta and the plaque of the Council of Senators of the Kingdom. The green ribbon worn as a sash is that of the order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus. The largest link necklace is that of the order of the Most Holy Annonciade.
Nicolas Fontaine
Editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been a designer-editor and author for numerous Belgian and French brands and media. A specialist in royal family news, Nicolas founded the site Histoires royales of which he is the editor-in-chief. [email protected]
