Emmanuel-Philibert of Savoy is the descendant of the Prince of Naples and the grandson of Humbert II, the last king of Italy. And yet. The monarchy having been abolished in 1946 in the land of the boot, he grew up in exile, in Geneva, Switzerland, during his first 30 years. Then in December 2002, an authorization was issued to allow him to fly and discover his roots. The second part of his life could begin.
“I wanted to visit all of Italy, the most beautiful country in the world, get involved in politics, and above all get to know the Italians, who are greathe explains to the magazine Point of view. Some opposed my return. But that is folklore. I wanted to show who I really was.” So that the public can discover it easily, Emmanuel-Philibert de Savoie has embarked on several television adventures. It is in Ballando con le stellethe 5th season of the Italian version of Dance with the starsthat he began to be appreciated.
It was a winning bet for the husband of Clotilde Courau, who won the victory after two months of trials on the arm of the dancer Natalia Titova. “I have had tremendous successhe recalls. I understand that it may have been shocking to see the heir to the Crown a protagonist on game shows. I think on the contrary that it was extremely beneficial.” The experience must have paid off since Emmanuel-Philibert de Savoie then integrated, in 2011, a celebrity version of Koh Lanta then animated, in 2012, the Italian adaptation of Beijing Express.
People stopped me in the street
On June 22, Emmanuel-Philibert de Savoie celebrated his 50th birthday. Father of two daughters, Princesses Vittoria and Luisa of Savoy, he is delighted at the idea of celebrating this milestone without any regrets in mind. “My aunt Maria-Pia writes in her autobiography that I am perhaps the only member of the family who managed to endear herself to the Italianshe concludes. I remember a stay with my daughters in Rome. People stopped me in the street. The little one said to me: ‘Dad, it’s terrible to be with you in Italy, It’s like being at Eurodisney with Mickey!’
Find the full interview with Emmanuel Philibert de Savoie in the magazine Point de vue, n ° 3854, of June 29, 2022.