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Principe Amedeo Umberto di Savoia
5th Duca d'Aosta
(1943–2021)

Other names: Amedeo Umberto Costantino Giorgio Paolo Alessandro Elena Maria Florenzio Zvonimir

Biographical

5th Duca d'Aosta 1948–2021†
Duca delle Puglie 1943–48
Principe della Cisterna 1948–2021†
Principe di Belriguardo 1948–2021†
Marchese di Voghera 1948–2021†
Conte di Ponderano 1948–2021†
Knight of the Order of the Annunziata 1961 [Italy]
Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Order of Malta [Vatican]
Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Military Constantinian Order of St George [Two Sicilies]
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus [Italy]

Titles and honours claimed in opposition from 2006

Principe di Napoli 2006-21†
Head of the House of Savoy 2006-21†
26th titular Duca di Savoia 2006–21†
Titular King of Cyprus 2006-21†
Titular King of Jerusalem 2006-21†
Titular King of Armenia 2006-21†
Titular 26th Duca di Savoia 2006-21†
12th Principe di Carignano 2006-21†
Principe di Piemonte 2006-21†
Principe di Oneglia 2006-21†
Principe di Poirino 2006-21†
Principe di Trino 2006-21†
Principe di Carmagnola 2006-21†
Principe di Montmélian 2006-21†
Principe di Chieri 2006-21†
Principe di Busca 2006-21†
Principe di Bene 2006-21†
Principe di Crescentino 2006-21†
Principe di Dronero 2006-21†
Principe di Bra 2006-21†
Principe di Riva 2006-21†
Principe di Banna 2006-21†
Duc de Genevois 2006-21†
Duca del Monferrato 2006-21†
Duca di Piacenza 2006-21†
Duc de Carignan Ivoy 2006-21†
Duc de Chablais 2006-21†
Marchese in Italia 2006-21†
Marchese di Susa 2006-21†
Marchese d'Ivrea 2006-21†
Marchese di Saluzzo 2006-21†
Marchese di Oristano 2006-21†
Marchese di Cesena 2006-21†
Marquis de Tarentaise 2006-21†
Marchese di Borgomanero 2006-21†
Marchese di Cureggio 2006-21†
Marchese di Caselle 2006-21†
Marchese di Govone 2006-21†
Marchese di Salussola 2006-21†
Marchese di Racconigi 2006-21†
Marchese di Savona 2006-21†
Marchese di Marene 2006-21†
Marchese di Rivoli 2006-21†
Marchese di Pianezza 2006-21†
Marquis de Lanslebourg 2006-21†
Marchese di Cavallermaggiore 2006-21†
Marchese di Modane 2006-21†
Marchese di Centallo 2006-21†
Marchese di Demonte 2006-21†
Marchese di Desana 2006-21†
Marchese di Livorno Ferraris 2006-21†
Marchese di Santhià 2006-21†
Marchese di Agliè 2006-21†
Marchese di Ceva 2006-21†
Marchese di Maro 2006-21†
Marchese di Ghemme 2006-21†
Marchese di Vigone 2006-21†
Marchese di Villafranca 2006-21†
Comte de Nice 2006-21†
Comte de Romont 2006-21†
Comte de Maurienne 2006-21†
Conte di Asti 2006-21†
Comte de Tende 2006-21†
Conte del Goceano 2006-21†
Conte di Alessandria 2006-21†
Conte di Novara 2006-21†
Conte di Tortona 2006-21†
Conte di Bobbio 2006-21†
Comte de Soissons 2006-21†
Conte di Sant'Antioco 2006-21†
Conte di Pollenzo 2006-21†
Conte di Bairo 2006-21†
Conte di Roccabruna 2006-21†
Conte di Tricerro 2006-21†
Conte di Ozegna 2006-21†
Conte di Sarre 2006-21†
Conte dell'Apertole 2006-21†
Baron de Vaud 2006-21†
Baron de Faucigny 2006-21†
Grand Seigneur de Monaco 2006-21†
Signore di Barge 2006-21†
Seigneur di Francin 2006-21†
Signore di Vercelli 2006-21†
Signore di Pinerolo 2006-21†
Seigneur di Arbin 2006-21†
Conseigneur de Menton 2006-21†
Signore della Lomellina 2006-21†
Signore della Valsesia 2006-21†
Signore di Migliabruna 2006-21†
Signore di Motturone 2006-21†
Signore di Tegerone 2006-21†
28th Sovereign and Grand Master of the Holy Order of the Annunciation 2006-21† [Italy]
Grand Master of the Military Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus 2006-21† [Italy]
Grand Master of the Royal Order of Savoy 2006-21† [Italy]

Amedeo was baptised twice because his ceremony was declared to be void. He underwent the second ceremony at the age of six. In 1944, Amedeo, his mother, and his Savoy-Aosta cousins, Margherita and Maria Cristina, along with their mother Anne de Bourbon-Orléans, were sent to the Austrian concentration camp of Hirschegg by the Nazis. After their liberation in May 1945, Amedeo and his mother lived in Switzerland for a few weeks, and then returned to Italy. This was possible because Amedeo's family, being a junior branch of the House of Savoy, was unaffected by the law concerning the exile of the royal family, and so he was able to begin his education in Italy. He afterwards completed his naval education and became a naval officer, but was unable to pursue a career in the field because he was prohibited by the Italian government. He then studied political science. Amedeo was appointed the representative of the House of Savoy in Italy by the exiled King Umberto II. He involved himself in agricultural activities, and with the production of wine, naming his brand 'Savoy-Aosta' and using the royal name and arms which caused a dispute with his cousin, Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, in 1987. Due to the various scandals in which Vittorio Emanuele had been embroiled, a group of supporters of Amedeo of Savoy, along with the Council of Senators of the Kingdom, declared him to be the rightful heir of the House of Savoy in 2006. Amedeo assumed the title of 'Duke of Savoy', and all of the other titles held by the head of the House of Savoy. The dispute was further intensified when Vittorio Emanuele abolished male primogeniture, given that his son had no male heir, thus depriving Amedeo's family who would have been next in line to succeed. In 2008, Vittorio Emanuele and his son, Emanuele Filiberto, took legal action against Amedeo over his use of the Savoy name (rather than Savoy-Aosta), and the court of Arezzo ruled in Vittorio Emanuele's favour in 2010, awarding him damages. This decision this was overturned on appeal in 2018, and Amedeo and his son continued to use the Savoy surname. Amedeo died from cardiac arrest after undergoing surgery.

Place of birth: Villa la Cisterna, Florence
Place of baptism (first): Florence
Place of first marriage: Church of São Pedro de Penaferrim, Sintra, Estremadura, Sintra, Portugal
Place of second marriage: Villa Spedalotto, Bagheria
Place of death: San Donato, Arezzo

Son of Aimone di Savoia-Aosta and Princess Eirene of Greece (Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburrg-Glücksburg). He married firstly to Princesse Claude de France (Bourbon-Orléans) in 1964, divorcing in 1982, and had issue. He married secondly to Silvia Paternò Ventimiglia dei Marchesi di Regiovanni (*1943) in 1987. He also had illegitimate issue.

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