In a typical prime TV series style, the Italian defunct monarch comes to life and gossip gloss thanks to its youngest, and historical heir(ess), a 17-year old Instagram influencer.
While memories from last year, of the COVID implications in Italy still remains fresh in our minds, the news of a 17-year-old influencer as the next queen of Italy is like hearing that about Kim Kardashian’s massive non-socially-distanced beach party. No one cares but we still stop to sigh out of exasperation at how inanely skewed the human race has become.
Vittoria Cristina Chiara Adelaide Maria is an influencer with some 35k followers and lives in Paris, where her mother and award-winning French actress Clotilde Courau lives. Her grandfather Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia, the son of the last king of Italy, made the announcement, nudging his ‘beloved granddaughter’ to the limelight, more so than she already is on social media.
It was in 2006 that the infamous family finally returned to Italy, after which they still managed to stay in the news, with jail terms, drug abuses, and the likes as well as others.
The to-be-Queen’s father, Emanuele Filiberto, lives in Monte Carlo and is an Italian television personality. He grew up as an exile from Italy, after the country’s monarchy, was abolished 75 years ago for its support of Mussolini. He is also known as ‘Prince of Naples’ – a name he humbly put for his restaurant based in Los Angeles, where he also ran a business of food trucks.
Emanuele claims to have dated former supermodel Kate Moss, owns a fashion brand called PrinceTees and has starred in Italy’s version of Strictly Come Dancing. AND, he has a production company called AristoCrazy (how apt) and is creating a ‘Crown-like’ series called Queen Marie-Jose, which will be based on his grandmother. And the tip of the iceberg is that he is planning to run for political office next year. With a strong CV such as his, the chances of a win are definitely hopeful (remember who became the US president?).
This news however was not taken with a pinch of salt by the full family. A cousin, and a rival claiming the title said that this was “totally illegitimate”. Words have been exchanged, but the fact remains that the fight is over a currently-non existential throne. Since the abolition of the monarchy, there has been no interest shown in its restoration, something that Prince Filiberto is keen to lead.
Meanwhile, according to the New York Times, ‘in a formal 2019 decree, the “Duke of Savoy, Prince of Naples and by the grace of God direct heir to Head of the Royal House of Savoy,” amended a medieval law that for centuries had restricted succession in his royal line to male heirs’.
Coming back to the subject of the matter, while Vittoria Cristina Chiara Adelaide Maria is happy for the ‘best gift ever, she also feels the responsibility is a ‘lot’. A former student of École Diagonale in Paris she is passionate about art and fashion and hopes to one day launch her own brand. Different from the family’s sense of fashion, but still ‘Vittoria’n.
Additionally, her proud mother has cast her as a ‘gender equality trailblazer as she believes this is a ‘huge thing’, being the ‘future ruler’ and all. She has already made a public debut with her campaign last month in defense of the rights of French private school students. She made a speech, helped by her father, addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron, on Instagram. This gives a fascinating peak to the future – a royal addresses her subjects through Insta reels. Evolution, sadly.
In her spare time, the princess travels to Switzerland and Monte Carlo and to the family farmhouse in Umbria. She also engages with her followers gossiping about Prince Harry and Meghan. Her father however has reportedly asked his ‘rock n roll princess’ to study more and holiday less. For all updates on this progression, check out Instagram.
[Via – NY Times]
