Italy's exiled royals set to return

The Italian parliament today gave final approval to lifting a constitutional ban that kept the male descendants of Italy’s last king out of their homeland, paving a way for their return after 56 years of exile.

However, one last hurdle needs to be cleared before the royals can return.

“I want to express my joy and that of my son for this brilliant success,” said Victor Emmanuel, son of Italy’s last king, Umberto, told Italian state TV soon after the vote from his villa in Corsica, a French island.

“We want to express our deep and sincere gratitude to the government and lawmakers from all parties,” he said.

The vote in the lower Chamber of Deputies was the last in two rounds of voting in both chambers necessary to amend the postwar constitution, which bars male members of the House of Savoy from Italian soil.

The amendment, which was widely expected to be approved, passed, 347-69, with 44 MPs abstaining.

Both Silvio Berlusconi’s conservative government – which has solid majorities in both houses – and many in the centre-left opposition favour the Savoys’ return.

However, under Italy’s constitution, because the second round of voting in the Chamber and in the Senate failed to garner a two-thirds majority, the possibility looms for a referendum on the change.

A referendum can be called by 500,000 voters who sign a petition; by one-fifth of MPs in one of the chambers; or by at least five of Italy’s 20 regional legislatures.

“I hope nobody will have the bad idea of collecting the signatures,” said Carlo Giovanardi, the minister for relations with parliament.

While they await to see if a referendum is indeed called within the next three months, the Savoy males will not be able to return.

“Three more months of anxious wait keep us from our beloved homeland,” Victor Emmanuel said. “We strongly wish that a costly referendum won’t be necessary.”

The male members of the House of Savoy were exiled after the Second World War as punishment for royal support of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

Victor Emmanuel was just nine years old when he left the country. His 30-year-old son, Emmanuel Filiberto, was born and raised in Switzerland, and has never been in Italy.

They have pushed hard for the right to set foot in Italy, lobbying the European and Italian parliaments and bringing their cause to the European Court of Human Rights.

The two men have renounced any claim to the throne and pledged loyalty to Italy’s republican constitution.