7. The King of Italy, along with his entire family, was sent into perpetual exile upon foundation of the Republic of Italy
Existing as a title for varying periods throughout history, the Kingdom of Italy was formally reconstituted in the 1860s following Italian unification under Victor Emmanuel II and the House of Savoy. Perceived as closely collaborating with the Fascist regime of Benito Mussolini, following the liberation of Italy in 1944, in a desperate bid to repair the unpopular image of the monarchy King Victor Emmanuel III transferred much of the powers of the crown to his only son, Umberto, whilst retaining his formal title. Umberto, in a deliberate act of insurance, had been kept apart from politics during the rule of Mussolini, with Royalists hoping he was less tainted by association.
Unsuccessful, in 1946 a referendum was prepared to ask the people of Italy whether or not they would prefer the replacement of the monarchy with a republic. Abdicating on May 9 with the hope his departure and Umberto II’s ascension might improve the survival chances of the House of Savoy, Victor Emmanuel’s sacrifice was in vain. The referendum, held on June 2 and 3, passed by 54.3 to 45.7 percent, with Umberto forced to abdicate on June 12. Adding insult to injury, under the Constitution of the Italian Republic, passed in 1948, members of the House of Savoy were expelled from Italian soil for all eternity.
