Offspring of Italy’s Last King Sue State in Battle to Reclaim Crown Jewels

THE GUARDIAN: King Umberto II descendants take legal action over treasure kept in Bank of Italy deposit box for 76 years

Umberto II, right, with his wife, Princess Marie José of Belgium, in 1930. Photograph: Sueddeutsche Zeitung photo/Alamy
The descendants of Italy’s last king are suing the Italian state in their fight to reclaim the crown jewels, which for almost 76 years have been stashed in a treasure chest in a safety deposit box at the Bank of Italy amid a long-running mystery over their ownership.

The legal action comes after the offspring of King Umberto II failed to reach an agreement with the bank to return the jewels, which comprise more than 6,000 diamonds and 2,000 pearls mounted on brooches, necklaces and tiaras worn by various princesses and queens during the monarchy’s 85-year existence.

The first hearing will take place on 7 June at the court of Rome, said Sergio Orlandi, the lawyer representing Umberto II’s son, Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia, and three daughters, Maria Gabriella, Maria Pia and Maria Beatrice. » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome | Wednesday, February 9, 2022

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WIKIPEDIA: Monarchy of Italy

The Italian Monarchist.

Descendants of Italy’s Last King Attempt to Reclaim Crown Jewels

THE GUARDIAN: Items have been in storage since 1946, when Umberto II was banished as Italians voted to abolish monarchy

Crown Prince Umberto of Italy with his bride, Princess Marie-José of Belgium, in 1930.Photograph: Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo/Alamy
Descendants of the last king of Italy have made their first formal request to reclaim the crown jewels, which for almost 76 years have been stashed in a treasure chest in a safety deposit box at the Bank of Italy amid a long-running mystery over their ownership.

The bank took delivery of the jewels, comprising more than 6,000 diamonds and 2,000 pearls mounted on brooches and necklaces worn by various queens and princesses, on 5 June 1946, three days after Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and nine days before King Umberto II, who ruled for just 34 days, was banished into exile along with his male heirs.

Umberto II had tasked Falcone Lucifero, the minister of the Royal House, to bring the jewels to Luigi Einaudi, the then governor of Bank of Italy who later became president, for safekeeping.

The jewels are said to have been the only part of the royal estate that were not confiscated by the Italian state after the monarchy was scrapped, an element that might help the descendants of the House of Savoy, including Umberto II’s son, Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia, and three daughters, Maria Gabriella, Maria Pia and Maria Beatrice, win back possession. » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome | Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Pakistani Lawyer Files Petition for Return of Koh-i-noor Crown Jewels Diamond

The Koh-i-noor diamond is set in the state crown of Queen Mary,
consort of George V, and last worn by the Queen Mother.

THE GUARDIAN: Gem set in crown last worn by Queen’s mother belongs to Punjab province and was forcibly taken by British colonialists, says petitioner in Lahore

A lawyer in Pakistan has filed a court petition seeking the return of a diamond he says Britain forced India to hand over in colonial times.

Once the largest cut diamond in the world, the 105-carat Koh-i-noor is one of the crown jewels. It is set in a crown last worn by the Queen’s late mother during her coronation.

Lawyer Jawaid Iqbal Jafree filed the petition at the high court in Lahore on Wednesday naming Queen Elizabeth II as a respondent. The application asks that Britain hand back the diamond, now on display in the Tower of London.

India also has made regular requests for the jewel’s return, saying the Koh-i-noor is an integral part of the country’s history and culture. In 1850, Britain’s then colonial governor-general of India arranged for the huge diamond to be presented to Queen Victoria. » | Reuters | Thursday, December 3, 2015

Iran: Crown Jewels
Purchased and public domain images from a visit to the Treasury of National Jewels in Tehran, Iran. A brief history and rare glimpse of the imperial jewels of Iran and their relevancy in the Pahlavi and Qajar dynasties.

French City of Angers That Was Home of Plantagenets Demands Return of Crown Jewels
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A French city that was the home of the Plantagenet line of English kings is demanding the Crown Jewels as compensation from the Queen for the execution of its last pretender to the throne.

Angers, in the Loire valley, was the capital of Anjou province and the geographical base of the Plantagenets, who ruled England from 1154 until 1485, providing some of the most celebrated monarchs in British history, including Richard the Lionheart and Henry V.

But when Edward Plantagenet, the Earl of Warwick, was executed for treason in the Tower of London in 1499, the house’s legitimate male line came to an end. “As redress for the execution of Edward, Angers today demands that the Crown Jewels of England be transferred to Angers,” reads a petition posted on the city’s official website.

Recalling 25-year-old Edward’s “unfair and horrible death” at the hands of henchmen working for Henry VII, England’s first Tudor king, the city believes it is owed an apology and 513 years’ worth of compensation.

This would amount to billions in today’s currency, but Angers is prepared to accept the jewels to cover it all. » | Peter Allen in Paris | Sunday, July 15, 2012

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