Victor Emmanuel III of Italy

King of Italy

11 November 1869 Naples, Kingdom of Italy

28 December 1947(1947-12-28) (78) Alexandria, Kingdom of Egypt

NamesVittorio Emanuele Ferdinando Maria Gennaro di Savoia-Carignano

King of Italy from 1900 to 1946 King of Italy Victor Emmanuel IIIThe King in 1919King of Italy (more...) Reign29 July 1900 – 9 May 1946PredecessorUmberto ISuccessorUmberto IIPrime MinistersSee listEmperor of EthiopiaReign9 May 1936 – 5 May 1941PredecessorHaile Selassie ISuccessorHaile Selassie IKing of the AlbaniansReign16 April 1939 – 8 September 1943PredecessorZog ISuccessorZog I (formally)Prime MinistersSee listBorn(1869-11-11 ) 11 November 1869 Naples, Kingdom of ItalyDied28 December 1947(1947-12-28) (aged 78) Alexandria, Kingdom of EgyptBurialSanctuary of Vicoforte, Vicoforte, ItalySpouseElena of Montenegro ​(m. 1896 )​Issue Princess Yolanda, Countess of Bergolo Mafalda, Landgravine of Hesse Umberto II of Italy Giovanna, Tsaritsa of Bulgaria Princess Maria Francesca NamesVittorio Emanuele Ferdinando Maria Gennaro di Savoia-CarignanoHouseSavoyFatherUmberto I of ItalyMotherMargherita of SavoySignature Italian RoyaltyHouse of Savoy Victor Emmanuel II of Italy Children Princess Maria Clotilde of Savoy Umberto I of Italy Amadeo I of Spain Prince Oddone, Duke of Montferrat Maria Pia of Savoy Grandchildren Emanuele Filiberto, 2nd Duke of Aosta Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Turin Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi Prince Umberto, Count of Salemi Great Grandchildren Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta Prince Aimone, Duke of Aosta Great Great Grandchildren Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta Great Great Great Grandchildren Aimone, Duke of Apulia Umberto I of Italy Children Victor Emmanuel III of Italy Victor Emmanuel III of Italy Children Princess Yolanda of Savoy Princess Mafalda of Savoy Umberto II of Italy Giovanna of Savoy Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy Umberto II of Italy Children Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy Princess Maria Beatrice of Savoy Grandchildren Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Prince of Venice vte Victor Emmanuel III (Vittorio Emanuele Ferdinando Maria Gennaro di Savoia; Italian: Vittorio Emanuele III, Albanian: Viktor Emanueli III, Amharic: ቪቶርዮ አማኑኤል , romanized: Vītoriyo Āmanu’ēli; 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) reigned as King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. In addition, he was Emperor of Ethiopia (1936–1941) and King of the Albanians (1939–1943). During his reign of nearly 46 years, which began after the assassination of his father Umberto I, the Kingdom of Italy became involved in two world wars. His reign also encompassed the birth, rise, and fall of Italian Fascism and its regime. During the First World War, Victor Emmanuel III accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Paolo Boselli and named Vittorio Emanuele Orlando (the premier of victory) in his place. Following the March on Rome, he appointed Benito Mussolini as Prime Minister and later deposed him in 1943 during the Allied invasion of Italy of the Second World War. Victor Emmanuel abdicated his throne in 1946 in favour of his son Umberto II, hoping to strengthen support for the monarchy against an ultimately successful referendum to abolish it. He then went into exile to Alexandria, Egypt, where he died and was buried the following year in St. Catherine's Cathedral of Alexandria. In 2017 his remains were returned to rest in Italy, following an agreement between Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Victor Emmanuel was also called by some Italians Sciaboletta ("little saber"), due to his height of 1.53 m (5 ft 0 in), and il Re soldato (the Soldier King), for having led his country during both world wars.