Umberto II, born Umberto Nicola Tommaso Giovanni Maria di Savoia on September 15, 1904, in Racconigi, Piedmont, Italy, was the last King of Italy. He was the only son among the five children of King Victor Emmanuel III and Queen Elena of Montenegro. Educated at the Royal Military Academy in Turin, Umberto II pursued a military career, graduating and becoming a general in 1931. He commanded an armoured division during the 1930s but held a largely formal role under the influence of Benito Mussolini's fascist regime.
In 1924, as Prince of Piedmont, Umberto II undertook a significant diplomatic trip to South America, visiting Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile to strengthen ties with Italian expatriate communities and promote fascist policies. On January 8, 1930, he married Marie José of Belgium in Rome. The couple had four children: Princess Maria Pia (born 1934), Prince Vittorio Emanuele (born 1937), Princess Maria Gabriella (born 1940), and Princess Maria Beatrice (born 1943).
During World War II, Umberto II maintained a cautious distance from Mussolini, opposing some aggressive policies. He supported efforts toward an armistice with the Allies in 1943 and engaged in covert communications with British representatives. In June 1944, amid Italy's military setbacks and the fall of fascism, King Victor Emmanuel III appointed him Lieutenant General of the Realm, making Umberto II the de facto head of state while his father retained the title. This move aimed to rehabilitate the monarchy's image, tarnished by its association with fascism.
On May 9, 1946, Victor Emmanuel III abdicated in favor of Umberto II, hoping the younger king's popularity would preserve the monarchy. Umberto II reigned for just 34 days until June 12, 1946, earning the nickname "May King" (Re di Maggio). A national referendum on June 2, 1946, resulted in a narrow victory for the republic (54.3% to 45.7%), influenced by wartime hardships and the monarchy's fascist ties. Umberto II initially refused to accept the results, leading to brief unrest, but ultimately left Italy on June 13, 1946, aboard the yacht Wilhelm Gustloff, marking the end of the House of Savoy's 85-year rule over a unified Italy.
Exiled by the new republican constitution, which banned male Savoys from Italy until 2002, Umberto II settled in Cascais, Portugal, at the Villa Girasole. He lived there until 1983, maintaining a dignified exile and occasionally commenting on Italian politics. Umberto II died on March 18, 1983, in Geneva, Switzerland, at age 78, after treatment for lung cancer. He was buried in the Basilica of Superga near Turin, and his remains were later transferred to the Pantheon in Rome in 2017 following a legal change allowing Savoy burials.
Throughout his life, Umberto II was seen as more liberal than his father, advocating for democracy and distancing himself from fascism. His brief reign symbolized the turbulent transition from monarchy to republic in postwar Italy, amid the legacy of the House of Savoy, which had unified Italy in 1861. He held titles including King of Italy, King of Sardinia, King of Cyprus, Duke of Savoy, and Prince of Piedmont.
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