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Viktor Emmanuel
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The Bulgarian Post
2006-07-08 08:00:48
A new crisis has hit Italy's royal family following a decision to strip the onetime heir to the throne Victor Emmanuel of Savoy of his title and status of head of the Italian monarchy.
The decision comes in the wake of Emmanuel's involvement in an investigation into corruption and prostitution.
Italy's Assembly of Senators has conferred the title to Victor's cousin Amedeo d'Aosta, international agencies commented, citing a member of the assembly.
Victor Emmanuel's 34-year-old son, Emmanuel Filiberto, was reportedly outraged by the decision and said he will take the case to the court.
Interestingly, the assembly deputy chair also challenged the ruling, saying he was not aware the institution has ever held such a session.
Prince Victor Emmanuel of Savoy, the son of Italy's last king and cousin of Bulgaria's former prime minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha, was arrested June 17 in Varenna, on Lake Como, at the request of prosecutor Henry John Woodcock. He was then transferred to Potenza in southern Italy.
The prince is now being held under house arrest in relation to alleged corruption, trafficking of gambling machines and prostitutes.
The name of Saxe-Coburg Gotha also got mixed up in the unfolding Savoy scandal.
In one of the tapped phone conversations that took the son of Italy's last king to jail, Italian entrepreneur Cerani told Emmanuel that he had given money to Saxe-Coburg's election campaing.
Transcripts of the conversation between Prince Victor Emmanuel and Italian businessman Cerani, published in Italian and Bulgarian media, show Saxe-Coburg Gotha had tried to sell his Vrana palace for EUR 100 M.
Saxe-Coburg denied the allegations but admitted that he has used Cerani's services - he has travelled in his plane.
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