Prince Thomas, Duke of Genoa


Prince Tommaso of Savoy, 2nd Duke of Genoa, also known as Thomas Albert Victor of Savoy, was an Italian royal prince, nephew of the King of Sardinia, who on 18 February 1861 became the first King of a united Italy. His cousin and brother-in-law Umberto I and his nephew Victor Emmanuel III became subsequent kings of Italy.

Biography

Prince Thomas was born in Turin as the second child and only son of Prince Ferdinand of Savoy, 1st Duke of Genoa, the second son of Charles Albert, King of Sardinia and his wife Maria Theresa of Austria-Tuscany. Prince Thomas' mother was Princess Elisabeth of Saxony, daughter of King John I of Saxony and Princess Amalie of Bavaria. Barely a year after his birth, on 10 February 1855, his father died and Prince Thomas inherited his title, becoming the 2nd Duke of Genoa. He was educated at Harrow.
With the accession of Victor Emmanuel II to the throne of Italy in 1861, Prince Tommaso, in common with all of the family members, became a prince of Italy.
During World War I the king, Victor Emanuel III, assumed the duties of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and named the Duke of Genoa as Luogotenente, in which position he managed the civil affairs of the kingdom throughout the war.
Prince Thomas' elder sister Princess Margherita of Savoy-Genoa married King Umberto I of Italy. Her only child was King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, who reigned starting from his father's murder in 1900.
Prince Thomas died in 1931, leaving six adult children. He was the last surviving grandchild of Charles Albert of Sardinia.

Family and children

In 1883 at Nymphenburg, Bavaria, he was married to Princess Maria Isabella of Bavaria, the eldest daughter of the late Prince Adalbert of Bavaria and Infanta Amalia of Spain, daughter of the Duke of Cadiz.
Their marriage produced the following children:
NameBirthDeathNotes
Prince Ferdinando, 3rd Duke of Genoa and Prince of Udine21 April 188424 June 1963married Maria Luisa Alliaga Gandolfi dei conti di Ricaldone; no issue.
Prince Filiberto, 4th Duke of Genoa and Duke of Pistoia10 March 18957 September 1990married Princess Lydia von Arenberg; no issue.
Princess Maria Bona Margherita Albertina1 August 18962 February 1971married Prince Konrad of Bavaria; had issue.
Prince Adalberto, Duke of Bergamo19 March 189815 December 1982Italian general in WWII, no issue.
Princess Maria Adelaide Vittoria Amelia25 April 19048 February 1979married Leone Massimo, Prince of Arsoli ; had issue.
Prince Eugenio, 5th Duke of Genoa and Duke of Ancona13 March 19068 December 1996married Princess Lucia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies; had issue.

Honours