It’s October! Time to Write Stories about LGBTQ History!
Umberto II: the Queer Prince of Italy Who Opposed Mussolini’s Fascism
A story about fascist blackmail, forbidden love and a crown to save
To celebrate Queer History month, I’d like to tell the story of Umberto II, the last King of Italy, about how his queerness was used as blackmail by none other than Mussolini himself.
Born in Turin, on September 15th 1904, Umberto II was the son of King Vittorio Emanuele III and Queen Elena, who was also Princess Elena of Montenegro. After a relatively carefree childhood, Umberto witnessed the horrors of the Great War and the state it left the country in. He received a military education that prepared him for a life of public service as heir to the throne of Italy.
In 1929, he married Princess Maria José of Belgium, which would turn out to be a rocky marriage. Umberto, given his strict education, was a very conservative man who preferred a more private life outside of his official duties as prince. Maria was a very outgoing woman who loved attending social events, and would often drink and smoke a lot, reason enough to be considered scandalous at the time.
