White lilies and red roses to remember the coat of arms of the House of Savoy, green to compose the colors of Italy. Roses are flowers linked to Queen Elena, who was the Rose Queen of Charity. The floral arrangement of the Turin cathedral for the funeral of Vittorio Emanuele, son of the last king of Italy, which will begin tomorrow at 3 pm, will be sober. Many have asked to participate, royal houses and ordinary citizens, and two maxi screens will be set up in the square to allow as many people as possible to attend the homily.
The list of Royal Houses that will be present tomorrow in the Turin cathedral for the funeral of Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia has been made known. Among the heads of state, there will be Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Prince Albert of Monaco.
The coffin of Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia at the Venaria Reale Palace
Funeral of Vittorio Emanuele, the Royal Houses "invited"
Representing Spain will be the emeritus queen Sofia, then princes Astrid and Lorenz for Belgium and Archduke Martino of Habsburg, Prince Leka of Albania, Carlo and Camilla of Bourbon of the Two Sicilies, Grand Duke George of Russia, Prince Jean Christophe Bonaparte, descendant of Napoleon, the princes of Orleans counts of Paris, the princes of Bourbon Parma - Netherlands, the princes of Serbia, the royal prince of Saudi Arabia, the prince of Portugal. No member in the list of the British Royal Family, namely the House of Windsor (which sent a message of condolence the day after death).
House of Savoy
For the House of Savoy, in addition to the closest relatives, Princess Maria Pia, Vittorio Emanuele's older sister accompanied by her children, princes of Yugoslavia. And again Prince Aimone and Princess Olga of Savoy Aosta. However, Vittorio Emanuele's two younger sisters, Maria Gabriella and Maria Beatrice, will not be there, blocked for health reasons.
The lying in state
Today was the day of the lying in state at the chapel of Sant'Uberto at the Venaria Palace. Covered by a composition of white, blue and red roses to form the symbol of the house, the coffin was accompanied by the son Emanuele Filiberto, who stopped for a moment next to it, placing a hand on it. "All this rain... even Turin today cries", he murmured meeting the journalists.
"He was a father, a friend, a teacher - he added - Turin is the city he loved and in which he wanted to rest and I believe it is paying him a beautiful tribute. Despite this sad moment the last three weeks with him have been very beautiful: he was serene and we talked about many things. He fell asleep and never woke up. The thing that gives relief is the fact that he did not suffer". To welcome the coffin was Monsignor Gian Franco Troya, honorary royal chaplain of Umbertine appointment, appointed by King Umberto II, for fifty years rector of the royal sanctuary Madonna delle Grazie of Racconigi.
Memories
"My duty is to be at the service of the Savoys - he says -. What we celebrate today is the liturgy of acceptance. I am the last royal chaplain of Umbertine appointment, I was present at all the ceremonies of the family and today I am here to welcome the deceased". Also present was the royal honor guard with the banners with the medal of the National Institute for the Honor Guard at the royal tombs of the Pantheon. The president of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa, also went to the lying in state: "There are lights and shadows - he said leaving the Palace - but I do not forget that the Savoy dynasty was the architect of the unity of Italy".
Large glasses and hair pulled back, Princess Marina Doria was greeted at the entrance by the honor salute of the Pantheon Guards and took her place to the left of the coffin, next to her son Emanuele Filiberto, her daughter-in-law Clotilde Courau and her granddaughters Vittoria and Luisa. Shortly after her arrival, the chancellor of the Dynastic Orders of the House of Savoy, Johannes Niederhauser, placed on a pillow near the coffin the Golden Collar of the Annunciation, symbol of the highest dynastic Order of the house. Two of Vittorio Emanuele's sisters, Maria Gabriella and Maria Beatrice, were not present because they were blocked respectively in Switzerland and Mexico for health reasons. Present was the older sister Maria Pia, with her son Serge of Yugoslavia. Among the bunches and wreaths of flowers present, that all white of the king and queen of Belgium, of the Spanish and Scandinavian delegations of the Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy. Among those present, the former MEP Mario Borghezio, who remembered Vittorio Emanuele as "an intelligent, prepared, cultured and above all very honest person".
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