Among the Savoie, history tends to repeat itself. Especially when it comes to love! In 1971, the union of King Victor-Emmanuel with Marina de Savoie had caused a lot of ink to flow. Fourteen years earlier, the father of Emmanuel-Philibert de Savoie had met Marina Doria, a ski champion and great celebrity of the moment. It was love at first sight between them. But King Humbert took a dim view of this relationship. His son, the heir to the throne, could not decently marry a commoner. The young couple then fled and married in Iran on October 7, 1971. Nineteen years later, his son, Emmanuel-Philibert, met Clotilde Courau during a gala dinner in Monaco. The prince immediately fell under the charm of the actress, who made him wait. Did she really want to become a princess?
During an interview given to Point of view Wednesday October 4, Emmanuel-Philibert explained that his parents, despite having experienced a similar story, had expressed reservations about his relationship with Clotilde Courau. “The beginnings were not easy, I had to convince them that Clotilde was the woman of my life”, the prince remembered. A mission accomplished, since the couple said “yes” on September 25, 2003, in the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs in Rome. But already on the eve of his marriage, the heir to the Italian throne understood the attitude of Victor-Emmanuel and Marina of Savoy. “My parents asked me if this was what I wanted to do. All parents ask these questions.” Time jump to 2023, Emmanuel Philibert, father of princesses Vittoria, 19, and Luisa, 17, is convinced he will adopt a similar attitude when he meets his daughters’ suitors. “I myself will always be a little hesitant when my daughter introduces me to her future husband” he confided to our colleagues.
>> PHOTOS – Vittoria and Luisa of Savoy: their physical evolution
Emmanuel-Philibert and Clotilde Courau, “miracle weddings”
On September 25, Emmanuel-Philibert and Clotilde Courau celebrated their twenty years of marriage. A “miracle wedding” according to the crown prince. Because, from the very beginning, the couple experienced their share of detractors. “Not many people would have bet on us” he whispered to Point of view. And yet! For twenty years, the parents of Princesses Vittoria and Luisa have demonstrated the power of their love and amaze with the longevity of their story. The key to the success of their relationship? Clotilde Courau had entrusted it to the Swiss edition of the magazine Elle : “There are several important elements in the longevity of a couple: dialogue, truth and acceptance of others with their differences. We always communicated a lot with Emmanuel-Philibert and we were able to get through more or less difficult times.” Add to this separate residencesand voila ! The prince and the actress live their love story halfway between Paris, Monaco and Los Angeles. Also, Clotilde Courau and Emmanuel-Philibert have been rewriting, since 2003, an old adage which they transform into “out of sight, close to the heart.”
Article written in collaboration with 6médias
Photo credits: Olycom/ABACA
2023-10-05 19:11:41
#EmmanuelPhilibert #Savoie #reluctance #daughter #introduces #future #husband #Gala
