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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo

Descendants of Italy’s last king should not have crown jewels, court rules

King Umberto of Italy, then crown prince, with his bride, Princess Marie Jose of Belgium, in 1930.
King Umberto of Italy, then crown prince, with his bride, Princess Marie-José of Belgium, in 1930. Photograph: Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo/Alamy

A court in Italy has rejected a request made by the descendants of the country’s last king to reclaim the crown jewels, with the judge ordering that the national treasures remain the property of the state.

In February 2022, the descendants of Italy’s last monarch sued the Italian state to reclaim the jewels, which for almost 78 years have been stashed in a treasure chest in a safety deposit box at the Bank of Italy – the country’s central bank – amid a long-running saga over their ownership.

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