Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy
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| Princess Maria Gabriella | |
|---|---|
| Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy | |
| Spouse | Roberto Zellinger de Balkany |
| Issue | |
| Marie Elizabeth Zellinger de Balkany | |
| Full name | |
| Maria Gabriella Giuseppa Aldegonda Adelaide Ludovica Felicità Gennara | |
| Father | Umberto II of Italy |
| Mother | Princess Marie-José of Belgium |
| Born | February 24, 1940 Naples, Italy |
| Italian Royal Family |
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Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy (Maria Gabriella Giuseppa Aldegonda Adelaide Ludovica Felicita Gennara di Savoia (born 24 February 1940 in Naples) is the middle daughter of Italy's last king, Umberto II and his queen, Marie José of Belgium.
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[edit] Marriage
She married Roberto Zellinger de Balkany (born 1931) on February 12, 1969 in Saint-Mesme. The religious wedding was celebrated later on June 21, 1969 at Eze-sur-Mer The couple separated in 1976 and divorced in 1990. She was educated in languages and is a noted historian, especially on Italian issues. She has also authored a number of books.
The couple had one child:
- Marie Elizabeth Zellinger de Balkany (born 1972, married Olivier Janssens in 2003)
[edit] Relationship with the Shah of Iran
In the 1950s, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, then divorced from his second wife, indicated his interest in marrying Princess Maria Gabriella. Pope John XXIII reportedly vetoed the suggestion. In an editorial about the rumors surrounding the marriage of "a Muslim sovereign and a Catholic princess", the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, considered the match "a grave danger,"[1] especially considering that under the 1917 Code of Canon Law a Roman Catholic who attempted to contract a marriage with a divorced person could incur the penalty of excommunication.
[edit] References
- ^ Paul Hofmann, "Pope Bans Marriage of Princess to Shah", New York Times, 24 February 1959, p. 1.
