Victor Amadeus, Prince of Piedmont

Victor Amadeus
Prince of Piedmont
Full name
Vittorio Amedeo Giovanni Filippo di Savoia
Father	Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy
Mother	Anne Marie d'Orléans
Born	(1699-05-06)6 May 1699 Royal Palace of Turin, Turin
Died	22 March 1715(1715-03-22) (aged 15) Royal Palace of Turin, Turin
Burial	Royal Basilica of Superga, Turin

Victor Amadeus of Savoy (Vittorio Amedeo Giovanni Filippo; 6 May 1699 – 22 March 1715) was the eldest son of Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy and his French wife Anne Marie d'Orléans. He was the Heir apparent of Savoy from his birth and as such was styled as the Prince of Piedmont. He acted as Regent of Savoy from September 1713 till September 1714 in the absences of his father. He died of smallpox at the age of 15.

Biography

The Prince of Piedmont was born in Turin on 6 May 1699. He was the fifth child and first son of his parents and was baptised with the names Vittorio Amadeo Giovanni Filippo. The eldest son he would remain close to his father all his life who in turn adored his son who was named after him. Though his parents were not close he also had a close relationship with his mother Anne Marie d'Orléans, a niece of Louis XIV and grand daughter of the murdered Charles I of England.

From birth he was styled as the Prince of Piedmont, the typical style for the Heir apparent to the Duke of Savoy. Piedmont was born at a time when the House of Savoy was in need of a male heir to succeed as the duchy observed the salic law which forbade females to inherit the throne. His birth was greeted with great celebration and throughout his life, his health would require constant attention.

He was the brother of the Princess Maria Adelaide wife of the Duke of Burgundy and daughter-in-law of Le Grand Dauphin. His other sister was Queen Maria Luisa of Spain wife of Philip V. In 1701 his brother Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Aosta was born and it was he who would later succeed to rule Savoy. During the Battle of Turin he, his mother, grandmother and younger brother had to flee Turin for their safety and go to Genoa. His father took part in the battle which was played out to west of the city. The prince was moved from female care in 1708.

In 1713, at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, by the Treaty of Utrecht, Sicily was ceded to the Duke of Savoy, Piedmont's father. As such, Piedmont became the heir to a Kingdom rather than a sovereign Duchy. In September his parents set off for Palermo in Sicily in order to be crowned officially. Victor Amadeus II asked his mother Marie Jeanne of Savoy to maintain a regency in his absence but she declined and the Piedmont was give the post. Piedmont's regency ended when his father returned in September 1714. Strained relations between Savoy and Austria caused plans for the Prince of Piedmont to wed Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria, a daughter of the late Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor but plans were ignored by his father. There were also negotiations for Piedmont to wed Infanta Francisca Josefa of Portugal or Elisabeth Farnese.

Piedmont died in Turin on 22 March 1715 having caught smallpox. He was buried at the Cathedral of Saint Giovanni Battista and later moved to the Basilica of Superga outside Turin. His body is located in the Sala degli Infanti (Hall of the Infantes [children]). He was succeeded as Prince of Piedmont by his younger brother Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Aosta.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 6 May 1699 – 11 April 1713 His Highness the Prince of Piedmont
• 11 April 1713 – 22 March 1715 His Royal Highness the Prince of Piedmont

Sources

• Storrs, Christopher: War, diplomacy and the rise of Savoy, 1690-1720, Cambridge University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-521-55146-3
• Symcox, Geoffrey: Victor Amadeus II: absolutism in the Savoyard State, 1675-1730, University of California Press, 1983, ISBN 978-0-520-04974-1
• Williams. H. Noel: A Rose of Savoy, Marie Adelaide of Savoy, duchesse de Bourgogne, Mother of Louis XV, New York, 1909