Prince of Carignan facts for kids
The title of Prince of Carignan was a special name given to a branch of the House of Savoy, a very old and important royal family in Europe. This title was often used in its French form, "Prince de Carignan," because this family had many connections with French royalty and nobles.
The title came from a younger son of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy. Because they were closely related to the main Savoy family, the Princes of Carignan held a very high rank in the Savoyard court. If the main Duke of Savoy ever died without children, a Prince of Carignan could even become the next Duke! They had a beautiful home in Turin, Italy, called the Palazzo Carignano. This title was a bit like the Prince of Condé title in France.
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The Carignan Family: A Royal Branch
This family line was started by Prince Thomas Francis of Savoy (born in 1596, died in 1656). He was an important military leader in Italy. His family members were known as "foreign princes" at the French court, where some of them held very important jobs.
Over time, the Carignan family became incredibly powerful. They eventually became kings of Sardinia from 1831 to 1861, and then kings of Italy from 1861 until 1946! They even briefly provided a king for Spain and Croatia, and queens for Bulgaria and Portugal.
After Charles Albert became king, the title of Prince of Carignan was not used much anymore. The family started using other titles named after Italian cities instead. A famous member of this family was Princess Marie Louise of Savoy, who was known as the princesse de Lamballe. She was a close friend of Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, and sadly died during the French Revolution.
Princes of Carignan: A List
Here are the people who held the title of Prince of Carignan:
- Thomas Francis (1620-1656): He was the very first Prince and started this important family line. He married Marie de Bourbon, Countess of Soissons and had children.
- Emmanuel Philibert (1656-1709): The second prince, he married Maria Vittoria of Savoy and also had children.
- Victor Amadeus (1709-1741)
- Louis Victor (1741-1778): He married Landgravine Christine of Hesse-Rotenburg and had children.
- Victor Amadeus (1778-1780): He married Princess Joséphine of Lorraine and had more children.
- Charles Emmanuel (1780-1800): He married Princess Maria Christina of Saxony.
- Charles Albert (1800-1831): He later became the King of Sardinia. He married Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria.
How They Were Addressed
Sometimes, the Princes of Carignan were called "Highness". But at the courts of Savoy and France, they were more often called "Serene Highness". This was a very respectful way to address them, showing their high status.
Images for kids
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Coat of arms of the Princes of Carignano
