Umberto I 1844-1900
King of Italy

Born in Turin, the son and successor of Victor Emmanuel II, he distinguished himself at the Battle of Custozza (1866). In 1868 he married his cousin Margherita of Savoy and in 1878 succeeded his father. He is often portrayed as a model constitutional monarch who, despite his conservative sympathies and considerable pressure from reactionary politicians, rarely interfered in parliamentary affairs. In reality, he was content to block ministerial appointments and to use the royal prerogative, especially in matters concerning the army or foreign affairs. Despite a genuine concern for his subjects, manifest particularly at times of natural disaster, there were attempts on his life (1878, 1897), before he was finally assassinated by an anarchist.