A ROYAL ROMANCE

NZ Truth, Issue 936, 3 November 1923, Page 12

A ROYAL ROMANCE

» • ■ SYDNEY MAN'S CLAIM TO REGAL RECOGNITION . Is He The Illegitimate Son Of Italian King? TALE OP FORSAKEN MISTRESS'S DEATHBED DECLARATION [■■■■•; • . . ■■-.•',■. "■■■■'■ (Prom "Truth's" Sydney Rep.) \ Sydney would appear to be a favored port of call for strayed and stranded Royalty. ! Not so long ago the city was "honored" with a visit from 1 a princess (or a grand duchess or something of the kind; she was a grand duchess when she reached New Zealand) Who had temporarily mislaid her husband and his gilded floating palace. \ 4 Now Sydney has an Italian m its midst who stoutly main- ' ' tains that he is the unacknowledged sop of a deoeased sovereign. Quiseppe Savoia, alias. Mucci, is his name. He is a native of Salerno, Italy, and claims that his mother was the mistress, ' and he fa the illegitimate son, of King Humbert of Italy, who was ; assassinated m 1900. • ; Thus, assuming that his assertion is correct, he is a mem- ; ber of the Royal Bavoia Family of Italy, and a half-brother of ' the present King. Fop thirty years or more, he claims, he has kept his Royal parentage a (closely- guarded soeret, but recently h» unfolded • his romontio story to "Truth." / Tho story is published for what it is worth. Savoia may be J what he claims to be—the worthy «on of a Kingly «ire^-or he

| may not. L Savoia makes no secret of the fact i that he is m a. penurious state; that . he wants money; and that his prin- [ cipaj object m endeavoring to eatab- , list i bis Qlaim to kingly parentage at , this stage la to seounf financial assist- ! ance from the present Italian Dynasty, r But he stoutly repudiates ' , ANY SUGGESTION OF IMPOSTURE. A rolling stone since the death of , hid mother m Italy many years ago, he has gathered little moss In his life- ; time, and was unable to withstand a series of blows that fate dealt him some time ago. First of all he suffered a sad bereavement by the death of his wife m the year 1921; next he failed m business; and then his health gave way. Thinking to restore his strength he shipped as a steward, travelled to various parts of. the world, and /finally,, 'drifted to, Ingham, North Queensland. There m 1922 he contracted a serious iUness. At one period his condition became so critical that a priest — Rev. Dr. Kelly — who also fills the ppsition of vice-Consul for Italy, was called to his bedside. ' , . , The religious ministrations at an { end, Savoia, who wajs believed to be j marked with the crops of death, un- j folded a strange, rdmantte, and m- ' tensely human story that, revealed the ! v/eakness of a king and the power of a woman's smile. . : • The story as since furnished to " Truth '*> by Savoia himself In support of his claim to Royal descent Is set out as he told it: — ; "My rhother*a maiden name was j Viencenza Riviello. She was a mem- j '- ber of a distinguished fomily that hhd b,een m the Royal House and I herself was employed there on several occasions at tapestry work and decoration—arts which she h£d , mastered, and at which she was' particularly clever; "My mother was, a very gentlewoman, refined, well-spokt>n, nm> m every sense of the word, beautiful. White employed m this capacity m the Royal j House she came m contact with the King, and eventually became ] ONE OF HIS MISTRESSES, " Previously she had married a bandmaster named Mucci, who joined n crack regiment early m life and fought against Garibaldi. There, were two , children of that union, and my first recollection of them is that one was a youth of ahout seventeen and the other a toy of ten. , "I was born m Salerno; but left,, there very early in' life and went to live with Mucci and my mother at Ravollo. I remember well the journey from Salerno. I travelled m a small boat with my mother and two men a great distance, and covered the remainder of the journey on foot. "Later on I paid a visit to Salerno and met my old nurse, but was soon token by my mother to De Mldlcl Palace at Florence. ; * "How long I lived there I do not know, but it was a considerable time, because when I returned to my home at Rayello one of the men whom I regarded as my brother . had grown a mouatache. I, too, had grown a big | boy, and remember that frequently during my schooling days many dis- ; tlngtiished - looking people visited mother and me and brought us presents .of fruit and flowers. "Our family doctor was the Hon. Cavalier De Cecare, a most • noted physician, a Doctor of Philosophy, and «. well-known gentleman In Italy. He was very good to me, and I used to visit bis palace and vineyard. ' " Eventually Mucci— the man I regarded as my fathor, — died; and after j that my mother grew more and more attached to me. I was m a band, and she used to admire me In my uniform, turn me round, and then embrace me and call her HER ' LITTLE PRINCE.' "At that time I saw nothing significant In this method of address; I merely regarded it as a term of en- | dearment. , "Some months after . Mucci's death roy mother fell ill. Local doctors attended her, but she did not Improve .m health and the Hon. de Cesaro was called m. She rallied under his treat- j mettt, but then grew worse again and finally died. ! "On her deathbed she told me that I was a son of King Humbert, and sho gave me a little Maltese Cross m rod and white enamel with a crown m the centre. This, sho said, was convincing verification of my Royal parentage, and she made me take an oath that I would reveal myself to my Royal father, who, she said, would identify me by this emblem. "How well I can picture the deathbed {scene now. Throughout my mother's lingering illness I was constantly at her bedside. On the night that who died she sent tho nurse away. I remained with her, and she continually stroked roy hand, and looking at me with tear-dimmed eyes, kept repoating, with no little difficulty, 'My little Prince. I want to tell you a lot of things.' " About four o'clock m the morning she caught hold of my hand, pointed , to a picture of King Humbert on the wall, and said, '; 'THAT IS YOUR FATHER!' "I could hardly understand for n ; moment, so she got her Rosary bends with the Crucifix and said, 'Swear ' bofore this Crucifix that you will go and make yourself known ■ to your fathor. and never toll a living soul. ' Ho will know you as Savoia; that m th' 6 name which ho gave you. Take this Heupular from round my neck and | insld^ you will find a crown.' I did bo, and found the Maltcso Croa«. Then 1 my mother expired. " Soon after my mother's death 1 1 loft Italy and secured p. position on a 1 boat. In 1894 I arrived In Sydnoy on i a ship cnpUilned by a Spaniard, whom i I afterwards discovered was a pirate. 'For two yeurs I travelled a koocl i denl, studying navigation. In 1900, when near tho Canary Inlands, I heard of the assassination of my father, : King Humbert, and reiUleed thon that • it was too late for mo to reveal the • secret of my birth which my mother's i dying Hpa had conveyed to mo.

"In 1901 I deserted my ship m Melbourne, assumed the name of Oiiiseppe Muool, and scoured a position In the refreshment room at Federal Parliament Houie. I remained there until 1908, and .then Blamed on a» saloon steward and travelled to Zandon. ' , ;. "In due course I took up my residence at Dartfordk, Kent. I was still llviner there In 1912* when a fire broke out and destroyed everything I possessed, inducting important documents written by lad4eß-*lh-waitinfr at the Royal Pajaoe which would haye oomplctely established my identity as an illegrltiniate son of Klnj? Humbert " Following 1 on. this I returned to Australia and again secured a position as steward at Federal iParliament House. Xeaylrig: there after a while, I went into business m Melbourne on my own apepunt, and for the. first time toTyinany years used my own name. I oilled the caf.e thei' • Savoia.' "My wife diffa #bout this Ume, and the business proved a fallu;fe. I was h\ poor health 1 4n<J, worse "'■ circumstances and again shjlpped as a steward. In 1921 jl journeyed to Naples with the idea of establishing my Identity, but was unsuccessful m my quest for recognition. / "In spite of that I say most emphatically that I am , A SON OF KING HUMBERT and sL half brother of the present King of Italy. There are thtee distinct marks on my body which my father (King Humbert) would have recqgtilsed, and my name (Savoia) belongs to the Royal Houbc of Italy; "Last yeiurl was living at Ingham. North Queensland, and became critically ill; The Rey. Dr. Kelly visited nrie." and then, after $1 years of strict silence I divulged to 1 him the secret of my birth. ( . ". He was so impressed that he got into communication with the ConsulGonerftl, who was m Queensland waters aboard the Italian warship Lybia. The Consul listened to my story and promised tp do all he could for me, but that is the last I have heard from him." . . ,; ■ • .'.■■• Savoia here produced a great bundle of adulatory references as to his ability as a. refreshmont room: steward from prominent Parliamentarians and others, and concluded: "All I claim is recognition from Italy as the illegitimate son of King Humbert and half brother of the present King. Ido not think the Italian Consulate doubts my claims, and the least the present Bynasty might dp. m common with th 4 plebeian father, of nn illegitimate child, is to accept monetary responsibility for the ljiie King's illicit pleasure." The only comment or suggestion that " Truth " plters at present is this: That the Italian Consulate should institute inquiries and cither prove or disprove Savoia's statements. In the event of his assertions being established it doos seem that his claim for assistance, now- that ho haa reached a rugged stretch of life's roadway, should he recognised, :