Marie-José of Italy: The Queen Who Opposed Fascism

Marie-José of Italy lived through some of the most turbulent decades in European history. Born a Belgian princess, she married Prince Umberto of Savoy and found herself at the heart of the Italian monarchy during the rise of Benito Mussolini and the Fascist dictatorship.

Marie-José developed relationships with anti-Fascist politicians and intellectuals and, during the Second World War, attempted to encourage opposition to Mussolini. But how significant was her political role? Was she truly an anti-Fascist working from within the royal establishment, or has her reputation been shaped by later attempts to rehabilitate the Italian monarchy?