V.E. claims he was present when Juan Carlos shot his brother Alfonso.
He says it was usual for JC and VE to aim at bottles at the beach in Cascais where both families lived in exile.
JC did not shoot Alfonso deliberately, but through a cupboard (??).
VE hid his gun immediately afraid that they would put the blame on him.
https://www.revistavanityfair.es/articulos/victor-manuel-de-saboya-ataca-al-rey-juan-carlos-en-la-docuserie-de-beatrice-borromeo
It is the first time that I hear VE involved in this incident.
At the time of Alfonsito's death - Easter 1956 - the Savoy children lived with their mother in Swizerland and no longer in Cascais.
OK, VE might have come to spend Easter with King Umberto, but again, in that sad day, all reports say that only the Countess of Barcelona and her children were at home w/o any visitors.
Why would VE, after all these years, admit he was present when JC shot his brother ?
I am about halfway through Episode 2. It is compelling television, but I would really like to see a documentary about the story behind this documentary. As some will know, the documentarian behind the program is Beatrice Borromeo Casiraghi, a scion of an illustrious noble family, niece by marriage of the Prince of Monaco, and one of the most well-connected aristocrats in Europe.
Even more relevantly, Ms. Casiraghi's mother is a close friend of the sister of Dirk Hamer, who features prominently in the docuseries and has devoted her life for decades to proving the Prince's guilt and bringing him to justice. This is not a piece of objective journalism but a major act in Ms. Hamer's crusade. Nothing wrong with that and I am certainly not a defender of the Prince, but I do think it is a bit misleading that the agenda is not made clear within the program. The filmmaker has been very upfront about her purpose in promotional interviews including, apparently, in the upcoming issue of Tatler. (My copy has not yet arrived, but it may be out already in Europe.)
Apparently the Prince of Venice has attacked Ms. Casiraghi on Twitter, although I haven't seen the thread. He and his father both appear extensively as interview subjects throughout the docuseries, so I wonder if they were perhaps under the impression that they would get more favorable treatment since the filmmaker is "one of us" so to speak. If so, they were very mistaken, and I could see why Prince EF would be upset.
Anyway, even only halfway through, I can say it really is fascinating and I recommend it to anyone interested in this sort of program. Anyone interested in the sad descent of the House of Savoy and the tragic scandal which probably destroyed forever whatever slim chance might still have existed at a restoration should definitely watch it.
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