The Counts of Savoy-Villafranca and later the Counts of Villafranca-Soissons are legitimate male line descendants of Thomas Francis of Savoy, Prince of Carignano the founder of the Carignano branch of the House of Savoy.
History
editThe title was created in 1778 for Prince Eugenio of Savoy (1753–1785). The third count Prince Eugenio Emanuele married in 1863 to Felicita Crosio (1844–1911) in what was a morganatic marriage. His wife was created Countess of Villafranca-Soissons in 1888 so the descendants of the marriage bear the title Count/Countess of Villafranca-Soissons. The current head of the Villafranca-Soissons line is Count Edoardo Emanuele Filiberto (born 1945) the grandson of the first count of Villafranca-Soissons via his second son Count Giuseppe Carlo (1904–1971).
Counts of Villafranca (1778-1888)
edit- Prince Eugenio, Count of Villafranca (1778–1785)
- Prince Giuseppe Maria, Count of Villafranca (1785–1825)
- Prince Eugenio Emanuele, Count of Villafranca (1816–1888)
Counts of Villafranca-Soissons (1888-present)
edit- Emanuele Filiberto, Count of Villafranca-Soissons (1888–1933)
- Eugenio Giuseppe, Count of Villafranca-Soissons (1933–1974)
- Edoardo Emanuele Filiberto, Count of Villafranca-Soissons (1974–present)
- First Heir presumptive: Leonardo Andrea of Villafranca-Soissons
- Second Heir presumptive: Emanuele Filiberto of Villafranca-Soissons
- Third Heir presumptive: Gabriele Emilio Filiberto of Villafranca-Soissons
- Fourth Heir presumptive: Leopoldo Francesco of Villafranca-Soissons
- Fifth Heir presumptive: Daniel Alexis Eugenio Maria of Villafranca-Soissons
- Sixth Heir presumptive: Carlo Alberto of Villafranca-Soissons
- Seventh Heir presumptive: Vittorio Orso of Villafranca-Soissons