The ruler of the House of Savoy lives in Vésenaz, in the greater Geneva area. Born in 1937, Victor Emmanuel of Savoy is the successor to Humbert II, King of Italy, and Marie José, Queen of Italy and Royal Princess of Belgium. The King of Italy and his family were expelled from the Italian territory in 1946 for supporting Mussolini's radical laws in 1938.

The family sought refuge at the Château de Merlinge, in the Genevan countryside. To this day, they are still forbidden to return to Italy. Marie José of Italy has consoled herself by creating the Queen Marie José Prize for Musical Composition and inviting the greatest performers to the Château de Merlinge. Her son Victor Emmanuel married Marina Doria, the daughter of a rich Swiss industrialist, and they settled in the chic suburb of Geneva.

Victor Emmanuel of Savoy has not yet been able to leave his golden exile on the shores of Lake Geneva. He tirelessly demands his right to return to Italy and the abolition of the banishment clause in the Italian Constitution. His son, Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy and Prince of Venice, was born in Switzerland, but also desperately wishes to return to the land of his forefathers. Reasonable taxation allows them to live comfortably in exile, surrounded by a wealthy court of Italian expatriates.