Wedding Casket Gift from Umberto II of Savoy and Maria José of Belgium, 1930

Important wedding casket donated by Umberto II of Savoy and Maria Josè of Belgium on the occasion of their wedding which took place on 8 January 1930 in Rome.

Made of fully decorated walnut wood, on the lid there are, expertly embossed in high relief, the coats of arms of the Royal family of Savoy and the Royal Saxe-Coburg-Gotha family to which Maria Josè belonged.

In those years it was a common custom to give gifts of objects bearing the coats of arms of the bride and groom's families: even their wedding favors bore these coats of arms.

Important historical relic, excellently preserved.

Umberto II of Savoy (Umberto Nicola Tommaso Giovanni Maria di Savoia; Racconigi, 15 September 1904 – Geneva, 18 March 1983) was lieutenant general of the Kingdom of Italy from 1944 to 1946 and last King of Italy, from 9 May 1946 to 10 June of the same year, the date on which the result of the institutional referendum of 2 June was proclaimed although, in the face of resistance from the sovereign, only on 13 June did the council of ministers transfer to Alcide De Gasperi, with a gesture that Umberto II defined revolutionary, the accessory functions of provisional Head of State. Due to his short reign (just over a month), he is also called the "May King".

Marie José Carlotta Sofia Amelia Enrichetta Gabriella of Saxe Coburg-Gotha, known as Maria José of Belgium (Ostend, 4 August 1906 – Thônex, 27 January 2001), born princess of Belgium, was the last queen of Italy as consort of King Umberto II. Since her reign lasted only from 9 May to 18 June 1946, she was nicknamed the May Queen by the Italians. Her Italianized name was Maria Giuseppina di Savoia, but she never wanted to use it, not even in official documents such as the marriage certificate.

She is the only Italian queen whose effigy appears on a series of regularly issued stamps: the Wedding of Prince Umberto II.