Four years after separating from Emmanuel Philibert de Savoie, the pretender to the throne of Italy, Clotilde Courau has revisited their story for the first time, without resentment or animosity.
She never imagined marrying a prince, yet on September 25, 2003, Clotilde Courau said “yes” to Emmanuel-Philibert de Savoie, prince of Piedmont and Venice, in the sumptuous setting of the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs in Rome. The French actress was pregnant with their first child, Vittoria de Savoie.
Their fairytale-like story with the pretender to the throne of Italy, with whom she had another daughter, Luisa, in 2006, eventually ended two decades later. The break-up was announced by Emmanuel-Philibert de Savoie in March 2025 in the Milanese newspaper Corriere della Sera: “We have been separated for four years,” he stated, putting an end to the constant rumors surrounding their relationship. Their situation was intriguing as they lived separately, him between Los Angeles and Monaco, her in Paris with their two daughters, but they always appeared together at major events.
At the same time, Emmanuel-Philibert de Savoie began seeing his new partner, former Miss Mexico Adriana Abascal, with whom he is now separated. Clotilde Courau learned about their romance through the press. “I made the mistake of not talking to him about Adriana right away. Mea culpa,” apologized the father of their two daughters in Corriere della Sera.
Clotilde Courau remained silent until April 2, 2026, when she gave a new interview to the Swiss newspaper 24 heures. “I do not regret at all marrying a man I loved,” she said fondly about Emmanuel-Philibert de Savoie. “I apply the philosophy of poet Christian Bobin, who says that every life accident is a gift from heaven to understand exactly what we want to defend. I regret nothing,” she added.
Despite the personal significance, her marriage to the Prince of Venice cost her greatly, especially professionally. “My career came to a halt at the time of my marriage. I was no longer being offered any roles,” she recalled. “An actress who doesn’t work is no longer an actress, I had to fight for my independence. A woman must keep her freedom,” she emphasized. This message of empowerment has likely been passed on to her daughter Vittoria, who has recently started a career in acting. The 22-year-old woman was announced to star in her first feature film, “You + Me Against All,” in September 2025.
