A court in Italy rejected the claim of the heirs of the last king of the country to claim the crown jewels. As the judge emphasized, the national treasures remain the property of the state, and he described the request as “manifestly unfounded.”

In February 2022, the descendants of Italy’s last monarch filed a lawsuit against the Italian state to recover the jewels, which have been stored in a security vault at the Bank of Italy since 1946.

The heirs of King Umberto II of Savoy failed to reach an agreement with the bank for the return of the jewels, which include more than 6,000 diamonds and 2,000 pearls in pins, necklaces, and tiaras worn by princesses and queens during Italy’s 85-year monarchy.

Their estimated value is around 300 million euros, reports The Guardian.

Queen Margarita of Italy, who had a rich collection of jewelry that she often displayed

Umberto had requested his royal household’s then-minister to transfer the jewels to the then-director of the Bank of Italy for safekeeping.

It is said that the jewels were the only part of the royal estate not confiscated by the Italian government after the abolition of the monarchy in 1946. For this reason, the former royal family hoped to reclaim them.

Following the court ruling, the lawyer representing the king’s heirs announced that they will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and will also ask the Italian state to return the value of all real estate once owned by Italy’s last king.