Vittorio Emanuele also uses the title Duke of Savoy and claims the headship of the House of Savoy.
These claims are disputed by supporters of his third cousin, Prince Amedeo, 5th Duke of Aosta.
He has lived for most of his life in exile, following the constitutional referendum of 1946 which affirmed the abolition of the monarchy and the creation of the Italian Republic.
On several occasions he has been the centre of controversy in Italy and abroad due to a series of incidents, including remarks that were seen by some as anti-semitic.
He was revealed to be a member of Propaganda Due (P2), the state within a state responsible for high-level corruption and political manipulation.
In France he was tried on a murder charge, of which he was cleared of unlawful killing but convicted of a firearms offence.
On 16 June 2006, following an investigation started by John Woodcock of the Public Prosecutor's Office in Potenza, Italy, Vittorio Emanuele was arrested on charges of criminal association, corruption and exploitation of prostitution.
A trial on these charges began in Potenza, Italy on 21 December 2009.
Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia was acquitted of all charges in 2007 and 2010.