Marina, Princess of Naples
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Marina, Crown Princess of Italy, Princess of Naples (née Marina Ricolfi-Doria) (born February 12, 1935[1]) is a Swiss-born water skier who married to Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples. The titles of the Italian Royal Family are not recognized under the terms of the republican Constitution of Italy. However international precedent is that former holders of certain posts continue to hold their former title as a courtesy title in their lifetime.
Marina Ricolfi-Doria is the daughter of René Italo Ricolfi-Doria (Cologny, April 30, 1901 – Geneva, February 4, 1970) and wife Iris Benvenuti (Pallanza, January 14, 1905 – Geneva, September 10, 2004), who owned a Swiss biscuit business, and sister of Silvia, Nina and Alda. In 1955 Doria went to Florida and became a star attraction at the Florida amusement park Cypress Gardens. She was a world-renowned water ski champion winning world titles on three occasions to gain the titles of Women Tricks World Champion in 1955 and 1957, and Women Slalom World Champion in 1957. In addition, she won four consecutive overall titles in the European Championships from 1953 to 1956 and multiple national titles in her native Switzerland.[2] In 1991 Doria was selected as member in the International Water Ski Federation Hall of Fame.
After an eleven-year engagement and against the wishes of the groom's father, her marriage to Vittorio Emanuele, then a banker and helicopter salesman, took place in Tehran on October 7, 1971, at the occasion of the 2,500 year celebration of Iran's monarchy. They have one son, Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont, who was born in Geneva, on June 22, 1972. Emanuele Filiberto is the heir-apparent of the House of Savoy.
When her husband, the Italian pretender, was allowed to return to his homeland in 2002, they moved from Switzerland to Italy. Her comment on the June 2006 arrest of her husband concerning corruption and abetting in prostitution was: “It is folly. Victor is a clean man.”[3]
