Prince assistant to the Papal throne

The Princes Assistant to the Pontifical Throne are hereditary offices of the Roman Curia. They date from the early sixteenth century and survived the reform of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household in 1968. They are the only hereditary posts still in use at the Vatican.

Description

The title was previously held by:

  • Don Marcantonio Colonna, Prince and Duke of Paliano.
  • Andrea Colonna Colonna family Prince di stigliano
  • Don Alessandro Torlonia, Prince Torlonia, Prince of Fucino, and Prince of Canino and Musignano.

The head of the Colonna family has been a Prince Assistant since 1710. The head of the Orsini family was also a Princes Assistant, from 1735 to 1958. In January 1958, Pius XII relieved Filippo Orsini of his title after the attempted suicide of English actress Belinda Lee. Orisini had engaged in an extramarital affair with Lee.[1]

Pius XII then appointed the head of the House of Torlonia, Alessandro Torlonia, as the second Prince Assistant. Born in 1925, Torlonia was a lay advisor to the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.

See also

References
  1. "Papal Prince's Title in Jeopardy", Independent, 29 January 1958, Long Beach, California, USA, Access Newspaper Archive.
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