Early life Margherita was born to
Prince Ferdinando of Savoy, Duke of Genoa, and
Princess Elisabeth of Saxony. Her father died in 1855, and her mother remarried
morganatically to Major Nicholas Bernoud, Marchese di Rapallo. She was educated by Countess Clelia Monticelli di Casalrosso and her Austrian governess Rosa Arbesser. Reportedly, she was given a more advanced education than most princesses at the time, and displayed a great deal of intellectual curiosity. As a person, she was described as sensitive, proud and with a strong force of will without being hard, as well as having the ability to be charming when she chose to. At 4,554 metres, the "Capanna Regina Margherita" (
Margherita Hut) remains the highest hut in
Europe. Margherita later accepted the position of Honorary President of the
Ladies' Alpine Club.
Queen mother (1900–1926) Umberto I, who had already survived in the past two attempted murders by the anarchists
Giovanni Passannante and
Pietro Acciarito, was killed on 29 July 1900 by another anarchist,
Gaetano Bresci. As the widow of a murdered monarch, Margherita found an enormous amount of sympathy, which created a veritable myth around her as the mourning widow. On 10 January 1926, her body was taken to
Rome, where she was buried the following day in the royal tombs of the
Pantheon, where she still lies. The funeral convoy stopped briefly at each station to allow people to say a final farewell. Her body passed through
Pisa at night, and the band of railway workers of the city went to play as a sign of respect. An emotional crowd hindered and slowed down the progress of the train with her body in order to be able to approach and throw flowers. ==Legacy==